Austin, Tom (Oral history)

British and officer served as pilot flying Wellington III and Stirling with 199 Sqdn based in GB and operating over North West Europe, 1942-1943; served as flying instructor flying Wellingtons with No 17 Operational Training Unit, GB, 1943-1945; served with 619, 189 and 97 Sqdns, RAF based in GB, 1945-1946; served with RAF Volunteer Reserve and mobilised, 1951-1952; served as photographic interpreter with 7010 Reserve Flight, RAFVR, 1953-1982

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Henwell, 1922-1940: family background and social circumstances; education at Cardinal Vaughan's School, Holland Park, London, 1933-1938; interest in aircraft and attending air displays at Hendon airfield; volunteering to assemble and fit gas masks, 1938; clerical work for light engineering firm, 1938-1939; awareness of approach of war; story of installing Anderson shelter on outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; fire watching; rationing; recreations as child; service and duties with Ealing Home Guard, 1940-941; effects of German air raids including attempt to rescue bomb victims and personal morale. REEL 2 Continues: dance halls; story of cycling through smoke screen at Slough; friend's dance band; cinema; effects of German air raids; evacuation of sister; background to volunteering to join RAF, 1/1941; call up, 7/1941. Period at Air Crew Recruiting Centre, St John's Wood, London, 7/1941-8/1941: reception and VD inspection; accommodation; kitting out; lectures; night vision test; relationship with recruits. Period at No 3 Initial Training Wing, Torquay, 8/1941-9/1941: billets; drill; nature of training and lectures. Period at Wilmslow Camp, 9/1941-10/1941: question of training in US; issue of civilian suit; removal from initial US draft. Voyage with draft aboard Pasteur in convoy to Halifax, Canada, 10/1941: messdecks. REEL 3 Continues: boat drill. Train journey to Monkton, 10/1941. Period at Monkton Camp, 10/1941: conditions of service; division into drafts; question of failure rate in first draft flying training in US. Isolationist demonstrations during train journey to Phoenix, Arizona, US, 10/1941. Recollections of period training on Shearman, Vultee BT13 A and Harvard AT6A with No 4 Flying Training School, Falconfield, Mesa, 10/1941-5/1942: hut accommodation; hospitality of US civilians and relationship with female students; involvement in films 'Thunderbirds' and 'Journey Together'; absence of prior flying experience; familiarisation flight, 5/11/1941; opinion of instructors; flying instruments and controls; methods of stalling, spinning and landing; first solo flight, 19/11/1941. REEL 4 Continues: role of Wing Commander Stuart Mills; cross country flights including navigation and forced landings; formation flying; value of Link Trainer; instrument and night flying practice; casualties; nature of Vultee; training in baling out; aerobatics including loop, various rolls and sideslips; stories of local leave in Hollywood, Los Angeles including hitch-hiking assistance and accommodation from British War Relief Society, visit to nightclubs, assisting in sale of war bonds, swimming party and attending shows; nature of Harvard. REEL 5 Continues: nature of Harvard AT6A; flying test with Wing Commander Stuart Mills; navigation test; US civilians interest in British ancestry; train journey back to Canada, 5/1942; US reactions to Pearl Harbour, 12/1941. Voyage aboard Batory to GB, 5/1942. Period converting to Oxford at No 3 Advanced Flying Unit, South Cernay, 7/1942-8/1942: nature of Oxford; story of getting lost during navigational exercise; reaction to multi-engine aircraft. Recollections of period on Wellington IC and III at No 27 Operational Training Unit, Lichfield, Tatenhall and Church Broughton, 9/1942-11/1942: method of forming crew with Navigator Sergeant Bill Bartlett, Wireless Operator Sergeant Trevor Greenhalgh, Rear Gunner Sergeant Hugh Murray and Bomb Aimer Sergeant Jack Lawrence; question of no-involvement in first 1000 bomber raid; ground instruction and nature of Wellington; cross country navigation and night flying exercises; bombing ranges; bailing out and dinghy drill; minimal parachute training; use of balloon barrage wireless signals as navigation aid; training anti-aircraft defences during Exercise Bullseye; mock fighter attacks and evasive manoeuvres. REEL 6 Continues: 'corskscrew' evasive manoeuvre; opinion of Wellington III; relationship with crew; problems with Navigator Bill Bartlett. Recollections of period flying Halifax II with 1656 Heavy Conversion Unit, Lindholme, 12/1942: addition of Engineer Sergeant Nobby Clarke and Mid-Upper Gunner; story of crash landing during 3 engine exercise, 13/12/1942; reactions to crash in making subsequent landings. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine during operations flying Wellington III and Stirling with 199 Sqdn at Blyton, Ingham and Lakenheath, 12/1942-10/1943: reception and Christmas celebrations, 25/12/1942; move to Ingham as satellite of Hemswell, 2/1943; practice flights and sea searches; impressions of flying as second pilot during raid on L'Orient, France, 26/1/1943; role of standby crew flying on dummy support raids during bad weather; nature of typical raids on L'Orient submarine pens, 2/1943, including notification, flight room, flight test and briefing. REEL 7 Continues: nature of typical raids on L'Orient submarine pens, 2/1943, including briefing, crew meal, flying kit, escape kit, move out to aircraft, visual checks, question of superstitions, relationship with ground crew, checking oxygen mask and aircraft, bomb load, take off procedure on grass, flying individually, pigeons carried, question of amphetamine pills, flying without auto-pilot, German coastal anti-aircraft fire and night fighters, approach to target guided by bomb aimer, dropping bombs, nature of AA fire and searchlights, personal morale, flight back, continued threat from German night fighters, story of engine failure and dropping bombs on The Hague, Netherlands, 26/2/1943; drinks and snacks, latrine arrangements, friendly fire from East coast convoys, searchlight bacons and landing system. REEL 8 Continues: nature of typical raids on L'Orient submarine pens, 2/1943, including, landing system, handing over to ground crew, danger from propellers on leaving aircraft, debriefing and photographs of dropping bomb, rum ration and crew meal; reactions to casualties; hut accommodation; nature of sergeants' mess; visits to pub; problem with navigator losing nerve and abandonment of raid, 19/2/1943; question of lack of moral fibre system; replacement Navigator Sergeant Eric Overburg; story of story of engine failure, dropping bombs on The Hague and subsequent debriefing, 26/2/1943; use of window during raid on Hamburg, Germany, 3/3/1943; reputation of Ruhr area defences; nature of low level raids dropping mines off U Boat bases, 4/1943; German AA flak ships. REEL 9 Continues: switch to raids on Ruhr Valley, Germany and question of German AA defences; risk of bombs from higher flying Lancasters; story of being hit during raid on Dortmund, 23/5/1943, including sight of bomber 'coned' in searchlights, AA hit, evasive action, starboard engine fire, losing height, wounded wireless operator, instrument failure and emergency crash landing at Mildenhall; problems with icing up during raid on Dusseldorf, 11/6/1943; move to convert to Stirling with 1665 Heavy Conversion Unit, Woolfox Lodge, 6/1943; opinion of Stirling and comparison with Wellington; move to Lakenheath, 7/1943; story of problems with stability of Stirling during raid on Modane, 16/9/1943; German nightfighter threat during raid on Berlin, 31/8/1943; story of effects of thunderstorm during raid on Kassel, 3/10/1943; reactions to premature end of tour due to death of Rear Gunner Hugh Murray in road accident; promotion to warrant officer. Recollections of period as flying instructor on Wellingtons with No 17 Operational Training Unit, Silverstone, 11/1943-10/1944: circumstances of loss of promotion to warrant officer and question of commission; attending flying instructor course; background to interview and commission as pilot officer. REEL 10 attitude to role as instructor, question of return to active service and volunteering for glider pilot training, 10/1944; role as flying instructor and question of competence of pupils; story of murder during hut robbery on camp. Period of infantry training at Bridgnorth, 101/1944: attack of trench mouth; reception. Period training on Hotspur III glider at No 5 Glider Training School, Shobden, 11/1944: nature of Hotspur; meeting future wife; night flights; story of problems in landing; infantry training and story of night exercise. Period on Horsa conversion course at Brize Norton, 12/1944: role in charge of party; background to dismissal from course. Formation of crew during period as instructor at 17 OTU, Silverstone, 1/1945-5/1945. REEL 11 Period on conversion course to Lancaster at 1654 Heavy Conversion Unit, Wigsley, 5/1945: VE day celebrations, 8/5/1945; nature of Lancaster. Periods with 619 Sqdn, RAF at Strubby and Skellingthorpe, 6/1945-8/1945. Periods with 189 Sqdn, RAF at Bardney and Metherington, 8/1945-11/1945: preparations for role with Tiger Force in Far East; VJ Day celebrations, 15/8/1945; transport role bringing troops back under Operation Dodge from Bari, Italy; effect of storm over Apennines; story of engine catching fire; story of landing using Fido system. Period with 97 Sqdn, RAF at Coningsby, 11/1945-1/1946: question of transfer to Transport Command; story of 'haunted' hut accommodation; attending blind flying course. Demobilisation, 2/1946. Aspects of service with RAF Volunteer Reserve, 1946-1953: attending lectures; flying Tiger Moth at No 1 Reserve Training School, Panshangar and No 8 Reserve Training School, Woodley, 1946-1951; background to call up as reservist and flying training on Oxford and Wellington X at Flying Refresher School, Lichfield; 10/1951-1/1952; period flying Tiger Moth at No 8 Reserve Training School, Woodley, 1952-1953; question of relevance of Tiger Moth training; attending course on Lincoln, 6/1952; story of celebrations on suspension of flying with RAFVR, 1953. REEL 12 Continues; story of celebrations on suspension of flying with RAFVR, 1953. Aspects of service as photographic interpreter with 7010 Reserve Flight, RAFVR, 1953-1982: interview; training; training attachments to RAF squadrons in Germany; nature of NATO reconnaissance Exercise Royal Flush including debriefing pilots, photos, reports and question of realism; intelligence training; producing quick reference guide; attending royal banquet to celebrate 50th anniversary of formation of RAF, 1968. Post-war career: career with Inland Revenue and problems over call up as reservist, 1952; acclimatisation to civilian lifestyle; story of evaluation by psychologist during operational tour, 1943.