Irons, Harry (Oral history)

British NCO served as air gunner flying in Lancasters with 9, 462, 446 and 158 Sqdns, RAF based in GB and operating over North West Europe, 1942-1945

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Islington and Stamford Hill, London, 1924-1940: family background and social circumstances; education; work as apprentice tailor, 1937-1940; outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; food hoarding; digging air raid shelter trenches; brick air raid shelters; blackout; nature of 'Phoney War'; view of German daytime air raids; nature of German air raids; anti-aircraft defences; collapse of tailoring trade, 1940; background to volunteering underage as 'Harry Galloway' and call p to join RAF. 12/1940. Reporting to Reception Centre, Cardington, 12/1940. Basic training at RAF Bridgenorth, 12/1940-2/1941: drill; rifle training; relationship with recruits and instructors; hut accommodation; VD inspections. Period on general duties at RAF Waterbeach, 2/1941-8/1941. REEL 2 Continues: Period at RAF Wireless School, Blackpool, 8/1941-12/1941: billets; Morse code training; discipline; background to decision to re-muster as air gunner. Various postings, 12/1940-7/1942: period assessment at Air Crew Reception Centre, St John's Wood, London; kitting out with flying gear at RAF Bridlington. Period at No 1 Air Gunnery School, Mamby, 7/1942-8/1942: training on Browning gun; firing at drogue targets and use of cinema gun during mock fighter attacks flying in Wellington; deflection shooting and clay pigeon practice; question of air sickness; passing out as sergeant air gunner after shortened training. Recollections of period as air gunner flying in Lancaster with 9 Sqdn, RAF at Waddington, 8/1942-2/1943: first impressions and impact of heavy losses; formation of crew with Flight Lieutenant Richard Stubbs; initial problems with Lancaster engines and Fraser-Nash turrets; experienced nature of crew; use of log book. REEL 3 Continues: account of raid on Dusseldorf, Ruhr, Germany, 10/9/192-11/9/1942, including briefing, prior air test, role of ground crew, personal morale, flying kit, bomb load, checks to aircraft and guns, question of superstition, difficulty in taking off on grass runway, flying independently, escape kit, amphetamine tablets, ELSAN latrine, look out as mid upper gunner, risk of collision, flight out, anti-aircraft fire crossing Dutch coast and on approach to target, personal morale, German searchlights, risk of bombs falling from above, dropping bombs, reaction to bombing German civilians, diving after dropping bombs, risk from German night fighters, AA fire on return flight, landing, fatigue, debriefing and crew breakfast; conditions of service in sergeants' mess; routine duties and flights; drinking habits; leave and extra pay; story of loss of engines during return home from raid on Essen, 19/9/1942; aspects of raids on Bremen, 13/9/1942 and Wilhelmsaven, 14/9/1942. REEL 4 Continues: raid on Munich, 19/9/1942, including prior fitting of device to rear turret to warn of approaching German night fighters, use of device by Germans to track aircraft, attack by JU88 and successful evasion; view of Lancasters shot down and question of subsequent denials by intelligence officers; view of Cologne Cathedral during raid, 15/10/1942; success of low-level daylight raid on Le Creusot, France, 17/10/1942; raids on Genoa, Italy, 22/10/1942 and Milan, 24/10/1942; change in name from Harry Galloway to Harry Irons; question of underage status; raids on Turin, 11/1942; direct hit awards based on target photographs; end of Flying Officer Richard Stubbs' second tour; review of various raids; story of low-level attack on train at Haselunne, Ruhr, 17/12/1942; personal morale and rate of casualties; background to formation of new crew with Sergeant Doolan including comparison with Flying Officer Richard Stubbs, comradeship, replacing friend killed acting as rear gunner and personal morale; increase in German AA defences and night fighters; use of GEE wireless direction finding; story of abandoning raid due to ice on wings during raid on Hamburg, 30/1/1943. REEL 5 Continues: review of various raids including increase in German AA defences and fighters, role of Pathfinders and threat from German AA ships during raids dropping mines in Baltic; training on new gun sights; personal morale during last mission and scale of casualties; background to refusing second tour with Pathfinders; extra leave. Period as gunnery instructor with 14th Operational Training Unit, RAF Cottismere, 6/4/1943: formation of crews; role; accidents due to condition of Wellingtons; question of use of trainee crews on bombing raids; problems with trainee crews. Disadvantage of flying Ansons during period as instructor with No 8 Air Gunnery School, RAF Evanton, 10/1943-4/1944. Period flying in Martinets and towing target for AA gunners during period with 291 Sqdn, RAF, Hunton Granswick, 4/1944-10/1944. Period as flight sergeant with 291 and 567 Sqdns, RAF, 4/1944-10/1944: problems with German fighters attacking bombers while landing; failed experiment in fitting extra belly turret to Halifax; acting as rear gunner during raid on Duisberg, 14/10/1944; bombers shot down through leaving bomber stream; failure of attempt to fit .5 Browning in belly turret; background to leaving unit; question of status on second tour. Recollections of period as warrant office air gunner flying Halifax with 462 and 446 Sqdns, Royal Australian Air Force, Driffield, 10/1944-2/1945: reception; posting to crew of Flying Officer Horrigan. REEL 6 Continues: opinion of Flying Officer Horrigan; role in mid-upper turret; comparison of Halifax and Lancaster; various daylight and night raids; state of German AA defences; transfer of crew to 466 Sqdn; AA fire during approach to targets; danger if incendiary bomb load was hit; end of Pilot Officer Horrigan's tour; acting as 'spare' gunner on raids. Period as rear gunner flying on Halifax with 158 Sqdn, RAF, Lissat, 2/1945-3/1945: raid as 'spare' gunner with crew of Flight Sergeant King on Dresden, 13/2/1945, including diversionary role for main Dresden raid, view of fire storm, shrapnel damage to aircraft and consequent landing at Manston; review of various raids, 2/1945, including effects of Allied advance on ground, problems with oxygen mask and story of bombing pilot's home town; completion of tour; award of DFM and question of award of medals to officers only after first tour. Various postings, 3/1945-8/1946: period as gunnery instructor at Kinloss, 3/1945-5/1945; personal morale; re-mustering as fabric worker; question of retaining rank; VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945; question of Far East posting; period as fabric worker at Newmarket; destruction of excess aircraft; prior marriage, 16/12/1944; question of mental and physical problems; question of developing TB. REEL 7 Continues: Demobi lisation, 8/1946. Post-war career: initial problems finding accommodation; nightmares; return to work as tailor; diagnosis and treatment for TB; question of prevalence of TB amongst air crew; membership of Air Gunners Association, Air Crew Associaton and Bomber Command Association; question of post-war treatment of Bomber Command personnel.