Description
Object description
British midshipman trained with Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Hermes in GB coastal waters, 1939; attended observers course at Royal Navy Observers School, HMS Peregrine, Royal Naval Air Station Ford, GB, 1939; trained as pilot at RAF Elmdon and No 7 Flying Training School, RAF at Peterborough in GB, 1939-1940
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Gillingham and Guildford, GB, 1918-1938: family; early interest in aviation. Aspects of period as midshipman with Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Hermes in GB coastal waters, 1939: selection procedure for enlistment in Royal Navy; pattern of naval training aboard HMS Hermes; signal training including Morse Code; midshipman uniform; drill; instructors; degree of bullying amongst midshipmen; status of Fleet Air Arm in 1939; background to applying for short service commission; degree of awareness of situation in Germany; duties as officer of the watch; knowledge of naval tradition and history. Aspects of period on observers course at Royal Navy Observers School, HMS Peregrine, Royal Naval Air Station Ford in GB, 1939: story of termination of his observers' course.
REEL 2 Continues: navigational training; problems of navigating in open cockpits; wireless operating training; amusing story of trailing aerial being dragged across squadron leaders wife's tea party; primitive nature of communications; navigational equipment; navigation over water; need for accuracy from pilot and observer; character of Blackburn Shark; use of Gosport Tubes for communication; clothing worn during flights. Aspects of flying training with Fleet Air Arm at RAF Elmdon, GB, 1939-1940: posting to flying course, 9/1939; memories of instructor Sergeant Rathbone; familiarisation flight; character of De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth; cockpit instrumentation in De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth; flying controls; spinning aircraft; pre-flight checks; taxiing aircraft.
REEL 3 Continues: flying De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth; need to turn aircraft into wind; landing aircraft; time taken by pupils to solo aircraft; soloing aircraft; flying exercises after soloing; character of cross-country navigation exercises; practicing forced landings; obstacles to be avoided when making forced landing; visibility in De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth; training accidents; failure rate and question of flying aptitude amongst pupils; airsickness; checks by instructors; question of changing instructors.
REEL 4 Continues: aerobatics including character of barrel roll and slow roll; reasons for using colour yellow on training aircraft. Aspects of flying training at No 7 Flying Training School, RAF at Peterborough, 1940: transferring to more powerful aircraft; low-level flying; organisation of flying training; night flying training; importance of trusting cockpit instruments; difficulties of night flying; formation flying; failure rate on course and accidents; visibility in Hawker Hart; ground instruction; character of undercarriage on Hawker Hart.