Description
Object description
British NCO served as air gunner with No 21 Operational Training Unit, No 91 (Operational Training) Group, RAF at RAF Moreton in Marsh, GB, 5/1942-6/1942; served with No 205 Group, RAF in Egypt, 7/1942-10/1942; served with 36 Sqdn, Air Forces in India, RAF in India, 1/1943-5/1943; officer served with 78 Sqdn, No 4 Group, Bomber Command, RAF in GB, 5/1944-10/1944; served as instructor at RAF Marston Moor in GB, 1944-1945; served as assistant adjutant at RAF Full Sutton in GB, 1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Great Heywood and Little Heywood, GB, 1920-1940: family; father's military service and attitude to him volunteering for Royal Air Force; father's interception of his application letter to join Royal Air Force, 1936; influence of cousin Air Commodore Albert Johnson on his Royal Air Force career; sporting activities; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 9/1939; release from reserved occupation. Recollections of enlistment and training as air gunner with Royal Air Force in GB, 1941-1942: call-up to Royal Air Force; induction at No 2 Recruits Centre, RAF at RAF Cardington; drill at Morecambe; adapting to Royal Air Force service life; esprit de corps amongst recruits; origins of recruits; posting for air gunnery training at No 8 Air Gunners School at RAF Dingwall; sight of German Air Force Dornier Do 17 aircraft attempting to surrender; training on Bofors Gun; air gunnery training using Boulton Paul Defiant; fatal accident during training; character of gunnery training; range of Browning Machine Gun; ammunition and aiming points; difficulty of spotting targets at night.
REEL 2 Continues: reasons for rarely opening fire during operational service; story of German Air Force Junkers Ju 88 flying alongside aircraft during operation to Essen, Germany; Morse Code training at No 10 (Signals) Recruit Centre, Blackpool; crewing up at No 21 Operational Training Unit, No 91 (Operational Training) Group, RAF at RAF Moreton-in-Marsh, 1942; amusing story of falling out of aircraft; view from front turret of Vickers Wellington; problems during return from Operation Millennium, the Thousand Bomber Raid on Cologne, Germany, 30/5/1942-31/5/1942; briefing prior to Operation Millennium; preparations for Operation Millennium, including improvising turret release system; stoppages on Browning Machine Gun; threat of bombing by own aircraft and collisions during operations; incident of rear gunner losing his nerve; uncomfortable nature of turrets; flying clothing; sight of flames of Cologne, Germany from distance, 30/5/1942-31/5/1942.
REEL 3 Continues: role of bomb aimer; debriefing after Operation Millennium; fatigue during debriefing; reaction to loss of crews; story of death of crew during last operation. Aspects of journey from GB to Egypt, 1942: flight from GB to Gibraltar; contracting malaria in West Africa and leaving squadron; fate of crews on Malta. Aspects of operations as air gunner with No 205 Group, RAF in North Africa, 1942: story of being shot down during low-level attack and walk through desert, 10/1942; story of encounter with Soviet Air Force pilots in transit in Iraq; role attacking retreating German ground forces; German Air Force use of Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bomber; reduced use of Vickers Wellington; attitude to serving with different crews; problems of operating in desert.
REEL 4 Continues: in transit across India. Aspects of operations as air gunner with 36 Sqdn, Air Forces in India, RAF in India 1/1943-5/1943: arrival in Chittagong, India; attacks on Japanese occupied lighthouse; an unlucky Irish crew; Welsh pilot who crashed in Japanese held territory; character of operations including use of machine guns; composition of crew; crash landing after attack by Japanese fighter; hospitalisation after crash for shock; return to squadron; daylight operations; losses of crews; reputations of Sikhs; altitudes flown at in Burma; supply drops; serving with infantry; return to GB; contrast between service in Middle and India; incident of snake bite.
REEL 5 Continues: prior recollection recommendation for Distinguished Flying Medal in Egypt; role as reserve gunner in Middle East; physical condition on return to GB. Recollections of operations as air gunner with 78 Sqdn, No 4 Group, Bomber Command, RAF in GB, 5/1944-10/1944: posting to squadron at RAF Ricall; comparison between Handley Page Halifax and Vickers Wellington; incident of crash on take off; gunnery training as mid-upper gunner over North Sea; first night operation against airfield in France; German Air Force night fighters attacking marginal aircraft in bomber stream; reiteration of earlier story of German Air Force Junkers Ju 88 flying alongside aircraft during operation to Essen, Germany; evidence of near miss during operation; question of sleeping on operations; reasons for award of Distinguished Flying Cross; damage to aircraft during attack on V weapon site in France; presence of British Army captain on board aircraft during raid on German V weapon site in France; number operations flown over France, D-Day, 6/6/1944.
REEL 6 Continues: sight of invasion in Normandy, France, D-Day, 6/6/1944; attacks on coastal gun emplacements in Normandy, France; reasons for improvements in bombing accuracy; supporting Canadian ground forces; destruction of anti-aircraft guns by Royal Air Force North American Mustang aircraft; air-supply drop during Operation Market Garden at Arnhem, Netherlands; lavatory and rest bed on board aircraft; loss of former crew member on last operation; rations taken on trips; tempo of raids; post-war confrontation about raid on Dresden, Germany; briefings prior to operations to Normandy, France; security breaches prior to Operation Market Garden, Netherlands, 9/1944; crash on landing; hospitalisation for injuries. Aspects of period as instructor at RAF Marston Moor, GB, 1944-1945: background to transfer as instructor; instructional methods in air gunnery. Aspects of period as assistant adjutant at RAF Full Sutton, GB, 1945: duties; dealing with complaints about behaviour.
REEL 7 Continues: story of getting in trouble with Royal Air Force Police over accusation of theft; VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945; background to not signing for continued service with Royal Air Force; incident of Canadian airman involved in car accident; VJ Day celebrations and attitude to dropping of atomic bombs on Japan, 15/8/1945. Post-war life and employment: treatment by former employers; employment; question of adjusting to civilian life; attitude to having served with Royal Air Force during Second World War.
