Banks, David Kynvin (Oral history)

British officer served with 206 (General Reconnaissance) Sqdn, RAF in GB, 1936-1937; served with with 201 Sqdn, RAF in GB, 1936-1938; served with Float Plane and Flying Boat Flights, Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment in GB, 1938-1941; served with 109 Sqdn, RAF, in GB, 1941; served with 209 (Flying Boat) Sqdn, Coastal Command, RAF in GB, 1941; served with 205 (FB) Sqdn, RAF at Singapore, 1941; served as commanding officer of 27 Sqdn, RAF at Singapore and Sumatra, 1941-1942; served with 11 Sqdn, RAF at Ceylon, 1942; served as wing commander commanding 60 Sqdn, RAF in India, 1942-1943; served with HQ, 224 Group in India, 1943-1944

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Plymouth, Brixham, Eastdown and Kingston Upon Thames, 1916-1939: family background; memories of Fist World War, 1918-1919; music lessons; education and OTC training at Exeter School and St Johns, Leatherhead; work as electrical salesman; background to application to join RAF, 3/1935. Period of basic training as officer at RAF Uxbridge, 3/1935-4/1935: drill; kitting out; lectures; officers' mess nights; sports activities. Recollections of period at No 3 Flying Training School, Grantham, 4/1935-: stripping down aero-engines and airframes; RAF law. REEL 2 Continues: learning to fly in Avro Tutor; first solo flight, 4/5/1935; taking private navigator's licence; opinion of Hawker Hart; cross country flights; assessment as pilot. Recollections of period with 206 (General Reconnaissance) Sqdn, RAF attached to School of Navigation at RAF Marston and Bircham Newton, 1/1936-10/1937: flying Sanders Rowe Clouds flying boat; navigation training including working out drift, ground speed and air speed; opinion of Avro Anson; forming crew; move to Bircham Newton; sand yachts; opinion of Wing Commander F J Vincent and H O Long. REEL 3 Continues: opinion of Flight Commander E F Porter; attachment for air filming and liaison duties flying Ansons for Metro-Golder-Meyer film production, 7/1936-8/1936. Period with 201 Sqdn, RAF at Calshot Castle, Southampton, 1936-1938: flying boat and float plane conversion course; routine duties; question of boxing. Recollections of period on Float Plane and Flying Boat Flights, Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment, Felixstowe, 3/1938-9/1939: opinion of various aircraft including Supermarine Swordfish and Walrus and Fairey Seafox; risk of capsizing float planes; approach of war and possible German spy; story of forced landing in Lerwick Flying Boat; effects of outbreak of war, 3/9/1939. REEL 4 Continues: effects of outbreak of war, 3/9/1939. Periods at Stranraer and Helensburgh, 9/1939-9/1941: accident hitting timber in water; move to Helensburgh, 10/1939; tests under supervision of Air Ministry scientists and illustration of dangerous test; promotion to squadron leader, 12/1940; story of picking experimental reduced size Sunderland from Short Brothers, Rochester, 1940; flying Ladybird reduced size version of Princess; opinion of captured Heinkel 115 Seaplane; story of rough landing during blind landing tests in fog off Welsh coast, problem with dinghy and rescue after 2 nights; background to application for transfer to operational unit. Period with 109 Sqdn, RAF, Boscombe Down, 9/1941-: unit role flying Wellington bombers gathering intelligence from German wireless traffic; role flying Ansons detecting German radio beams to determine bombing targets in GB. REEL 5 Continues: question of mistake in posting. Period with 209 (Flying Boat) Sqdn, Coastal Command, RAF at Pembroke Dock, 11/1941-12/1941: prior flight in Sunderland searching for Bismarck in Atlantic; supernumerary status. Flight out to Singapore, 12/1941. Period with 205 (FB) Sqdn at Seleter, Singapore, 12/1941: shortage of Catalinas; Japanese air raids; aircraft at base; minimal role in operations room. Period commanding 27 Sqdn, RAF at Kellang, Singapore and Keenbang 2, Sumatra, 12/1941-2/1942: effects of Japanese air raid; story of avoiding exacerbating dispute with Royal Australian Air Force during voyage to Sumatra; Japanese air attack on convoy; nature of jungle air strip at Pallenbang 2; learning to fly and opinion of Blenheim; bamboo huts; food rations; dysentery; aerial inspection of airfield blackout and landing lights, 11/2/1942; low level bombing attack on Japanese invasion fleet in Musi Estuary, 15/2/1942. REEL 6 Continues: low level bombing attack on Japanese invasion fleet in Musi Estuary, 15/2/1942, including Japanese anti-aircraft fire, minor arm wound, fatal wounding to Flight Sergeant Oliver, damage to Blenheim and consequent belly landing; question of effects of attack; subsequent move to Java and attachment to RAF Headquarters at Bandoeng; limited aircraft. Aspects of period in Australia, ca 2/1942-4/1942: voyage out; malaria attack; movements; relationship with Australian civilians. Aspects of period flying Blenheims with 11 Sqdn, RAF based at Racecourse airfield, Columbo, Ceylon, 4/1942-9/1942: reaction of RAF personnel promised return to GB; role as squadron leader commanding flight; training flights; effects of flying into cloud. Aspects of period as wing commander commanding 60 Sqdn, RAF based at Asansol, Jessore, Dohazari, Bangalore and Karachi, India, 9/1942-5/1943: reactions to posting; movements; raids on Japanese positions in Burma. REEL 7 Continues: attacks on railway marshalling yards; question of Japanese fighter attacks and adaptation to Blenheim wing gun armament; low level reconnaissance flights along rivers; story of raid on Akyab dock, 10/11/1942; nature of Dohazari airstrip; nature of typical bombing rid including briefing, air tests and checking aircraft, take off, formation flying, bomb load, altitude and oxygen, wireless silence observed, crew roles, Japanese AA fire and question of damage suffered, flight back and debriefing; opinion of re-equipment with Hawker Hurricanes at Yellahanka airfield, Bangalore; story of crash landing in Hawker Audax; success in bombing competition. REEL 8 Continues: story of ditching Blenheim after engine failure on exercise; malaria attacks; move to St Thomas Mount airfield, Karachi; story of dispute over use of staff car; court martial duties; ferrying duties. Period with HQ, 224 Group at Chittagong, 1943-1944: minimal bombing operations; army liaison duties organising supply drops; meeting wife serving as nurse; invaliding home with malaria, dysentery and Sprue, 8/1944; marriage, 8/1944. Period learning to fly Halifax at Heavy Conversion Unit, Aldergrove, 2/1945-5/1945. Post-war career: studying estate management at Cambridge University, 1946-1946; work experience; work as civilian pilot with aerial survey firm. REEL 9 Continues: aerial survey of Falkland Islands and Dependencies. 10/1955-1/1956, including prior training and expeditions, flying Camso aircraft, base at Deception Island, problems with aircraft heaters, hut accommodation, weather conditions and terrain, visit to Uruguay and flight back to GB; subsequent career as teacher.