Description
Object description
British NCO and officer served as flying instructor served with Training Command, RAF in GB, 1943-1946
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Stroud Green and Enfield and Slough, 1920-1941: family background and social circumstances; education; work as laboratory technician at St Mary Abbot Hospital, Kensington, 1938-1939; awareness of approach of war; evening classes studying for chemistry degree, 1938-1939; fitting for gas mask, 1938; background to move of laboratory to Slough, 1/9/1939; billets; outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; reserved occupation status; assistance given to health service in Slough; return to work at St Mary Abbott Hospital, 2/1940; question of air raid shelter; German air raids; period of training and fire watching with Local Defence Volunteers based at St Mary Abbott Hospital, 1940-1941; background to joining RAF Volunteer Reserve, 11/1940; removal of reserved occupation status; question of rationing; recreations; call up, 6/1941. Kitting out at Air Crew Reception Centre, RAF, St John's Wood, London, 7/1941. Recollections of period at 4 Initial Training Wing, Paignton, 8/1941-9/1941: low mathematical standards of recruits; navigation.
REEL 2 Continues: drill; sporting activities; hotel billets; aircraft recognition; reactions to draft overseas. Voyage aboard Duchess of Richmond to Durban, South Africa, 9/1941-10/1941: convoy; conditions; duties firing parachute cable device to counter dive bombers; route calling at Freetown, Sierra Leone; hospitality of South African civilians during period in camp neat Durban. Recollections of period with Initial Training Wing, RAF, Hillside Camp, Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia, 11/1941-6/1942: train journey from Durban; lectures; PT; relationship with Rhodesian civilians. Recollections of period learning to fly Tiger Moth at 27 Elementary Flying Training School, Duna, 6/1942-9/1942: learning to swing propeller; opinion of instructors; circuits and landings to learn flying controls and instruments; methods of turning; first solo; instrument flying.
REEL 3 Continues: recovery from spin and stalls; aerobatics including slide-slips, loops and slow rolls; cross country flights and map reading; night flying; assessment as pilot. Recollections of flying training on Harvard I and II at 22 Service Flying Training School, Gwelo, 9/1942-2/1943: nature of Harvard; opinion of instructor; comparison of Gosport tube and intercom communication; introduction to low flying; air navigation; mock 'dogfights'; training in bombing, formation flying and voice procedure; towing target drogue; fatal accident; question of posting.
REEL 4 Continues: train journey to Capetown; Unescorted voyage aboard Mariposa to GB, 3/1943. Recollections of period flying Oxford at 11, Advanced Flying Unit, Purton, 5/1943-7/1943: nature of Oxford including flying controls and engine adjustment; flying on single engine; beam approach training course; advantage of lengthy flying training; improving navigation. Recollections of attending 7, Flying Instructors School, RAF, Upavon, 8/1943: reactions to posting; reputation of station; flying miles Magister; prior promotion to sergeant, 2/1943; training to improve accuracy of flying; theoretical ground training. Recollections of period as flying instructor on Oxford at No 3 Advanced Training Unit, South Cerney and Bibury, 1943-1944: question of choice of posting; nature of Bibury satellite station; organisation of flying training.
REEL 5 Continues: nature of flying activities; relationship with civilians; nature of sergeants' mess; relationship with Canadian and Australian instructors; flights to test weather conditions; day and night flying instruction; giving pupils flying training including coping with engine failure, 'corkscrew' evasive manoeuvre, stalling and spinning, bad weather flying and low flying demonstrations; escape and evasion exercises; question of identifying potential instructors amongst pupils; story of fire on Oxford and fatal crash; story of undercarriage problem and emergency landing; question of casualties amongst instructors and prevalence of flying accidents; standard of pupils.
REEL 6 Continues: amount of instructional flying; recreations including visits from ENSA concert parties, Cossack display and football; relationship with ground crew; flying tests and reclassification as A2 instructor, 4/1944; engine failure during flapless landing demonstration; interview prior to commission, 8/1944; visit to St Mary Abbots Hospital and view of effects of V1 attacks. Recollections of period as officer instructor with No 3 (Pilot) Advanced Training Unit at Southrop, Charmy Down and South Cernay, 8/1944-1/1946: nature of officers' mess; role as flight commander; background to move to Charmy Down; recreational visits to Bath; drinking habits; role as bar officer; reduction in pressure of work; detachment to Headquarters at South Cernay; impressions of political situation during General Election, 7/1945.
REEL 7 Continues: detachment to 11 Group, Fighter Command, Colern, including flight testing Oxford for night flying training and use of Link Trainer in Spitfire mode; VE Day, 8/5/1945; question of posting to Far East; varied roles as parade officer, press liaison officer and library officer; relationship with padres; opinion of Wing Commanders Johnny Kent and Michael Heron; redesignation of unit. Period flying Harvard IIB with No 3 Service Flying Training School at South Cernay and Feltwell, 1/1946-5/1946: change to initial flying training role; question of work with Directorate of Accident Prevention. Demobilisation, 5/1946. Post-war career: return to work as laboratory technician; pension arrangements; career as bio-medical scientist; question of effects of war service; question of joining Australian Air Force; story of first flight in micro-light aircraft.