WELLHAM, JOHN (Oral history)

British officer trained as pilot with RAF at Brough Elementary Flying School and 5 Flying Training School, RAF Sealand, GB, 1936-1937; served with 50 (Light Bomber) Sqdn, RAF in GB, 1937-1938; trained with Fleet Air Arm Torpedo Training Unit at Gosport, with 822 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Courageous and with 750 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at Royal Naval Air Station Ford in GB, 1/1939-7/1939; served with 824 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Eagle in Far East, Mediterranean and South Atlantic, in Western Desert and Sudan, 1939-1941 including Taranto Raid, 11/1940; served as instructor at Royal Naval Air Station, HMS Condor, Arbroath, GB, 1941; commanded 815 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in Egypt, 1941-1942; served as Commander (Flying) aboard HMS Biter in Atlantic, 1942-1944; served as Commander (Flying) aboard HMS Empress in Indian Ocean, 1944-1945. Various duties with Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1946-1953

REEL 1 Background on Isle of Bute, 1919-1936: family; elements of being brought up by grandmother; education; sporting activities; character of island community including number of Italians; influx of holiday makers; behaviour of holiday makers; ferries to mainland; degree of influence of church; education on island; recreational activities; relationships with females on island; medical facilities; state of health; youth organisations. REEL 2 Continues: discipline and relationship with grandmother; discipline at school; subjects studied during education. Aspects of enlistment as officer into RAF, 1936: advise from headmaster to take short service commission in RAF; grandmother's attitude towards enlistment; qualifications to enlist in RAF; selection interview and medical, 9/1936; acceptance as pilot officer. Recollections of flying training as officer with RAF at Brough Airfield, 1936- 1937: reception on arrival, 12/1936; issue of flying suit; rations and accommodation. REEL 3 Continues: character of Sidcot Suit; first flight with instructor in Blackburn B2; character of Blackburn B2; attitude to flying; memories of his instructor "Cha Cha" Morris; pattern of flying training; spinning aircraft; social background of trainees pilots; daily routine; attending lectures; basic navigation; recreational activities; rations and pay; flying pay; final tests. REEL 4 Continues: story of obtaining RAF uniform on posting to RAF Uxbridge, 3/1937. Recollections of flying training as pilot with 5 Elementary Flying School, RAF Sealand, 3/1937-9/1937: flying Hawker Hart Trainer; assessment for selection to which type of pilot trainee would be; character of flying school; commanding officer; instrument flying; use of Link Trainer; increase in accidents and official view of damaging aircraft; landing aircraft; receiving wings; officers' servants; character of mess; method of payment; drilling and morning parades. REEL 5 Continues: obtaining wings 25/6/1937; problems with Welsh nationalists during course at Armaments Training Centre, Penrose; opinion of Hawker Fury; practice bombing with Hawker Audax; firing guns through propellers of Hawker Fury; aircraft recognition; lack of influence of First World War aerial combat tactics; problems of aircraft recognition in aircraft; parachute training; night flying training. Recollections of period as pilot with 50 (Light Bomber) Sqdn, RAF at RAF Waddington, 10/1937-12/1938: reception on arrival; accommodation; composition of squadron; character of Hawker Hind; role of light bombers. REEL 6 Continues: degree of training on engines and armaments; personal weapons; further details of Hawker Hind; flying on instruments; all weather flying; formation flying; use of flying manuals; communications between pilots; non-flying duties; story of flying accident in duel control Hawker Hind; injuries and hospitalisation; navigation course at RAF Hamble; lack of effects of flying accident; pilot superstitions. Recollections of period as officer with Fleet Air Arm at Torpedo Training Unit at Gosport, 1/1939-2/1939: background to transfer from RAF to Fleet Air Arm; demonstrating flying skills to Fleet Air Arm personnel. REEL 7 Continues: initial impressions of Fairey Swordfish; crew and speed of Fairey Swordfish; course in familiarisation with naval procedures; obtaining Fleet Air Arm uniform; rank markings on uniform; relationships between ex RAF and Royal Navy personnel; role of Torpedo Training Unit at Gosport; reception on joining unit, 3/1/1939; accommodation; training entrants joining with rank Midshipman (A); torpedo training attacks on Martello Towers; forms of torpedo attack practised; practising deck landings; pilot skills; recreational activities. REEL 8 Continues: visits to naval vessels; leaving unit, 28/2/1939. Period as pilot with 822 and 750 Sqdns, Fleet Air Arm, 2/1939-7/1939: deck landing training from HMS Courageous; landing speed during deck landing; posting to 750 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm flying Blackburn Sharks to train observers, 5/1939-7/1939. Aspects of period as pilot with 824 Sqdn aboard HMS Eagle in Far East, 1939-1940: voyage aboard SS Antenor from GB to Hong Kong; reception aboard aircraft carrier in Hong Kong; peacetime duties of ship in Far East; rate of landing aircraft on board; role of flight deck party; ease of landings; officers' wardroom and accommodation; role of observer. REEL 9 Continues: organisation of 813 and 824 Sqdns on board; maintenance organisation; role looking for pirates in China Sea; flight organisation; role of the aircraft carrier; use of camera guns and dummy torpedoes; Chinese steward's on board; use of pidjin English; move to Singapore; non-flying duties; recreational activities; receiving mail; attitude towards Sunday church services; amusing story of flying flag to denote padre on board; situation in Singapore; receiving signal on declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; aircraft search for hostile ships, 3/9/1939. REEL 10 Continues: reaction to being at war; hearing news of loss of HMS Courageous. Recollections of operations as pilot with 824 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Eagle in Mediterranean and in Western Desert, 1940: ordering of carrier to Alexandria for operations in Mediterranean, 6/1940; searching for Italian Fleet; problems of targeting speedy modern Italian ships; attacks carried out during Battle of Calabria, 7/1940; Italian naval tactics; decision to operate in Western Desert when carrier moored at Alexandria; move to Ma'aten Bagush and Sidi Barani; character of three aircraft attack led by Oliver Patch on Bomba Harbour; bullet damage to aircraft; award of Distinguished Service Cross and results of attack. REEL 11 Continues: hearing Italian reaction to Bomba raid; reception from fellow officers on board HMS Eagle; growing understanding of role of air power; operating in desert conditions and opinion of maintenance crews; relationship with ground crew; sending reports of attacks to Admiralty; aircrew flown with; promotion to Lieutenant; mining of Tobruk harbour; opinion of Fairey Swordfish; pilot superstitions; leave in Alexandria; opinion of Australians and impressions of Egyptians. REEL 12 Continues: releasing of Chinese crew; question of RAF recognition ability; censorship of mail; arrival of HMS Illustrious in Mediterranean; failure in intelligence on Rhodes raid; flight to target; attack in airfield on Rhodes, 4/9/1940; different anti-aircraft fire encountered; method of dive bombing and judging height; attack by two Italian Fiat CR 42 fighters on return journey; technique for evading fighters in Fairey Swordfish; Mentioned in Despatches for raid on Rhodes, 4/9/1940; return to HMS Eagle. Recollections of operations as pilot with 824 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm during Taranto Raid, 11/11/1940: reasons for transfer to HMS Illustrious for raid; impressions of HMS Illustrious. REEL 13 Continues: prior recollections of mining of Tobruk; plans to attack Italian Fleet in harbour; intelligence available on Italian defences; need for reconnaissance by RAF on Taranto harbour; distance from carrier to target and use of long range tanks; character of the harbour; allocation of targets; sailing from Alexandria; tactics used to confuse Italians; preparations for two waves of attack and expected casualties; nature of flight for pilot and observer; sight of target on approach; dodging barrage balloon during dive and hit on aircraft; effects on aircraft of damage; dropping torpedo and rising up into anti-aircraft barrage; clearing harbour; opinion of observer Pat Humphries; problems with aircraft. REEL 14 Continues: conversations with his observer on return journey to carrier; accuracy of observer's course; problems landing damaged aircraft on deck; reaction to seeing hangar full of returned aircraft; character of damage to aircraft; opinion of Fairey Swordfish's ability to take damage; problems sleeping after raid; signals hoisted by flagship; attitude to possibility of having to repeat raid; reaction to aircraft losses; results of raid and Italian reaction; lessons learnt from raid; reception in Alexandria; Admiral Cunningham's attitude to paucity of decorations for raid; allocation of decorations; attitude towards decorations. Recollections of operations as pilot with 824 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Eagle in Mediterranean and South Atlantic, in Western Desert and Sudan, 1940-1941: return to HMS Eagle after Taranto Raid; story of receiving his Distinguished Service Cross from King George the Fifth in GB, 1941; promotion to Lieutenant. REEL 15 Continues: question of award of decorations; opinion of Admiral Andrew Cunningham; importance of mail; pattern of desert operations prior to returning to HMS Eagle, 12/1/1941; pattern of carrier operations in early 1941; experiments with radar; opinion of Fairey Albacore; reasons for move to Port Sudan, 2/1941; operating against Italian destroyers; sketch of operations prior to move to Port Sudan; re-embarking aboard HMS Eagle, 4/1941. REEL 16 Continues: move to South Atlantic to operate against German supply ships; surrender of Lothengen, 15/6/1941; arrival of his relief, 11/8/1941; taking passage aboard Philantes back to GB. Aspects of period as instructor with Royal Naval Air Station, HMS Condor, Abroarth, 8/1941-10/1941: taking up appointment after leave; role as instructor teaching deck and night landings to pilots trained in America. Aspects of operations commanding 815 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in Egypt, 10/1941-8/1942: background to posting; story illustrating effects of looking young with rank held; reception in squadron; flying nuisance raids from Dekeila; problems of having detachments operating over Middle East; move to Mersa Matruh; results of visit to Naval Headquarters in Alexandria. REEL 17 Continues: disbandment of squadron, size of his command; return to GB. Recollections of operations as Commander (Flying) aboard HMS Biter, 1942-1944: character of escort carrier; operating Grumman Wildcats from carrier; use of catapult and rocket assisted take off for Fairey Swordfish; role and duties; attitude to not flying; opinion of crew; joining hunter-killer groups; degree of communications between ship and aircraft; problems with experimental homing depth charges including damage to HMS Biter; role handling all flights from carrier from Flight Control Centre; importance of calculating wind direction. REEL 18 Continues: effect of development of Merchant Armed Carriers providing anti-submarine patrols; change in role of escort carrier. Recollections of operations as Commander (Flying) aboard HMS Empress in Indian Ocean, 1944-1945: joining ship; voyage from GB to Ceylon via Mediterranean to join East Indian Fleet; role of 896 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm operating Grumman Hellcats from carrier; impressions of Lord Louis Mountbatten; pattern of operations in Indian Ocean; Japanese kamikaze attack on ship; opinion of kamikaze pilots; changing nature of naval warfare; reaction to end of Second World War; duties transporting former POWs to Australia and New Zealand; watch keeping duties; opinion of American carrier aircraft. REEL 19 Continues: arrival in GB, 12/1945. Aspects of various duties with Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1946-1953: posting as Commander Flying at Royal Naval Air Station, Donibristle; appointment at staff officer to Lee on Solent; training role at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton; appointment to HMS Eagle as Lieutenant Commander (Flying) after staff course; move to Admiralty; leaving Fleet Air Arm, 1953. Reflections on service with Fleet Air Arm, 1939-1953: enjoyment of commanding 815 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in Western Desert; conditions for Fleet Air Arm pilots; efficient Lieutenant Commander (Operations) aboard HMS Empress.