Description
Object description
British NCO served as navigator with 106 Sqdn, RAF in GB, 1944-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Frome, GB, 1923-1940: family; education; membership of Home Guard, 1940. Aspects of enlistment and training with RAF in GB, Canada and South Africa, 1941-1943: enlistment and call up, 1941; pattern of early training at 10 Initial Training Wing, Scarborough including priciples of navigation; forced landing at 19 Elementary Flying Training School, RAF Sealand; move to 35 Standard Flying Training School at North Battleford, Canada; his removal from course; return to GB and re-mustering as navigator; navigational training at 41 Air School, South Africa, 1942; first experience of night time navigation; training at 16 Operational Training Unit, Upper Heyford, 1943; conversions onto heavy bombers; lack of faith in pilot. Recollections of operations as navigator with 627 Sqdn, RAF in GB, 1944-1945: background to joining squadron; origins of squadron.
REEL 2 Continues: role of squadron with Pathfinder Force; effectiveness of bombing of Dresden; targets attacked, 1944-1945; work with development as H2S; competitive atmosphere in squadron; navigational equipment carried; method of exiting De Havilland Mosquito; navigational equipment in cockpit; story of marking jetty at Wesel during Rhine Crossing, 3/1945; German anti-aircraft fire; opinion of reasons for loss of Guy Gibson; reasons for missing attack on Gestapo Headquarters in Oslo, Norway; opinion of meterological information; final mission to Norway, 5/1945.
REEL 3 Continues: atmosphere in squadron and importance of accuracy on hitting target; sight of V2 rocket taking off over Netherlands, 1945; items picked up by squadron aircraft in low level operations; squadron losses; character of his tour; night flying testing. Reflections on service with RAF, 1941-1945: RAF rations; attitude to service in RAF; degree of contact with civilian population; social activities; wartime train service; pattern of service in Canada; sinking of destroyer during crossing of Atlantic; duties during voyage from GB to South Africa; effect of gorging on fruit in East London, South Africa; musical activities in South Africa; amusing story of using old car during leave; time taken to get onto squadron; nature of night time operations.
REEL 4 Continues: characteristics of De Havilland Mosquito; incident when GEE failed in aircraft; target marking of Dresden; post war reunions; character of his pilot; description of cramped cockpit in De Havilland Mosquito; problems of not having toilet during mission to Denmark; attitude to flying in De Havilland Mosquito; loss of navigator when his parachute got stuck in escape hatch; attitude towards Germans and bombing of Dresden; nature of Bomber Command operations, 1944-1945; lack of contact with US personnel; contrast between US and RAF navigational training; attitude to service with RAF during Second World War; reasons for not staying in RAF; return to civilian life.
REEL 5 Continues: adjusting to RAF life on enlistment; American relatives; attitude towards Germans; photographing of target; aiming point during raid on Dresden; post war visit to Dresden; attitude to bombing of Germans.
