Fry, Douglas Robert (Oral history)

British NCO served as air gunner flying Stirling Mark III with 15 Sqdn, 3 Group, RAF based at Mildenhall, GB and operating over North West Europe, 1943. Shot down during raid on Remscheid, Germany, 30/7/1943-1/8/1943; POW in Germany, 1943-1945

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Islington, London, 1924-1942: family background and social circumstances; education; interest in aviation; question of preparations for evacuation, 1938; measurement for gas masks; recruitment and training with 9(F) Islington Sqdn, Air Defence Cadet Corps, Cannonbury, 1938-1941, including uniform, drill, lectures, acting as marshals to Empire Air Day at RAF Hornchurch and first sight of Spitfire; work as office clerk with insurance company; reactions to outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; Anderson air raid shelter; blackout; gas precautions and gas masks; office air raid shelter. REEL 2 Continues: German air raids including dealing with incendiary bombs and effects of bombing; fire watching at office; rationing; brother's service in RAF; recreations and dances; training with Air Training Corps, 1941-1942 including summer camps at RAF Halton, first flight in De Haviland Rapide, desire to train as air gunner and observation training; call up, 1942; selection tests and medical, 11/1942; selection for air gunners' course. Reception at No 1 Air Crew Receiving Centre, St Johns Wood, London, 12/1942: hair cut. REEL 3 Continues: kitting out; vaccinations; billets; dental check; night vision and medical tests. Recollections of training at No 14, Initial Training Wing, Bridlington, 12/1942-2/1943: reception; billets; mathematics; success at aircraft recognition and rejection of offer to become instructor; RAF law; Vickers and Browning guns; ammunition types and pyrotechnics; examinations; relationships with recruits and instructors; elementary gunnery course including firing Browning, clay pigeon shooting and training turret simulator; Morse code training. Recollections of training with No 2 Air Gunnery School, RAF Dalcross, 2/1943-4/1943: hut accommodation; opinion of Defiant and Boulton-Paul gun turret; firing at drogues; deflection shooting; reflector sights; mock attacks and use of camera guns. REEL 4 Continues: opinion of Polish pilots and their stunt flying of Defiants; tests and qualification as sergeant gunner. Recollections of period at No 12 Operational Training Unit, RAF Chipping Norton, 4/1943-5/1943: assignment as mid-gunner to crew including Pilot Officer George Judd, Navigator Sergeant Dennis Brown, Bomb Aimer Sergeant Sid Long, Wireless Operator Sergeant Bill Wells, Pilot Officer Rear Gunner Ken Banks, flights in Wellington bomber. Period at 1651 Conversion Unit, RAF Waterbeach, 5/1943: opinion of new Flight Engineer Sergeant Dick Richards; conversion flights with Sterling bomber; nature of Fraser-Nash 50 mid-upper turret; detachment on advanced gunnery course to RAF Marham including firing at drogues and role advising pilots during mock fighter attacks. Recollections of operations flying Stirling Mark III with 15 Sqdn, 3 Group, RAF based at Mildenhall, 6/1943-7/1943: reception; accommodation; sergeants' mess; food rations; drinking habits and visits to local pubs; question of separation from officers in crew; question of status of air crew NCOs. REEL 5 story of close escape from flying as 'spare' mid-gunner with Stirling that was shot down; assignment to EF427 Stirling Mark III; cleaning mid-upper turret; parachute mining operation near Frisian Islands, 22/6/1943; incendiary bombing raid on Wuppertal, Ruhr Area, Germany, 26/4/1943, including effects of bombing, bombing in 3rd wave and close escape from anti-aircraft shrapnel hitting turret; personal morale; mining operation off La Rochelle, 25/6/1943; bombing raids over Colgne, 28/6/1943 and 3/7/1943, including false alarm of German night fighter and rear gunner's mistake in firing on Beaufighter; flying with series of 'spare' rear gunners; leave; description of typical bombing raids over Germany, 7/1943, including notification, night flying tests, method of loading cleaning and harmonising Browning guns, briefing and flying kit. REEL 6 Continues: description of typical bombing raids over Germany, 7/1943, including trip in crew bus to aircraft, pre-flight checks, question using medication to keep awake, take off procedure, oxygen masks and intercom, flying independently within bomber stream, question of H2S and GEE navigation aids, environment in aircraft, testing guns, reports to pilot, duties in mid-gun turret watching for German fighters, question of German night fighter tactics, restrictions on gun firing arcs, question of using chemical latrine, personal morale, bombing run on target indicators. Nature of German barrage AA fire and searchlights, dropping incendiary bombs, photographs, maintaining lookout during flight home, view of shot down bombers, question of use of wireless and flying rations. REEL 7 Continues: description of typical bombing raids over Germany, 7/1943, including threat from German fighters over airfield, landing procedure, taxiing to dispersal area, debriefing, photographs, breakfast and sleep; bombing raid over Hamburg, 24/7/1943, including briefing, method and effectiveness of using 'Window' foil to baffle German radar and AA defences, incendiaries and bomb load carried, and effects of bombing; diversion of bombing raid from Hamburg to Essen, 25/7/1943; use of OBOE navigational aid by Mosquito pathfinders; bombing raid on Hamburg, 27/7/1943, including German increasing ability to cope with 'Window', success in creating firestorm and manoeuvring necessary to avoid German searchlights; bombing raid on Hamburg, 29/7/1943, including question of effectiveness of 'Window', route and turning markers, view of fires, reaction to German casualties, listening into German wireless traffic, avoiding German night fighter and sighting and firing at JU 88. REEL 8 Contiues: Recollections of being shot down during bombing raid on Remscheid, Ruhr area, 30/7/1943-1/8/1943: reactions to notification; filming of briefing for film 'The Biter Bit'; prior visit by Air Marshal Sir Arthur Harris for briefing on Hamburg raids and film; filming of departure in crew bus; subsequent viewing of 'The Biter Bit' by family; bombing in 2nd wave; being 'coned' by searchlights after being caught by master beam; AA fire and hits during bombing run; outbreak of fire in aircraft; stomach wounds; being pulled out of vertical dive; difficulty in finding parachute; removal of flying helmet; state of aircraft and crew; losing consciousness; baling out; question of parachute training; landing in Manheim garden; question of evading capture; escape kit; capture by German soldier; treatment by German civilians; state of wounds. REEL 9 Continues: treatment by German civilians and doctor; movements; meeting Flying Officer Ken Banks in ambulance. Recollections of period in hospital at Stalag 6J, Gersheim, Dusseldorf, 8/1943: intermittent unconsciousness; medical operations and treatment for wounds; wrist wound; visitors; serious nature of stomach wound; removal of dressings; X-Ray and question shrapnel left in body; fellow patients; Soviet ward orderly; uniform; story of close escape from RAF bombing; move to Frankfurt. REEL 10 Continues: Period at Hohmark Sanitorium, Franfurt, 9/1943: bath; conditions; nature of interrogation including refusal to complete 'Red Cross' forms and detailed German dossier on crew and 15 Sqdn, RAF. Period at Dulag Luft Camp, Frankfurt, 9/19437/1944: nature of camp; induction procedure; meeting friend from ATC service; conditions during cattle truck train journey to Heydekrug; help from German guard from US. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine in K2 hut, K Compound, Stalag Luft VI, Heydekrug, 10/1943-: reception; arrival of experienced POWs from Stalag I; hut accommodation; issue of uniform via Red Cross; pay and allotment to mother; Red Cross parcels; food. REEL 11 Continues: story of meeting Sergeant Dick Richards; recovery from wounds; role of Senior BNCO Sergeant Vic Clark; construction of theatre and theatrical productions assisted by YMCA; sporting activities; question of educational courses; personal morale; question of late notification of family of POW status; letter and parcel contacts with GB; camp fatigues; roll call; shower water supply; latrines; relationship with prisoners, German guards and 'ferrets'; German reaction to efforts to disrupt roll call; Christmas celebrations, 25/12/1943; winter weather conditions; failed attempt to make ice rinks. REEL 12 Continues: view of shot down German aircraft; parcels from 15 Sqdn, RAF; question of escape activities; coded letters to GB; wireless bulletins; news of execution of prisoners escaping from Stalag Luft III, 3/1944; sunbathing; volleyball; reactions to news of D Day, 6/6/1944; state of health. Journey to Gross Tychrow, 7/1944: train journey to Memel; conditions in hold during voyage aboard Instaberg to Swinemunde; train journey to Kiefheide; air raid on Schwinemunde; view of Graf Zeppelin; treatment during final stages of march. Period at Stalag Luft IV, Gross Tychrow, 7/1944-2/1945: hut accommodation. REEL 13 Continues: fatal lightning strike; hut accommodation; accidental electrocution of German electrician; move into British compound; unfinished state of hut accommodation; water supply; role looking after hut boiler; deterioration in conditions and lifestyle; question of German preparations to move POWs; winter conditions; rumours of move and preparations. Recollections of march to west, 2/1945-5/1945: issue of Red Cross parcel on leaving camp, 6/2/1945; overnight stops in barns; Sergeant Vic Clark's successful attempts to locate Red Cross parcel dumps; question of bath; story of bartering with Russian worker; weather conditions; stories of scavenging for food and dispute with German guards. REEL 14 Continues: ignorance of destination; arrival at Pritter, ca 15/2/1945; sleeping outdoors; issue of Red Cross parcels; latrines and washing; route to Ebsdorf; train journey and view of German wounded soldiers; view of Allied air raid; conditions during brief period at Stalag 357, Fellingbostel, 4/1945; state of morale; scavenging for food; attitude of German guards; arrival at barn at Cammin; casualties and slight back wound during attack on barn by Allied aircraft; move with wounded into nearby camp; frost bite case; Red Cross parcels; view of attack on nearby German airfield by RAF Tempests; departure of German guards; liberation by US troops, 2/5/1945. Period prior to return to GB, 5/1945: food supplies; move to British sector in Luneberg area; treatment for sore feet; ENSA show; flight in Lancaster back to GB, 10/5/1945. REEL 15 Continues: flight in Lancaster back to GB, 10/5/1945; reception as POWs. Review of service, 5/1945-3/1946: periods of leave and story of visiting parents of deceased friend; demobilisation, 3/1946. Post-war career: return to work with insurance company; question of physical and mental effects of war service.