Sailes, William Norman (Oral history)

British officer served as pilot with 837 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Dasher and HMS Argus in North Atlantic and Mediterranean, 3/1942-10/1943; served with 768 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in GB, 10/1943-9/1944; served with 853 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Tracker in Arctic, 10/1944-5/1945; served with School of Naval Air Warfare, HMS Vulture, Royal Naval Air Station St Merryn in GB, 1945; served with 1831 and 1841 Naval Air Sqdns, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Northern Air Division in GB, 1952-1957

REEL 1 Background in Ellesmere Port, GB, 1920-1941: family; education; early interest in aviation; employment; membership of 18th (Ellesmere Port) Bn Cheshire Home Guard. Aspects of enlistment and training as naval airman with Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1940-1941: reasons for choice of Fleet Air Arm, 1940; selection process; call-up, 1/1941; initial training at HMS St Vincent, Gosport. Aspects of flying training with No 14 Elementary Flying Training School, RAF at RAF Elmdon, GB and No 31 Service Flying Training School, RCAF Kingston, Canada, 2/1941-10/1941: familiarisation with De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth at No 14 Elementary Flying Training School, RAF at RAF Elmdon; character of instructors; opinion of De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth's handling; spinning aircraft; soloing; voyage from GB to Canada, 5/1941; initial flying of Fairey Battle at No 31 Service Flying Training School, RCAF Kingston; character of North American Harvard; formation and night flying; flying assessments and accidents; practising forced landings. REEL 2 Continues: receiving wings and return voyage to GB, 11/1941. Aspects of period as pilot with 785, 767 and 755 Naval Air Sqdns, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Jackdaw, Royal Naval Air Station Crail, GB, 12/1941-1/1942: flying Fairey Swordfish; deck landing practice with 767 Naval Sqdn at HMS Condor, Royal Naval Air Station, Arbroath; practice bombing and low-level flying; encounter with Lieutenant Laurence Olivier with 755 Naval Air Sqdn at HMS Kestrel, Royal Naval Air Station Worthy Down; flying Blackburn Shark training Telegraphist Air Gunners. Recollections of operations as pilot with 837 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Dasher in North Atlantic and Mediterranean, 3/1942-10/1943: working up of squadron in Jamaica, British West Indies; move up United States seaboard; question of oil fumes on board HMS Dasher; crash into water during deck landing; lack of flying during first convoy; voyage to Gibraltar aboard HMS Argus; taking off from aircraft carrier with no wind. REEL 3 Continues: training with rockets; discovery of problems with Supermarine Seafire prior to landings at Salerno, Italy, 9/1943; smoke laying; operating in Mediterranean; landing on aircraft carrier in rough weather; disbandment of squadron. Aspects of period as pilot with 768 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in GB, 10/1943-9/1944: role training for deck landings; opinion of Fairey Barracuda, Supermarine Seafire and Grumman Hellcat; opinion of American naval aircraft; amusing story of attempts to land Grumman Wildcat on HMS Argus; use of Rocket Assisted Take Off Gear (RATOG); character of Grumman Avenger; use of catapult to take off from escort carriers; amusing story of taking medical officer on catapult take off; incident of flying Fairey Barracuda with pin missing from wing. Aspects of operations as pilot with 853 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Tracker in Arctic, 10/1944-5/1945: anti-submarine work; problems of landing on carrier during rough seas; length of time that pilot could survive in water; introduction of immersion suits. REEL 4 Continues: German use of homing torpedo; plans to attack MS Black Watch at Harstad, Norway, 5/1945; crashing into aircraft on aircraft carrier's deck after barrier had been lowered; attack on German shipping, Norway, 5/5/1945; damage to aircraft; story of crashing De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth over side of aircraft carrier, 1943; loss of wheel from aircraft during landing. Aspects of period as officer with School of Naval Air Warfare, HMS Vulture, Royal Naval Air Station St Merryn, 1945: duties; incident of loss of observers due to pilot error. Aspects of period as pilot with 1831 and 1841 Naval Air Sqdns, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR), Northern Air Division in GB, 1952-1957: flying Hawker Sea Fury; bombing practice using Fairey Fireflies during deployment to Malta, 8/1954; disbandment of Naval Air Divisions, 1957.