Mitchard, Don (Oral history)

British NCO served as pilot flying Spitfire V with 165 Sqdn, RAF in GB, 1942; flew Spitfire VB with 72 Sqdn, RAF in GB and north Africa, 1942-1943

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Radstock, 1922-1940: family background and father's service in Seaforth Highlanders, 1914-1918; family hairdressing business; education at King Edward's Grammar School, Bath, 1932-1939, including nature of school, OTC training and sporting activities; awareness of approach of war; reactions to outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; public air raid shelter; story of German air raid, ca 12/1939; blackout; question of food and clothing rationing; minimal effect of war on education; background to interest in aviation and flight with Sir Alan Cobham; background to leaving school and application to join RAF, ca 11/1940; temporary work as clerk at relocated Admiralty, Bath, 9/1940-12/1940; story of meeting future wife; call up for medical and educational assessment at Oxford University, 12/1940. REEL 2 Continues: call up for medical and educational assessment, acceptance for pilot training and attestation at Oxford University, 12/1940; call up, 1/1941. Periods at Reception Centre, Blackpool, 1/1941-2/1941: reception; billets; kitting out; drill and comparison with OTC; financial ruse on recruits perpetrated by NCO; PT; lectures on RAF; preparing for kit inspections; recreations and question of bromide in tea; ENSA concerts. Period at Sealand, 2/1941-3/1941: guard duties; impressions of Spitfires; hut accommodation; food rations. Vaccinations at Initial Training Win, Paignton, 3/941. Period at No 5 ITW, Newquay, 4/1941-6/1941: concentration on drill and PT; studying RAF lay. REEL 3 Continues: mathematics; navigation training using dead reckoning and adjustments for wind; training on machine guns; training in airmanship; relationship with recruits; visits to pubs and dance halls in Newquay; relationship wit instructors; story of homosexual approach from NCO; examinations and assessment process; cancellation of flying course in US. Recollections of training on Miles Magister at Elementary Flying Training School, Mere, 7/1941-8/1941: former status as civilian flying school; nature of ground training; opinion of flying instructor; learning to swing propeller to start engine; familiarisation flight; dual control flying lesson; review of operation of flying controls. REEL 4 Continues: method of taking off and landing; 'circuits and bumps'; flying collision; danger of stalling on turning back on engine failure on take off; identifiable pall of smoke above Stoke on Trent; method of recovering from stall and spin; first solo flight; methods of carrying out aerobatics including loop, slow roll, Immellman turn, climbing roll and sideslip. REEL 5 Continues: methods of carrying out aerobatics including barrel roll and flick roll; height required for aerobatics; low flying training; cross country flights to test navigation; visits to dances and pubs; canteen. Period on night flying course on Tiger Moth at Kingston, Carlisle, c 8/1941: background to posting onto course; opinion of Miles Magister and Tiger Moth; night flying and story illustrating necessity of trusting instruments; use of glide path indicator and flares on landing at night; attitude to night flying. Recollections of period training on Oxford at Flying Training School, Kidlington, 9/1941-12/1941: question of initial recommendation for single-engine fighters and shortage of twin-engine night fighters; opinion of Oxford; nature of course; night flying flights; death of friends in accident taking off; question of restarting stalled engines and story of unmanned Oxford circling round on ground. REEL 6 Continues: award of wings; leave; desire for posting to single-engine fighters. Recollections of period flying Hurricane with No 5 Operational Training Unit, Osworth, 1/1942-3/1942: reception; acclimatisation flights in Miles Magister; lecture warning of casualty rates in training; nature of Hurricane I including first impressions, standard instruments, identification friend or foes system (IFF), main and standby fuel tanks, machine gun calibration, engine controls, joystick, parachute and dinghy under seat, cockpit hood release and method of bailing out; parachute ground training; bailing out and dinghy training in swimming pool; first flight in Hurricane and handling characteristics; curved approach and importance of judging distance during landing; training in decompression chamber and effects of lack of oxygen; formation flying training. REEL 7 Continues: formation flying training; 'battle climbs' to gain height as quickly as possible after scramble take off; practice dogfights and aerial tactics adopted; low flying practice; firing at ground and air drogue targets; question of standards of gunnery; cross country flights to test dead reckoning navigation; night flying and use of Link Trainer; assessment. REEL 8 Continues: leave. Recollections of period flying Spitfire V with 165 Sqdn, RAF based at Ayr, 3/1942-8/1942: reactions to posting to Spitfire unit; reception; nature of Spitfire including cockpit layout and drill, potential problem with throttle on take of, wing flap control and problems taxiing on ground; first flight in Spitfire II; story of landing with failed wing flaps; initial monitoring of performance as pilot; comparison of Spitfire and Hurricane; mixed cannon/machine gun armament of Spitfire V; problem with Spitfire ailerons in dive; nature of sergeants' mess. REEL 9 Continues: relationship with NCOs; story of being charged with wearing inappropriate uniform in Ayr; relationship with officers; role of ground crew; passing as ready for operations; first 'scramble' including state of readiness, stand by state, take off as 'No 2', battle climb to intercept possible German aircraft and return to airfield; convoy protection patrols and risk of friendly fire; question of posting to Malta; hospitalisation with appendicitis. Recollections of operations flying Spitfire VB with 72 Sqdn, RAF in GB, 9/1942-10/1942: reception on joining unit at Ayr and opinion of Squadron Leader Bobby Oxspring; opinion of various NCOs, officers and Polish, American and Canadian pilots; cannon/machine gun armament with cine-camera attachment; unit role replacing 165 Sqdn; reputation of unit and links with Basutoland. REEL 10 Continues: role n convoy protection parts; mobile reinforcement role moving to various airfields including Biggin Hill, Tangmere and Manston; nature of fighter sweeps over France including prior briefing, line astern and subsequent staggered 'finger 4' formations, importance of visibility, 'Big Wing' theory and rendezvous adopted by 12 Group, attempts to provoke German fighter response, nature of tactics in dogfights, use of silk scarves to protect neck, duration, overload fuel tanks, debriefing and question validity of victory claims; role intercepting German fighters when escorting daylight bomber raids; casualties and targets during ground attack missions over France. REEL 11 Continues: personal morale and question of cases of lack of morale fibre; moves to Middlesbrough and Newcastle upon Tyne; move south during Channel dash of Scharnhorst and Gneisenau; unit role during raid on Dieppe, 19/8/1942; escape kit and awareness of Comet line resistance groups; move to Ouston, 10/1942; PT in preparation for long distance flights; move to Aldegrave, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Voyage aboard HMS Rochester to Gibraltar, 10/1942: formation of convoy; ignorance of destination; messdeck conditions including canteen catering, hammock and question of seasickness; story of drinking run rations on birthday; effects of rough weather; relationship with ratings. REEL 12 Continues: question of destination; landing of pilots at Gibraltar. Period based at Gibraltar, 11/1942: shortage of pilots; briefing for role in Operation Torch North African landings; situation; arrival of aircraft from GB. Recollections of period at Maison Blanche, Algeria, 11/1942: difficult take off and problems with overload tank during low-level flight from Gibraltar; reception; sleeping in hangar; defensive patrols; visit to Algiers. Recollections of period at Bone, 11/1942: problem with cockpit hood during flight from Maison Blanche; German bombing raids; defensive patrols and contacts with German fighter-bombers; story of ME109 raid on airfield. Periods at Souk el Arbra and Souk el Khemis, Tunisia, 11/1942-1/1943: nature of airstrip; success of German air raid whilst landing; offensive patrols and lack of effective wireless control; role of ground crew from RAF Commando; relationship with ground crew. REEL 13 Continues: situation; superiority of Focke Wulfe 190 to Spitfire V; opinion of Italian Macchi; failure of bombing raid led by Wing Commander Malcolm VC; situation; move to Souk el Khemis; build up of Allied air strength; question of standard of US navigators and fighter; tent accommodation; compo food rations and water supply; relationship with Tunisian civilians and case of suspected parachute sabotage; climate; German night bombing raids and slit trenches; story of being hit by German anti-aircraft fire during ground attack raid on Kaurahn, 1/1943. Period in Algiers hospital, 1/1943-2/1943: minor shrapnel wounds; stomach problems; conditions; attitude to returning to unit. Recollections of period at Souk el Khemis, 2/1942-5/1943: opinion of newly arrived Spitfire IX with supercharged engine system. REEL 14 Continues: familiarisation on Spitfire IX; move onot offensive operations; reactions to end of North African campaign; reaction to casualties; question of friendly fire and US raids on airfield; move to Tunis; reactions to end of tour, 5/1943. Voyage aboard Franconia to GB, 5/1943. Period as staff pilot flying Spitfire and Miles Magister at Fighter Leader School, 5 Operational Training Unit, Aston Down, 7/1943-1/1944. Period as staff pilot flying Typhoon at Operational Training Unit, Millfield, 1/1944-1/1945: test flying Typhoon including risk of fire with cartridge starter system, undercarriage, use of oxygen, flying characteristics and problems in power dives due to wing shape; test flying Spitfires and failure of increased supercharging on Spitfire IX; promotion to warrant officer; question of return to operational flying. Recollections of Central Flying Establishment, RAF Tangmere and West Raynham, 1/1945-7/1946: question of commission and story of interview; commission as pilot officer, 3/1945; testing aircraft ejector seat trainer. REEL 15 Continues: testing anti-G suits; return of various aces and former POWs; stories illustrating opinion of Group Captain Douglas Bader; story of VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945; question of posting to Far East; VJ Day celebrations, 15/8/1945; victory flypast led by Group Captain Douglas Bader; move to West Raynham and posting to satellite station at Great Massingham; flight in Mosquito; ferrying work in Anson; prior test flight in Meteor at Tangmere including taxing, take off, undercarriage problem, flying characteristics and method of landing. REEL 16 Continues: flights in Meteor. Demobilisation and demob suit, 7/1946. Post-war career: training and career as civil engineer; service with airfield construction branch of RAF Volunteer Reserve, 1952-1958; period with Reserve of RAF Officers; effects of war service; membership of RAF Assoc, British Legion and Air Crew Assoc.