Description
Object description
British naval airman trained as observer with No 57 Observers Course, Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1942-1943 and with 750 Naval Air Sqdn, HMS Goshawk, Royal Naval Air Station Piarco, Trinidad, 1943; officer served with 828 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in GB and aboard HMS Formidable off Norway, 1/1944-9/1944; served with 828 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Implacable off Norway and India Ocean, 10/1944-4/1945; served with 828 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm, 8th Carrier Air Group, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Implacable, 1st Aircraft Carrier Sqdn, British Pacific Fleet in Pacific, 6/1945-8/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Porth and Cardiff, GB, 1924-1940: family; education; degree of knowledge of political situation in Europe; early interest in aviation; first flight at Croydon Airport; making model aircraft; impressions of Schneider Trophy winning aircraft; ambition to be pilot; effects of father's military service in First World War; memories of declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; father's plans if Germans should invade; duties as air raid warden with Air Raid Precautions; effect of war on education. Aspects of enlistment as naval airman in Fleet Air Arm, 1942: reasons for choosing Fleet Air Arm; attending selection board and medical, 2/1942; selection as observer; question of prospect of later retraining as pilot; employment as apprentice rigger at Cardiff Airport during period of deferred service, 2/1942-7/1942; flying experience at Cardiff Airport; attending three week course at Royal Naval College, Dartmouth; requirement to join Air Training Corps; narrow escape from German bomb near family home.
REEL 2 Continues: Recollections of training as naval airman with No 57 Observers Course, Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1942-1943: basic training at HMS St Vincent, Gosport; importance of discipline; drill; basic navigation training; lack of knowledge of role of observers; pride in Royal Navy; messing arrangements; adjusting to service life; move to Signals School, HMS Raven, Royal Naval Air Station Eastleigh; Morse Code training; use of drill for flag training; move to Gunnery School, Chatham; pattern of training at Gunnery School, Chatham; techniques for estimating ship speeds and artillery spotting; sleeping in hammock; conditions at Gunnery School, Chatham; character of instructors; history of Fleet Air Arm observers. Recollections of training as naval airman with No 57 Observers Course, Fleet Air Arm with 750 Naval Air Sqdn, HMS Goshawk, Royal Naval Air Station Piarco, Trinidad, 1943: journey from GB to Trinidad via United States of America; character of Royal Naval Air Station Pairco; pattern of training.
REEL 3 Continues: principles of air navigation at sea; taking wind readings; taking bearing on smoke floats; aerial photographic training; swinging aircraft compass; types of aircraft flown in Trinidad; flying conditions in Trinidad; social recreations; award of observer wings; commissioning and treatment of officer cadets; reasons for recruits failure of course; return to GB; Royal Navy's belief in not having idle hands; source of naval uniform. Aspects of period attending course at Royal Naval College, Greenwich, GB, 12/1943-1/1944: attitude to attending college; pattern of training on course including naval discipline; function of course; adjusting to responsibility of being an officer; brief posting to target towing squadron. Recollections of operations as observer with 828 Naval Air Sqdn Fleet Air Arm in GB and aboard HMS Formidable off Norway, 1/1944-9/1944: reformation of squadron at HMS Daedalus, Royal Naval Air Station Lee-on-Solent, 1/1944; crewing up; characteristics of Fairey Barracuda.
REEL 4 Continues: contrast between British and American naval aircraft design; sight of first landing of De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito on an aircraft carrier; practising dive-bombing and role of observer; casualties during working up in Scotland; lack of torpedo dropping exercises; joining HMS Formidable, 8/1944; briefing for attack on German battleship Tirpitz in Kaafjord, Norway, 8/1944; flying anti-submarine patrols for fleet; taking off from aircraft carrier; attack on Tirpitz during Operation Goodwood, 8/1944; importance of attacking Tirpitz; anti-submarine patrols along northern coast of Scotland. Recollections of operations as observer with 828 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Implacable in North Sea, Norway and Indian Ocean, 10/1944-1945: joining aircraft carrier, 10/1944; incident when aircraft was shot down accidentally during exercise.
REEL 5 Continues: living conditions on board; dangers of flight deck; arrester wire arrangements; hazards of operating from flight deck; shipping attacks off Norwegian coast, 10/1944; incident of pilot who attacked merchant vessel carrying prisoners of war; conversion to Grumman Avengers; crew layout in Grumman Avenger; grounding of aircraft carrier in Suez Canal, Egypt, 3/1945; contracting dengue fever in Ceylon, 4/1945; Aspects of operations as observer with 828 Naval Air Sqdn, 8th Carrier Air Group, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Implacable, 1st Aircraft Carrier Sqdn, British Pacific Fleet, 6/1945-8/1945: rejoining HMS Implacable in Pacific; leading flight against Japanese airfield on Truk Atoll, Caroline Islands, 6/1945; taking up shore based duties in HMS Nabswick, Royal Naval Air Station Jervis Bay, Australia; demobilisation, 1946; further details of attack on Truk Atoll, Caroline Islands; attitude to having served with Fleet Air Arm in Second World War.