Ball, Jack (Oral history)

British NCO pilot flew Anson with No 33 Air Navigation School, Mount Hope, Canada, 1941-1943; served as officer flying Lancaster with 625 Sqdn based in GB and operating over North West Europe, 1944-1945; served flying York with 51 Sqdn RAF based in GB, 1946-1947

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Kingsbury, London, 1922-1940: family background and social circumstances; education; Boys Club activities; interest in aviation and attending RAF Pageant at Hendon airfield; work as clerk for insurance company, 1938-1940; awareness of approach of war; outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; effects of war on insurance work, 1939-1940; Morrison air raid shelter; training and service with Kingsbury Home Guard, 1940; effect of German air raids, 9/940-11/1940; background to volunteering to join RAF, 11/1940; medical at Uxbridge, 11/1940. REEL 2 Period at No 9 Recruitment Centre, Blackpool, 11/1940-1/1941: hotel billets; kitting out; drill and rifle training; recreations. Period at Kenley and Redhill, 1/1941-4/1941: guard duties on main gate; case of accidental misfire; conditions of service; role manning Oerlicken guns; move to Redhill; guard duties; fire tender duties; makeshift armoured car; relationship with recruits and NCOs; informal training sessions on Link Trainer. Period at No 9 Recruit Wing, Stratford upon Avon, 4/1941: church services; question of PT. Period at No 6, Initial Training Wing at Aberystwyth, 4/1941-6/1941: lectures; conditions of service; selection for US flying training. Recollections of flying training on Magister with No 16 Elementary Flying Training School, RAF, Burniston, 6/1941-7/1941: school billets; air experience flight; opinion of instructor; dual control instruction including take off, landing and simple flying; nature of Magister. REEL 3 first solo flight, 25/6/1941; practicing forced landings; cross country flights; instrument flying; acrobatics; assessment of flying skills. Voyage aboard Leopardville to Iceland, 8/1941: conditions; rough weather; period at Helafell Transit Camp, Iceland. Voyage aboard HMS Ausonia to Halifax, Canada, 8/1941. Train journey to Carberry, Manitoba, 8/1941. Recollections of flying training on Anson with 33 Service Flying Training School, Carberry, 8/1941-12/1941: question of failing eyesight test; organisation into courses; ban on taking photographs; nature of Anson; opinion of instructor; night flights and difficulties in landing; exercises; camera obscura bombing exercise; visits to Winnipeg and relationship with Canadian civilians. REEL 4 Continues: effects of Pearl Harbour and US declaration of war, 12/1942. Recollections of period flying Anson with No 33 Air Navigation School, Mount Hope, Ontario, 12/19414/1943: role as staff pilot; prior promotion to sergeant pilot; nature of sergeants' mess and drinking habits; nature of staff pilot and flights; cold conditions in winter; casualties and acting as pall bearer; accident to pilot stunting under bridge; value of flying experience; forced landing at Toronto; recreations and concert party; selection for training on torpedo bombers. Hospitalisation during period in rest camp at Monckton, 4/1943-9/1943. Voyage aboard Queen Elizabeth to GB, 9/1943: conditions; relationship with US troops aboard. Period at Holding Camp, Harrogate, 9/1943-11/1943: presence of famous sportsmen; leave and effects of war. REEL 5 Continues: story of reactions to Singhalese pilot banned from dance hall in Hamilton, Ontario. Recollections of period flying Air Speed Oxford with No 20 Advanced Flying Unit, RAF, Kidlington, 11/1943-4/1944: acclimatisation to British flying conditions; throat problems; cold winter condition; attending course in beam approach landings and effect of casualties amongst Halifax crews. Period training on Wellington with No 30 Operational Training Unit, RAF, Hixon, 4/1944-6/1944: nature of Wellington; practicing beam approach landings; formation of crew with Navigator Sergeant Gordon Foot, Bomb Aimer Flight Sergeant Michael O'Connor, Rear Gunner Sergeant Bob Job, Mid Upper Gunner Sergeant Patrick O'Malley and Wireless Operator Sergeant Peter McGill; engine trouble during leaflet drop over Netherlands; night bombing exercises. Recollections of conversion to Halifax I with 1667 Heavy Conversion Unit, RAF, Santoft, 7/1944-8/1944: view of prior D Day preparations during period at Holding Camp, 6/1944; status as warrant officer pilot; effects of commission to pilot officer, 6/1944; relationship with officers and NCOs. REEL 6 Continues: nature and problems with fuel problems with Halifax I; opinion of instructor; background to application for posting to Kelstern; question of use of German speaking wireless operators. Period at No 1 Lancaster Finishing School, RAF, Hemswell, 8/1944-9/1944: nature of Lancaster; arrival of Flight Engineer Sergeant Jock Macintosh; accidental jettisoning of fuel; mock fighter attacks and corkscrew manoeuvre. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine during operations flying Lancaster with 'A' Flight, 625 Sqdn, No 1 Group, RAF, Kelstern, 9/1944-3/1945: reception and lecture from Air Commodore Wray; nature of officers' mess and drinking habits; cross country flight when diverted in fog and problems on landing at Lindhome. REEL 7 Continues: nature of typical night raid including notification battle order, crew meal, briefing, pilot's map, escape and flying kit; move to dispersed aircraft, loading window, relationship with ground crew, stowing window, pre-take off checks, take off checks, take off procedures, automatic pilot function, flying independently within bomber stream, personal morale, question of defective eyesight, question of use of amphetamines, latrine, use of glycol to clear frozen windscreen, sight of V2 taking off, Herman anti-aircraft fire; German night fighters, corkscrew evasion manoeuvre, approach to target guided by bomb aimer. REEL 8 Continues: nature of typical night raid including dropping bombs and taking photo, flight home, use of intercom and wireless, landing procedure and risk of German night fighters, debriefing and rum ration; flying as second pilot; daylight raid on rocket base at Elkenhorst, Netherlands, 17/9/1944; use of window to confuse German radar; raids on Calais, 25/9/1944-27/9/1944, including return home with bombs and role of master bomber; daylight raid on Emmerich, 7/10/1944; reactions to civilian casualties and story of attempt to avoid POW camp; day and night raids on Duisburgh steel works, Ruhr area, Germany, 14/10/1944, including AA damage to engine and consequent change between raids and view of fatal crashes on take off and landing. REEL 9 Continues: series of day and night raids on Ruhr area, 10/1944; casualties during raid on Bochum, 4/11/1944; state of morale; daylight raids on German oil refineries; view of crew bailing out; story of being hit on head by bomb arming pistol during close support raid at Duren, 16/11/1944; story of arriving too early over target during raid on Mannheim, 15/12/1944; raid on Ulm, 17/12/1944; diversion in fog to use FIDO landing system at Sturgate, 21/12/1944; raid during Ardennes offensive on St Veith, Luxemburg, 26/12/1944; approach of end of tour; night raid on oil refinery at Leunga, 14/1/1945; role as support to path finders during raid on oil refinery at Zeitz, 16/1/1945; celebrations on end of tour; death of friend. REEL 10 Voyage aboard Louis Pasteur to New York, US, 3/1945: question of posting; German POWs. Period with No 5 OTU, Boundary Bay and Abbottsford, Canada, 3/1945-8/1945: nature of Mitchell and Liberator; VE Day, 8/5/1945; reactions to cancellation of Far East posting following use of atomic bomb and VJ Day, 8/1945; lack of flight engineer and consequent training in basic Liberator systems; composition of crew; formation flying; fatal accidents. Voyage aboard Neue Amsterdam to GB, 9/1945. Period at Holding Camp, Harrogate, 9/1945-0/1945. Period at 231 Sdn, Transport Command, Full Sutton, 11/1945-3/1946: intended role transporting VIPs; attending beam approach courses. Period flying York with 51 Sqdn, TC, RAF at Lyneham, 8/1946-11/1947: flights on Empire Air Route to India and Singapore. REEL 11 Continues: passengers; effects of rough weather; enjoyment of flights; diplomatic mail and freight cargo; role of German POWs; diversions during flights; internal security problems in Cairo, Egypt; opinion of West African troops; hospitalisation with appendicitis at Malta, 8/1947-9/1947; role carrying parachutists and liaison over exercises, 9/1947; prior extension of service; rejections for regular commission due to defective eyesight. Demobilisation, 11/1947. Post-war career: question of emigration Canada; lack of prospects for flying career due to defective eyesight; assistance in securing employment from Appointments Board; securing work as personnel clerk with oil company; question of acclimatisation to civilian lifestyle; career with oil company; membership of RAF associations and question of contact with old comrades.