Description
Object description
Australian officer served as pilot with 466 Sqdn, RAF, 1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Perth, Australia, 1924-1942: family; story of joining Japanese naval party on visit to zoo; loyalty to crown and British Empire; father's wounding during First World War; family economic circumstances during Depression; degree of knowledge of threat of Nazi Europe; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; employment; joining Air Training Corps and interest in becoming pilot; activities with Air Training Corps; threat of Japanese invasion, 1942.
REEL 2 Continues: confidence in Allied victory and attitude to war. Aspects of training as pilot with Royal Australian Air Force in Australia, 1943: enlistment, 1/1943; character of drill instructors; brother's enlistment in Royal Australian Air Force; incidents of white feathers given to farmers; attitude to service in air force; influence of US entry into Second World War; selection procedure amongst aircrew; pattern of initial training; intensity of training course; first flight in De Havilland Tiger Moth; cross country navigational flights; soloing.
REEL 3 Continues: move to 4 Advanced Flying Training School, Geraldton; flying training in Avro Anson; final flying examination; loss of trainees; attitude to dangers of flying; question of being selected as bomber pilot; passing out as sergeant; degree of concern about Japanese attacks in Geraldton. Aspects of journey rom Australia to GB via US, 1943: embarkation; activities during voyage from Australia to US; train journey across US; loss of money belt on arrival in New York; recreational activities in New York.
REEL 4 Continues: awareness of Americans of war; conditions in New York; embarkation on board Queen Mary; voyage from US to GB aboard Queen Mary; conditions on board Queen Mary. Aspects of training with Royal Australian Air Force in GB, 1943-1944: arrival in Brighton, 12/1943; attitude to service in GB.
REEL 5 Continues: courses in Brighton; flying training on Vickers Wellingtons; arrangements for aircrew to stay with families in GB; attitude of British people towards war; use of radio to hear of progress of war; converting to Airspeed Oxford at RAF Fraserburgh; navigational course and training on Link Trainer; posting to operational training unit at RAF Moreton in the Marsh, 7/1944; flight in glider; impatience to get onto active service; operational training; conversion onto Handley Page Halifax; comparison between Handley Page Halifax and Avro Lancaster; crew of Handley Page Halifax; pattern of training at heavy conversion unit.
REEL 6 Continues: briefing on conduct of operations; leave with English crew members families in GB; allocation of crews. Recollections of operations as pilot with 466 Sqdn, RAF in GB, 3/1945-5/1945: taking off with full bomb load; problems performing corkscrew manoeuvre in Handley Page Halifax; importance of crew searching sky; dropping Window during first raid to eastern France; crew suspicions; raid on Dortmund Ems Canal; photographing of bombing plot; dropping of bombs on target.
REEL 7 Continues: flight over Cologne after end of Second World War, 1945; importance of dropping bombs on target; attitude to bombing campaign; crew training at operational training unit and during squadron service; raid on Rhenania oil refinery at Harburg, 4/4/1945; target marking; bombing of Dortmund Ems Canal; leave in London, 1/1945; V1 attack during brother's wedding; futher details of raid on Rhenania oil refinery at Harburg, 4/4/1945; leave in Kent, 4/1945; briefing for operations; raid on Hamburg, 8/4/1945; reliance of crew on pilot.
REEL 8 Continues: threat of collision during raids; reaction to aircraft losses; faith in ground crew; only flying serviceable aircraft; daylight raid on Wangerooge Island, Netherlands, 25/4/1945; sight of US aircraft colliding during daylight raids; opinion of US personnel; raid on Munster; question of luck during operations; religious services; final operation in Munchen-Gladbach area.
REEL 9 Continues: reaction to VE Day celebrations; disposal of unused bombs; destruction in Germany; attitude to bombing of civilians; reaction to sight of burnt Australian aircrew; reaction to VJ Day; state of London after end of war in Europe. Aspects of return to civilian life in Australia, 1946: return voyage to Australia, 1946; reaction to arrival in Fremantle; return to civilian occupation.
REEL 10 Continues: career and marriage; effects of wartime service on career; keeping in contact with former crew members; attitude to war in general and to personal experience of warfare.