Hughes, Albert (Oral history)

British civilian worked as chemist at Chemical Defence Research Establishment, St Helens, GB, 1937-1942; aircraftman served with No 10 Initial Training Wing, RAF at Scarborough, GB, 11/1942-4/1943; trained as pilot with No 16 Elementary Flying School, RAF at RAF Burnaston, GB, 5/1943-6/1943 and No 4 British Flying Training School, Falcon Field Mesa, Arizona, US, 7/1943-2/1944; NCO served with No 11 Elementary Flying Training School, RAF at RAF Scone in GB, 5/1944-6/1944; served on canister packing duties at Gaynes Hall, GB, 7/1944-8/1944; served with No 22 Elementary Flying Training School, RAF at Cambridge in GB, 8/1944-9/1944; served with No 9 Advanced Flying Unit, RAF at RAF Errol in GB, 11/1944-12/1944; officer served as pilot with Fleet Air Arm at No 1 Naval Air Fighter School, HMS Heron, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, GB, 1/1945-4/1945; served on deck landing exercises aboard HMS Ravager in GB coastal waters, 4/1945; served with 757 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm, Naval Operational Training Unit, HMS Rajaliya, Royal Naval Air Station Puttalam, Ceylon, 6/1945-7/1945; served with HMS Narbaron on Manus, Admiralty Islands, 7/1945; served with 1841 Naval Air Sqdn, 2nd Carrier Air Group, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Formidable, 1st Aircraft Carrier Sqdn, British Pacific Fleet in Pacific, 8/1945

REEL 1 Background in St Helens, GB, 1921-1937: family; fathers military service with 5th Bn South Lancashire Regt during First World War; father's military awards; economic character of St Helens; industrial pollution in St Helens area; education; initial employment, 1936. Recollections of period as chemist at Chemical Defence Research Establishment, St Helens, GB, 1937-1942: obtaining employment as apprentice chemist; work on production of Mustard Gas; work on production of British Anti-Lewisite; formula for British Anti-Lewisite; method of making British Anti-Lewisite; uses for British Anti-Lewisite; story of post-war contamination of British Anti-Lewisite batch with Mustard Gas; instance of mercury poisoning; effects of Mustard Gas; smell of Mustard Gas; cyanide poisoning and antidotes. REEL 2 Continues: workforce; use of locker rooms; protective clothing worn; incident when he was splashed by Fuming Sulphuric Acid; method used to fight fire in factory; shift system worked; use of factory canteen; incident of overfilling of road tanker containing Mustard Gas; health and safety; amounts of Mustard Gas stored in factory; question of potential use of Mustard Gas during Second World War; method of increasing production of Sarin Nerve Gas; decontamination of Mustard Gas spill. Aspects of enlistment in RAF, 1942: attitude to being in reserved occupation; early interest in aviation and science; reaction to sight of aircraft and airships; purchasing aviation themed books. REEL 3 Continues: memories of seeing Alan Cobham's Flying Circus; attending navigation course with Air Training Corps (ATC). Aspects of period with 75th Lancashire (St Helens) Bn Home Guard and Air Raid Precautions (ARP) in St Helens, GB, 1940-1942: initial joining Local Defence Volunteers (LDV), 6/1940; duties during blackout; introduction on joining 75th Lancashire (St Helens) Bn Home Guard; composition of unit; leaving Home Guard and return to work with Signals Section; incident when member of Home Guard pointed a loaded rifle at officer; joining Air Raid Precautions (ARP) as air raid warden; role of air raid wardens; balancing work and other duties. Aspects of enlistment and training with RAF in GB, 1942: enlistment, 1942; selection for aircrew at No 3 Aircrew Recieving Unit, RAF at RAF Padgate; attitude to not becoming romantically involved; inoculations at No 1 Aircrew Reception Centre, RAF at St Johns Wood, London; issue of uniform and equipment; accommodation at St Johns Wood, London; pattern of basic training; conditions in tented accommodation at holding camp at Ludlow; constant use of latrines. Aspects of training as aircraftman at No 10 Initial Training Wing, RAF at Scarborough, GB, 11/1942-4/1943: cleaning kit during train journey to Scarborough; inspection of rooms; drilling; joining Rugby team. REEL 4 Continues: dinghy drill; orders to drive herd of pigs through streets of Scarborough; degree to which navigation was studied; meteorology; health and hygiene lectures; amusing use of poetry; pattern of training and point in training were aircrew selected. Recollections of flying training at No 16 Elementary Flying School, RAF at RAF Burnaston, GB, 5/1943-6/1943: billeting at Repton Public School; early training; familiarisation with cockpit instruments; first familiarisation flight; opinion and characteristics of the De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth; visibility in De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth; taxiing aircraft; taking off; keeping aircraft flying in straight and level flight; making simple and steep turns; developing a feeling for flying aircraft. REEL 5 Continues: soloing in De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth; reaction to selection for pilot training; in transit at Aircrew Dispersal Centre (ACDC), RAF at RAF Heaton Park, GB, 6/1943-7/1943. Aspects of voyage aboard SS Louis Pasteur from GB to Canada, 1943: latrines; working party in galley; arrival in Canada and move to US. Recollections of period of flying training at No 4 British Flying Training School at Falcon Field, Mesa, Arizona, US, 7/1943-2/1944: organisation of the school and courses; characteristics of the Boeing Stearman Model 75; pattern of flying training; climbing and descending; stalling; reasons for taking off into wind; spinning the aircraft. REEL 6 Continues: anniversary of his soloing, 3/8/1943; threat of spiders, scorpions and snakes on airfield; ease of navigation in Arizona; instrument flying and importance of trusting instruments; method of navigating in aircraft; types of compasses used; sideslipping; medium turns; precautionary and forced landings; taking off across wind; instrument circuits; use of Link Trainer; parachute training and techniques for abandoning aircraft; starting engine in mid-air; spinning on instruments; looping aircraft, slow rolls, barrel rolls, Immelman Turns, prohibition on during outside loops. REEL 7 Continues: night flying; incident where aircraft crashed on top of second one whilst landing; overshoot practise; pattern of instruction; method of flying an aircraft; move onto North American Harvard; character of North American Harvard; complex nature of cockpit layout; pre-flight checks; opinion of North American Harvard; spinning North American Harvard; retractable undercarriage; close formation flying; reasons for fatal accidents during night-time cross-country flights; incident when he set altimeter incorrectly; night flying. REEL 8 Continues: use of camera guns during dogfights; checking procedure for trainees; increase in night flying; story of overnight cross-country exercise; trainees who landed in neutral Mexico; status after final check flight and graduation; position at end of course; provision of wrong maps in final examination; question of commissions; return to RCAF Moncton in Canada; voyage aboard HMT Andes from Canada to GB, 2/1944. Aspects of period as pilot with No 11 Elementary Flying Training School, RAF at RAF Scone in GB, 5/1944: purpose of course; incident during night flying exercise; drafting to five week infantry training course at Whitley Bay; question of trainees going onto operations too quickly; fate of fellow trainee Flying Officer Richard Medhurst during Operation Market Garden, 19/9/1944. Aspects of period on secret work at Gaynes Hall, GB, 7/1944-8/1944: recruitment to work packing canisters with military supplies. REEL 9 Continues: items placed in canisters; working routine and leave; conditions in sealed camp. Aspects of period as pilot with No 22 Elementary Flying Training School, RAF at Cambridge, GB, 8/1944-9/1944: sight of 8th Air Force, US Army Air Force bomber formations returning from operations; low-level flying activities; posting to No 7 Personnel Reception Centre, RAF at RAF Harrogate and level of fitness. Recollections of training with Fleet Air Arm in GB, 11/1944-1945: background to volunteering for Fleet Air Arm at No 7 Personnel Reception Centre, RAF at RAF Harrogate, 11/1944; posting to No 9 Advanced Flying Unit, RAF at RAF Errol, 11/1944-12/1944; pattern of training; problems with weather conditions; growing confidence in flying skills and dealing with adverse weather conditions; rum ration on station; number of hours flown; commissioning interview, 12/1944. REEL 10 Continues: posting to No 1 Naval Air Fighter School, HMS Heron, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, 1/1944; initial impressions of Vought Corsair; lack of visibility in Vought Corsair during taxiing; soloing and forced landing practise; characteristics of Vought Corsair; incident of accidentally putting Vought Corsair into spin; high altitude flying; rate of climb and speed; method of instruction; flying in finger four formation; training to intercept aircraft; vices of Vought Corsair; armament; gunnery practice from HMS Vulture, Royal Naval Air Station St Merryn; deflection shooting; incidents during landing; fatal accident at HMS Vulture, Royal Naval Air Station, St Merryn. REEL 11 Continues: preparations for Aerodrome Dummy Deck Landings (ADDLs); carrying out Aerodrome Dummy Deck Landings (ADDLs) in Vought Corsair; role of the batsman; problems with ground mist during Aerodrome Dummy Deck Landings (ADDLs); move to Glasgow; deck landings aboard HMS Ravager; arrangements of barrier and arrester hooks aboard HMS Ravager; problems of bent peto tube during deck landings; visibility on taking off from aircraft carriers; sensation on catching hook; operating hook; solving problem on aircraft with defective starter; embarkation leave, 5/1945; story of being in London on the day after VE Day, 9/5/1945. Aspects of flight from GB to Ceylon, 5/1945: flight to Cairo, Egypt; activities in Cairo, Egypt. REEL 12 Continues: amusing story of flight in civilian flying boat; origin of name of flying boat; flight across India to Ceylon; passage across Ceylon. Aspects of period as pilot with 757 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm, Naval Operational Training Unit at HMS Rajaliya, Royal Naval Air Station Puttalam, Ceylon, 6/1945-7/1945: diving-bombing in Vought Corsair; loss of friend Sub-Lieutenant Frank Godfrey; low-level bombing; low-level ground attacks; formation flying; sight of accidents that shortened deck landing exercises on two aircraft carriers; sight of Supermarine Seafire crashing into barrier on HMS Glory; flight to Australia via Cocos Islands; story of obtaining duty free alcohol ration in Australia. REEL 13 Continues: Aspects of period as pilot at HMS Nabaron, Manus, Admiralty Islands, Pacific, 7/1945: flight from Australia to Manus; character of base; carrying out Aerodrome Dummy Deck Landings (ADDLs). Recollections of operations as pilot with 1841 Naval Air Sqdn, 2nd Carrier Air Group, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Formidable, 1st Aircraft Carrier Sqdn, British Pacific Fleet in Pacific, 8/1945: posting to aircraft carrier; role of carriers; decision of formation leader Lieutenant Robert Gray to attack Japanese destroyers in Onagawa Bay, Japan, 9/8/1945; sight of Lieutenant Robert Gray's Vought Corsair being shot down, 9/8/1945; problems with throttle and hydraulics on return flight back to aircraft carrier; decision to land on aircraft carrier; items carried in flight; orders to report to Vice Admiral Philip Vian; question of formation flown during attack and potential of Lieutenant Robert Gray being shot down by friendly fire; loss of Canadian pilots; attitude of Lieutenant Robert Gray to attacking targets; question of losses flying at low-level; decision to award Lieutenant Robert Gray the Victoria Cross; question of location in attack and anti-aircraft fire; damage to his aircraft; conditions sitting on deck on stand by; organisation of fighter control operations aboard aircraft carrier. REEL 14 Conditions: reaction to end of the Second World War, 15/8/1945; return to Australia; flights in Australia; return voyage aboard HMT Andes from Australia to GB; decision to return to civilian life; attitude to having served in the Fleet Air Arm during Second World War