Description
Object description
Australian officer served as pilot with 196 Sqdn, No 3 Group, Bomber Command, RAF in GB, 7/1943-11/1943; served with 196 Sqdn, No 38 Group, Transport Command, RAF in GB, 11/1943-11/1944; served with 46 Sqdn, Transport Command, RAF in GB, India and Middle East, 1/1945-8/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Toodyay and Perth, Western Australia, 1923-1941: family; call-up for military service on declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; service as NCO with Citizen Military Forces; father's military service in First World War; question of loyalty to GB; reaction to Nazi-Soviet Pact, 1939. Aspects enlistment and training with Royal Australian Air Force in Australia, 1941-1942: background to enlistment with Royal Australian Air Force, 17/8/1941; reaction of parents to his enlistment; comments on Australian armed forces; education.
REEL 2: memories of first flight; problem of contracting German measles; opinion of instructor; reason for allocation to training as bomber pilot; pattern of flying training and types of aircraft flown; attitude to potential role as bomber pilot; posting to GB for further training.
REEL 3 Continues: Aspects of voyage from Australia to GB via United States of America, 1942: duty on watch; attitude to sex; period spent in New York, United States of America; problem of bad weather conditions and threat of German Navy submarines in North Atlantic; further memories of period spent in New York, United States of America, Aspects of flying training with Royal Air Force in GB, 1943: initial impressions of GB; billeting in Bournemouth; opinion of food; wartime conditions; amusing story of night vision test.
REEL 4 Continues: attending commando training course; posting to advanced flying Unit training as bomber pilot; amusing story of station commander; posting to operational training unit; story of crewing up; social life; nickname.
REEL 5 Continues: relations with local British civilians; attitude to heavy drinking among crew; opinion of Vickers Wellington; story of first operational experience in thousand bomber raid; discipline; description of flying Vickers Wellington; gunnery and simulated bombing exercises; controls; comparison of Vickers Wellington and Short Stirling Mk.III aircraft; bomb load carried in Short Stirling Mk.III; problem of modifications to Short Stirling Mk.III and controlling aircraft; question of ability as pilot.
REEL 6 Continues: relations with crew; opinion of Australian crew members; question of social background; comparison of British and Australian crew. spects of operations as pilot with 196 Sqdn, No 3 Group, Bomber Command, RAF in GB, 7/1943-10/1943: background to posting to squadron; attitude to casualties and loss of friend; daily routine and living conditions at RAF Witchford; various memories of crew members; problem of losses of Short Stirling Mk.III; superstitions; story of role with experimental Short Stirling Mk.IV aircraft.
REEL 7 Continues: description of role in experiments with Short Stirling Mk.IV towing gliders; problem of take off; dropping paratroopers from modified Short Stirling Mk.IV; problem of night take offs. Recollections of operations as pilot with 196 Sqdn, No 38 Group, Transport Command, RAF, 11/1943-11/1944: squadron transfer to No 38 Group, RAF at RAF Leicester East, 11/10/1943 ; story of accident during night exercise; attitude to towing gliders; modifications to Short Stirling Mk.IV; description of low-level night training; memories of visits by Very Important Persons (VIPs); role in dropping Special Operations Executive agents and supplies to resistance in occupied Europe; use of rice paper maps.
REEL 8 Continues: problem of low-level flying height and casualties; opinion of Operation Chastise, the Dambusters Raid; attitude to role training paratroopers and glider pilots in preparation for landings in Normandy, France; move to RAF Keevil, 14/3/1944; briefing; painting aircraft in D-Day markings; description of towing gliders and dropping paratroopers in Normandy, France, D-Day, 6/6/1944; question of strength of German anti-aircraft defences; dropping Special Air Service troops; court martial charge for low-level flying; attitude to personal morale; problem identifying German Air Force night fighter aircraft; sight of German V1 Flying Bombs in air.
REEL 9 Continues: witnessing of German V1 Flying Bomb attack on London, 6/1944, including damage and casualties; preparations at RAF Keevil for D-Day operations, 5/6/1944; aircrews' urinating on tail-plane; relations between Royal Air Force aircrew ranks; description of dropping paratroopers from Short Stirling Mk.IV into Normandy, France, D-Day, 6/6/1944.
REEL 10 Continues: problem of controlling aircraft whilst dropping paratroopers; description of towing gliders across English Channel; opinion of planning; incident of flight commander's aircraft being shot down; attitude to importance of Normandy Landings; question of smell of fear in aircraft and men refusing to jump from aircraft.
REEL 11 Continues: daily life and living conditions in London; opinion of civilian morale; opinion of Prime Minister Winston Churchill; attitude to GB; pay; memories of noise of German V1 Flying Bomb and V2 Rocket; dropping supplies and Special Operations Executive agents into Europe; question of co-operation with Special Operations Executive and special status; preparations for Operation Market Garden, 9/1944, including briefings.
REEL 12 Continues: question of strength of German forces prior to Operation Market Garden in Netherlands, 9/1944; take off towing Airspeed Horsa Glider, 17/9/1944; Royal Air Force fighter escort; objective; transporting glider troops on first day of Operation Market Garden, 17/9/1944; problem of German anti-aircraft fire; casualties; story of death of Flight Sergeant Charles Green in Short Stirling Mk IV (LJ843) during air-supply operation, Arnhem, area, Netherlands, 21/9/1944; death of squadron comrades; attitude to Germans; role in dropping supplies; problem of German anti-aircraft fire and machine gun fire and damage to his aircraft, Short Stirling Mk.IV (LK510) over Netherlands, 20/9/1944; effects of fear on crew.
REEL 13 Continues: problem of flying on two engines; loss of height and dumping fuel; injuries to crew; story de-briefing with air vice-marshal; further operation dropping supplies in area around Arnhem, Netherlands, 23/9/1944; story of operation to locate Major-General Roy Urquhart in Netherlands; problem of bad weather conditions and icing up.
REEL 14 Continues: further comments on effects of bad weather conditions; description of manoeuvres to avoid German Air Force fighter aircraft; story relating to warrant officer.
REEL 15 Continues: further details of German V1 Flying Bomb attack on London, 6/1944; problem of insomnia; attitude to sex; marriage; attitude to survival; daily life and living conditions in London. Recollections of operations as pilot with 46 Sqdn, Transport
Command, RAF in GB, India and Middle East, 1/1945-8/1945: posting to squadron at RAF Stoney Cross; description of training on Short Stirling Mk.V aircraft; opinion of training received; role as acting squadron leader and instructor; opinion of ability of crews.
REEL 16 Continues: move to Karachi, India; story of problem with engine; description of flying in monsoon; daily routine and living conditions; flights to Egypt and Palestine; explanation of term 'goolie ticket'; recreational activities; opinion of Sikhs; role in dropping supplies; problem with dust storms.
REEL 17 Continues: VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945; role in taking troops and supplies to India; memories of VJ Day, 15/8/1945; returm to GB; background to volunteering for 466 (RAAF) Sqdn, RAF; role in training crews; types of aircraft; reaction to end of Second World War. Post-war life and employment in Australia: return to Australia; problem with migraine and insomnia; effects of war on health; resigning from Royal Air Force; problem of adjusting to civilian life; reason for not seeking employment as civilian pilot.
REEL 18 Continues: nature of post-war life and employment; reflections on period of wartime service.