Reid, William John Murray St Clair (Oral history)

British officer trained as pilot with Fleet Air Arm with No 14 Elementary Flying Training School, RAF at RAF Elmdon, No 31 Service Flying Training School at RCAF Kingston and No 1 Naval Air Fighter School at HMS Heron, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton in GB and Canada, 1942-1943; served with 771 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Tern, Royal Naval Air Station Twatt, Orkney Islands, GB, 1943-1944; served with No 1 Naval Air Fighter School at HMS Heron, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, GB, 1944; served with 896 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in South Africa and aboard HMS Empress in Indian Ocean, 1/1945-8/1945

REEL 1 Background in Edinburgh and Glasgow, GB, 1923-1942: family; father's naval service in First World War; education; recreational activities; abortive attempt to enlist in Royal Air Force. Aspects of training as seaman and naval airman at HMS Ganges, Shotley and HMS St Vincent, Gosport, GB, 1942: initial impressions of HMS Ganges; accommodation; discipline; pattern of training; volunteering for Fleet Air Arm; memories of Chief Petty Officer Wilmot at HMS St Vincent; amusing story of attending selection board for Fleet Air Arm. Aspects of flying training with Fleet Air Arm in GB and Canada, 1942-1943: posting to No 14 Elementary Flying Training School, RAF at RAF Elmdon, GB; flying abilities; pattern of flying training with De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth; technique for getting out of spin; aerobatics; reaction to soloing; taking and landing the aircraft. REEL 2 Continues: instrument flying; Rate One Turns; need to trust instruments; practising forced landings and low-level flying; cross-country flights; character of voyage aboard HMT Queen Elizabeth from GB to Canada; practising dive-bombing on Lake Ontario, Canada; initial impressions of North American Harvard; use of packed snow surface at No 31 Service Flying Training School, RCAF at RCAF Kingston, Canada; commissioning at end of course; question of safety on course. Aspect of training as pilot at No 1 Naval Air Fighter School at HMS Heron, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, GB, 1943: appointment to unit; degree of confidence in flying fighters; character of Supermarine Seafire; problems with Supermarine Seafire being used for naval operations; Aerodrome Dummy Deck Landings (ADDLs); flying Hawker Hurricane. REEL 3 Continues: Aspects of period as pilot with 771 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Arm Arm at HMS Tern, Royal Naval Air Station Twatt, Orkney Islands, GB, 1943-1944: reaction to posting; towing drogues for anti-aircraft; radar calibration duties; opinion of Blackburn Roc and Blackburn Skua; opinion of Gloster Gladiator and Fairey Swordfish; operating from Orkney Islands. Aspects of period as pilot at No 1 Naval Air Fighter School at HMS Heron, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, GB, 1944: practising deck landings on HMS Ravager; method of landing on aircraft carriers; technique of using chocks for take off; problems of torque with Supermarine Seafire Mk IIC. Recollections of operations as pilot with 896 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in South Africa and aboard HMS Empress in Indian Ocean, 1/1945-8/1945: working up in South Africa; character of Grumman Hellcat FB Mk II; air gunnery and rocket firing; formation flying. REEL 4 Continues: mock air combat; embarkation aboard carrier HMS Empress; character of HMS Empress; catapulting aircraft from escort carrier; operations against Malaysian coast; opinion of Japanese anti- aircraft gunners; attacking targets; briefing prior to operation; uniform worn; colour of aircraft; sight of Kamikaze attack on ship; reaction to dropping of atomic bomb; reasons for missing Operation Zipper, 8/1945; disbandment of squadron and breaking up of aircraft at Cochin, India; demobilisation; attitude to serving with Fleet Air Arm during Second World War.