Description
Object description
British naval aircraftman trained at HMS St Vincent, Gosport, GB, 9/1943-12/1943; trained as pilot at No 13 Elementary Flying Training School, St Eugene and No 31 Service Flying Training School, Kingston in Canada, 12/1943-6/1943; midshipman trained as pilot at No 9 Advanced Flying Unit, RAF at RAF Errol and with No 1 Naval Air Fighter School, HMS Heron, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, GB, 9/1944-11/1944; served with 772 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Wagtail, Royal Naval Air Station Ayr, GB, 12/1944; served with 733 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm, Fleet Requirement Unit at HMS Bambara, Royal Naval Air Station Trincomolee, Ceylon, 2/1945-9/1945; served with 757 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm, HMS Valluru, Royal Naval Air Station Tambaram, India, 1945; served with 783 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Condor, Royal Naval Air Station Arbroath, GB, 1946; served with 1832 Naval Air Sqdn, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in GB, 1946-1957
Content description
REEL 1 Background in India and GB, 1925-1939: family; father's employment with Indian Civil Service; early life in India; education in GB; father's service with Royal Flying Corps during First World War; early interest in aviation; memories of Air Vice Marshal Keith Park; sporting activities; further details of education; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; training with Officer Training Corp (OTC) at Uppingham School; training with Air Training Corps. Aspects of enlistment in Fleet Air Arm and training as naval airman at HMS St Vincent, Gosport, GB, 1943: reasons for choosing Fleet Air Arm; emphasis on sport; call up to Fleet Air Arm at HMS St Vincent, 9/1943; training on Lewis Gun; drill.
REEL 2 Continues: seamanship and weapons training; pattern of training at HMS St Vincent; suitability of public schoolboys to naval training; use of white cap band for Y Service recruits; motivation of recruits; accommodation; evening activities; attitude to being sent to Canada at end of course; embarkation leave; in transit at RAF Heaton Park, Manchester, 12/1943. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Queen Mary from GB to US, 12/1943: attitude to crossing North Atlantic; embarkation on board HMT Queen Mary; putting out fire in cabin; accommodation on board; conditions on board.
REEL 3 Continues: arrival in US and backlog of RAF recruits. Recollections of period of flying training at No 13 Elementary Flying Training School, St Eugene, Canada, 31/12/1943-26/2/1944: cockpit familiarisation on Fairchild Cornell Mk II; flying Fairchild Cornell Mk II during familiarisation; use of brakes; attitude to first flight; pattern of elementary flying training; method of keeping aircraft straight and level; controlling aircraft; climbing and gliding; spinning aircraft; communicating with instructor using Gosport Tube; flying clothing worn; use of log book; sequence of numbered instruction; forced landings; aircraft checks; taxiing and starting aircraft; taking off.
REEL 4 Continues: landing aircraft; soloing; attitude to soloing; cadets who couldn't get the hang of flying; pattern of flying after soloing; instrument flying; character of instructors; use of Link Trainer; aerobatics including looping, roll off the top and slow roll; night flying; testing during course; cross-country navigation.
REEL 5 Continues: Recollections of period of flying training at No 31 Service Flying Training School, Kingston, Canada, 27/2/1944-29/6/1944: reputation of North American Harvard; pattern of duel instruction training; explanation of pitch; character of North American Harvard; night flying; formation flying; gunnery practice; low-level flying and flight under International Bridge; question of assessment of flying skills and allocation to fighter or torpedo bomber role; ground instruction; ship recognition.
REEL 6 Continues: return to HMS Macaw, Royal Naval Air Station Bootle, GB. Aspects of period on Newly Commissioned Officers Course at Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London, GB, 8/1944-9/1944: duties on V1 Flying Bomb watch; unarmed combat training; opinion of training. Aspects of period of flying training at No 9 Advanced Flying Unit, RAF at RAF Errol, GB, 9/1944: attending flying refresher course; weather conditions; allocation to fighter duties. Aspects of period as pilot with No 1 Naval Air Fighter School, HMS Heron, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, GB, 10/1944-11/1944: appointment to school; reaction to first flight in Grumman Wildcat Mk VI; character of Grumman Wildcat, Mk VI; crash landing in Grumman Wildcat Mk VI, 24/11/1944; Grumman Wildcat Mk VI's undercarriage; opinion of Grumman Wildcat, Mk VI; pattern of fighter training; reasons for removal from course after crash landing; reaction to being removed from course. Aspects of period with 772 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Wagtail, Royal Naval Air Station Ayr, GB, 12/1944: posting to squadron; opinion of Fairey Swordfish; opinion of Miles Martinet; method of landing with towed target.
REEL 7 Continues: opinion of Hawker Hurricane; occasion when he had problems landing Hawker Hurricane; opinion of Fairey Firefly; use of pilot notes; Christmas leave, 12/1944. Aspects of voyage aboard SS Reina del Pacifico from GB to Ceylon, 1/1945-2/1945: promotion to sub-lieutenant and looking after midshipmen; conditions on board. Recollections of period as pilot with 733 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm, Fleet Requirement Unit at HMS Bambara, Royal Naval Air Station China Bay, Ceylon, 2/1945-9/1945: appointment to unit; Fleet Requirement Unit work; mock torpedo attacks on fleet; participation in fleet gunnery exercises; radar calibration work; character of Grumman Avenger; character of Grumman Wildcat Mk VI; flying Stinson Reliant Mk 1; presence of Boulton Paul Defiant on airfield.
REEL 8 Continues: character of Vought Corsair; impressions of Grumman Hellcat; differences in design between American and British naval aircraft; description of airfield at HMS Bambara, Royal Naval Air Station China Bay; character of squadron; attempts to get back onto fighter course; attending jungle survival course, 6/1945. Aspects of period as pilot with 757 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Valluru, Royal Naval Air Station Tambaran, India, 9/1945-12/1945: posting to squadron; flying Grumman Hellcat; question of demobilisation and staying on in Fleet Air Arm; nature of carrier landings; dive bombing in Grumman Hellcat; disposal of Vought Corsair at Cochin at end of war.
REEL 9 Continues: incident of in-flight electrical fire on board Vought Corsair; flying over India; return to GB, 12/1945. Aspects of period as pilot with 783 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Condor Royal Naval Air Station Arbroath, GB, 1946: flying Avro Anson Mk I; atmosphere in squadron; story of grounding for low flying over Balmoral Castle in Fairey Firefly; posting to HMS Blackcap, Royal Naval Air Station Stretton. Recollections of period as pilot with 1832 Naval Air Sqdn, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Channel Air Division in GB, 1946-1947: joining squadron; opinion of Supermarine Seafire; weekend flying; sea training with 1831 Naval Air Sqdn, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) aboard HMS Illustrious; problems of deck landing Supermarine Seafire; changes in deck landing procedure during training aboard HMS Theseus, 1950.
REEL 10 Continues: arrester wire and barrier arrangement on board aircraft carrier; taking off from aircraft carrier; use of accelerated launch from aircraft carrier; attitude to possibility of going to Korea; contrast between Supermarine Seafire and Hawker Sea Fury; reputation and character of Hawker Sea Fury; gunnery training and rocket firing at HMS Vulture, Royal Naval Air Station St Merryn, 1951; two week training period at HMS Falcon, Royal Naval Air Station Hal Far, Malta, 6/1952; attacking splash targets; problems of firing rockets; problems of maintaining flying hours whilst working aboard in France; 1954-1955; differences in flying piston engined aircraft and jet aircraft; jet conversion course on De Havilland Meteor T.7 at HMS Goldcrest, Royal Naval Air Station Brawdy, 1956.
REEL 11 Continues: flying of De Havilland Vampire T22 and De Havilland Meteor Mk 7; grading of jet flying; visibility in jet aircraft; attitude to flying in helmet; undercarriage collapse in De Havilland DH.15 Sea Vampire T.22 at HMS Peregrine, Royal Naval Air Station Ford, 6/1956; disbandment of Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) squadrons; attitude to having served with Fleet Air Arm.
