Wellham, John Walter George (Oral history)

British officer trained as pilot with RAF at No 4 Elementary and Reserve Flying School and No 5 Flying Training School, RAF Sealand, GB, 12/1936-9/1937; served with 50 (Light Bomber) Sqdn, No 5 Group, Bomber Command, RAF in GB, 10/1937-12/1938; trained with Fleet Air Arm Torpedo Training Unit at RAF Gosport, 822 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Courageous and 750 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Peregrine, Royal Naval Air Station Ford in GB, 1/1939-7/1939; served with 824 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Eagle in Far East, Mediterranean and South Atlantic and in Western Desert and Sudan, 8/1939-8/1941; served with 824 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Illustrious during Battle of Taranto, Italy, 11/11/1940-12/11/1940; served as instructor at HMS Condor, Royal Naval Air Station Arbroath, GB, 8/1941-10/1941; commanded 815 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in Egypt, 10/1941-71942; served as Commander (Flying) aboard HMS Biter in GB coastal waters and Atlantic, 8/1942-8/1944; served as Commander (Flying) aboard HMS Empress, 21st Aircraft Carrier Sqdn in GB coastal waters and Indian Ocean, 8/1944-12/1945

REEL 1 Background on Isle of Bute, GB, 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; relationship 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 in RAF in GB, 9/1936-12/1936: 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 pilot at No 4 Elementary and Reserve Flying School, RAF at Brough, GB, 12/1936-3/1937: 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 B-2; character of Blackburn B-2; attitude to flying; memories of his instructor 'Cha Cha' Morris; pattern of flying training; spinning aircraft; social background of trainee 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 No 5 Elementary Flying School, RAF Sealand, GB, 3/1937-9/1937: flying Hawker Hart Trainer; assessment for selection for future flying role; 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; drill and morning parades. REEL 5 Continues: obtaining wings, 25/6/1937; problems with Welsh nationalists during course at No 5 Armaments Training Camp, RAF at RAF Penrhos; 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 whilst flying aircraft; parachute training; night flying training. Recollections of period as pilot with 50 (Light Bomber) Sqdn, No 5 Group, Bomber Command, RAF at RAF Waddington, GB, 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 pilot with Fleet Air Arm at Torpedo Training Unit at RAF Gosport, GB, 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; relations between ex-RAF and Royal Navy personnel; role of Torpedo Training Unit at RAF Gosport; reception on joining unit, 3/1/1939; accommodation; training entrants joining with rank of 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. Aspects of period as pilot with 822 and 750 Naval Air Sqdns, Fleet Air Arm in GB, 2/1939-7/1939: deck landing training aboard HMS Courageous; landing speed during deck landing; appointment to 750 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm flying Blackburn Sharks to train observers at HMS Peregrine, Royal Naval Air Station Ford, 5/1939-7/1939. Recollections of period as pilot with 824 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Eagle in Far East, 8/1939-5/1940: voyage aboard SS Antenor from GB to Hong Kong; reception aboard aircraft carrier in Hong Kong; peacetime duties 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 Naval Air Sqdns on board; maintenance organisation; role looking for pirates in South China Sea; flight organisation; role of the aircraft carrier; use of camera guns and dummy torpedoes; Chinese stewards on board; use of pidjin English; move to Singapore, Malaya; 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, Malaya; receiving signal on declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; aircraft search for hostile vessels, 3/9/1939. REEL 10 Continues: reaction to being at war; hearing news of loss of HMS Courageous, 9/1939. Recollections of operations as pilot with 824 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Eagle in Mediterranean and in Western Desert, 5/1940-11/1940: ordering of aircraft carrier to Alexandria, Egypt for operations in Mediterranean, 5/1940; searching for Italian Fleet; problems of targeting speedy modern Italian ships; attacks carried out during Battle of Calabria, 9/7/1940; Italian naval tactics; decision to operate in Western Desert when carrier moored at Alexandria, Egypt; move to Ma'aten Bagush and Sidi Barani, Egypt; character of three aircraft attack on Italian vessels led by Captain Oliver Patch on Gulf of Bomba, 22/8/1940; bullet damage to aircraft; award of Distinguished Service Cross and results of attack. REEL 11 Continues: hearing Italian reaction to Gulf of Bomba raid, 22/8/1940; reception from fellow officers on board HMS Eagle; growing understanding of role of air power; operating in desert conditions and opinion of maintenance crews; relations with ground crew; sending reports of attacks to Admiralty; aircrew flown with; promotion to Lieutenant; mining of harbour at Tobruk, Libya; opinion of Fairey Swordfish; pilot superstitions; leave in Alexandria, Egypt; opinion of Australians and impressions of Egyptians. REEL 12 Continues: release of Chinese crew; question of RAF recognition ability; censorship of mail; arrival of HMS Illustrious in Mediterranean; failure in intelligence during raid on Rhodes, Greece; flight to target; attack in airfield on Rhodes, Greece, 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; recieving a Mentioned in Despatches for raid on Rhodes, Greece, 4/9/1940; return to HMS Eagle. Recollections of operations as pilot with 824 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Illustrious during Battle of Taranto, Italy, 11/11/1940-12/11/1940: reasons for transfer to HMS Illustrious for raid; impressions of HMS Illustrious. REEL 13 Continues: prior recollections of mining of Tobruk, Libya; plans to attack Italian Fleet in harbour; intelligence available on Italian defences; need for reconnaissance by RAF of Taranto harbour; distance from aircraft carrier to target and use of long range tanks; character of the harbour; allocation of targets; sailing from Alexandria, Egypt; 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 anti-aircraft hit on aircraft; effects on aircraft of damage; dropping torpedo and rising up into anti-aircraft barrage; clearing harbour; opinion of observer Lieutenant Pat Humphries; problems with aircraft. REEL 14 Continues: conversations with his observer on return journey to aircraft carrier; accuracy of observer's course; problems landing damaged aircraft on deck; reaction to seeing hangar full of returned aircraft; nature 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, Egypt; Admiral Andrew Cunningham's attitude to paucity of decorations for raid; allocation of decorations; attitude towards decorations. Recollections of operations as pilot with 824 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Eagle in Mediterranean and South Atlantic and in Western Desert and Sudan, 11/1940-8/1941: return to HMS Eagle after Battle of Taranto, 11/1940; story of receiving his Distinguished Service Cross from King George V 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, Sudan, 2/1941; operating against Italian destroyers; sketch of operations prior to move to Port Sudan, Sudan; re-embarking aboard HMS Eagle, 4/1941. REEL 16 Continues: move to South Atlantic to operate against German auxiliary cruisers and supply ships, 5/1941; surrender of U-boat supply ship Lothringen, 15/6/1941; arrival of his relief, 11/8/1941; taking passage aboard HMS Philante back to GB, 8/1941. Aspects of period as instructor with HMS Condor, Royal Naval Air Station Arbroath, GB, 9/1941-10/1941: taking up appointment after leave; role as instructor teaching deck and night landings to pilots trained in America. Aspects of operations commanding 815 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in Egypt, 10/1941-7/1942: background to appointment; story illustrating effects of looking young with rank held; reception in squadron; flying nuisance raids from HMS Grebe, Royal Naval Air Station Dekheila; 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, 7/1942. Recollections of operations as Commander (Flying) aboard HMS Biter in GB coastal waters and Atlantic, 8/1942-8/1944: character of escort carrier; operating Grumman Wildcats from carrier; use of catapult and Rocket-Assisted Take-Off Gear (RATOG) 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 carriers. Recollections of operations as Commander (Flying) aboard HMS Empress, 21st Aircraft Carrier Sqdn in GB coastal waters and Indian Ocean, 8/1944-12/1945: joining ship at Rosyth, 29/8/1944; voyage from GB to Ceylon via Mediterranean to join East Indian Fleet, 1/1945-2/1945; role of 896 Naval Air 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, 26/7/1945; opinion of kamikaze pilots; changing nature of naval warfare; reaction to end of Second World War, 8/1945; 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: appointment as Commander (Flying) to HMS Merlin, Royal Naval Air Station Donibristle; appointment as staff officer to HMS Daedalus, Royal Naval Air Station Lee-on-Solent; training role at HMS Heron, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton; appointment to HMS Eagle as 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 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in Egypt, 10/1941-8/1942; conditions for Fleet Air Arm pilots; efficient Commander (Operations) aboard HMS Empress.