McGeough, John O (IWM interview)

British NCO pilot served flying Horsa with A Sqdn, Glider Pilot Regt based in GB, 1944-1945. Took part in D Day and Arnhem operations, 1944; POW in Germany, 1944-1945. Served with D Sqdn, GPR in GB, Egypt and Palestine, 1945-1946

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Dundalk and Dublin, Eire and Birmingham, GB, 1923-1938: family background and social circumstances; education; move to Dublin, 1937; failure of father's business; interest in taking commission in Eire Army; move with father to Birmingham, 1938; effects of anti-Irish sentiments; difficulty in finding work; arrival of rest of family; interview of father by Special Branch; outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; work as labourer for Evered Plastics Factory, 1939-1940. Recollections of service with Smethwick Local Defence Volunteers/Home Guard based at Evered Plastics Factory, 1940: volunteering; uniform; nature of training; operating fire pump; guard duties; German air raids and reinforced cellar shelter; background to enlistment into Essex Regt, 12/1940. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine with 70th (Young Soldiers) Bn, Essex Regt, Upminster and Hornchurch, 1/1941-6/1942: drill hall billets; reception; kitting out; relationship with recruits and question of bullying; morning routine; story of inadequate officer; food rations. REEL 2 Continues: route marches; drill; weapons training on Ross rifle, Bren gun, bayonet and Hotchkiss machine gun; preparing for kit inspection; pay; canteen; role of unit; move to guard Hornchurch airfield; hut accommodation; airfield defences; hand grenade training; presence of Canadian troops; guard duties and defaulters parade; tactical exercises; story of letters discovered in clearing out attic; promotion to acting lance corporal; training on 3" mortar and advantages of using Bren carrier; attending PT instructors', sniping and junior NCO courses; recommendation of commission and rejection after interview with colonel; roll on promotion to corporal in charge of mortar crew; opinion of NCOs and officers; pride in unit; reactions to German film, 'War in the West'. REEL 3 Continues: background to volunteering for Glide Pilot Regt; acceptance after attending selection board at Cardington including medical, interviews and tests. Recollections of period at Glider Pilot Regt Depot, Tilshead Camp, 6/1942-8/1942: origins of recruits; drill instructors; nature of training; lectures in theory of flight; passing course and award of maroon beret. Recollections of training on Tiger moth and Miles Magister with No. 16 Elementary Flying Training School, RAF, 8/1942-4/1943: ground training including theory of flight and navigation; first air experience flight; opinion of instructor; dual instruction including taxiing, flying instruments and controls, take off, turning and method of landing; problem with instructor; first solo, 7/9/1942; gliding approach landings; aerobatics including loop. REEL 4 Continues: aerobatics including spinning and side-slipping; cross country navigation flights; problems in formation flying; instrument flying and use of Link Trainer; story of nearly running into barrage balloons flying over Derby; opinion of Miles Magister and comparison with Tiger Moth; night flights and landing system; reads poem, 'Return to Burnaston, 17/12/19189'. Recollections of training on Hotspur II with No. 5 Glider Training School, RAF, Shobden, 12/1942-4/1943: first flight in glider; typical flight in Hotspur including take off towed by aircraft, high and low tow positions, importance of maintaining positions to avoid breaking tow rope, flying instruments and controls, casting off, approach and landing; enjoyment of flying over Malvern Hills; continuation training; low flying under tow; presentation with wings; opinion of instructor. REEL 5 Recollections of period flying Horsa with No 1 Heavy Glider Conversion Unit, Brize Norton, 4/1943-5/1943: nature of Horsa; carrying troops on practice flights; speed attained in flight and landing; method of keeping station on towing aircraft during night flights. Period at Glider Pilot Experimental Unit, Netharavon and Thruxton, 5/1943-6/1943: experiments in firing machine guns from glider; testing blind flying device; low flying; story of collecting Horsa from Leuchars. Recollections of period as pilot with 1st Bn, GPR in North Africa and Italy, 8/1943-12/1943: voyage out to Algiers, Algeria; period at Maison Carree; first impressions; train journey to Sousse, Tunisia; move by lorry to Bizerta; voyage aboard Princess Beatrix to Taranto, Italy, 8/9/1943; collecting corpses from sea in aftermath of sinking of HMS Abdiel; move to Putignano; school billets; relationship with Italian civilians; contacts with Italian troops; story of friendship with Italian women; patrols; sudden posting back to GB, 12/1943; reads poem, 'The Italian Girls from Bari: A Soldier's Tale'. REEL 6 Continues: voyage back to GB, 12/1943. Recollections of period flying Hamilcar glider with C Sqdn, No 2 Wing, GPR at Tarant Rushton, 1/1944-9/1944: nature of Hamilcar and ability to carry Tetrach tank when towed by Halifax VI; flying characteristics on take off and in flight; status as trained infantryman; exercises in massed take off, loose formation flying and landing; spot landing exercises; story of problems with drooping port wing during flight and landing; forming crew with Sergeant Hyam Woltag as 2nd pilot; promotion to staff sergeant; nature of sergeant' mess shared with RAF; story of training exercises and post war visit with family to Bradbury Rings, Wimbourne Minster; role as unused reinforcement pilot during D Day operations, 6/6/1944; question of unit casualties; various planned and cancelled operations; recall from leave, 9/1944. Recollections of flying Horsa towed by Halifax on Operation Market Garden attack on Arnhem, 17/9/1944-24/9/1944: prior briefing; load carried including Medical Officer Lieutenant Derrick Randall and jeep; fling kit and Sten gun carried; mass take off; personal morale; rendezvous over Aldeburgh; glider crash. REEL 7 Continues: view of glider stream; approach to landing zone at Wolfhaze; cast off and landing; view of crashed Hamicar; unloading via tail unit; story of close escape from falling tree prematurely dropped by towing aircraft; collection into unit and move to occupy Wolfhaze woods; German POWs; move forced by German mortar fire; move towards Arnhem; situation; view of corpses in German staff car; rendezvous at Headquarters, 1st Airborne Div at Hartenstein Hotel, Oosterbeek; role defending hotel; story of German machine gun an d sniper fire during reconnaissance patrol; German mortar and tank fire on hotel; first aid post run by Lieutenant Derrick Randall; capture by Germans, 24/9/1944. Initial period as POW in Netherlands and Germany, 9/1944-10/1944: move to hospital in Arhmem; lorry journey to collection point at Appledorn Barracks; train journey to Fellingbostel. Period at Stalag XI B, Fellingbostel, 9/1944-10/1944: registration procedure; sending messages for broadcast on German wireless; story of being filmed at Hartenstein Hotel during supply drop; camp defences; hut accommodation; story illustrating humour prevalent in camp. REEL 8 Continues: POW identity discs; train journey to Poland. Recollections of period at Stalag VIII C, Sagan, Poland, 10/1944-2/1945: nature of camp; lice problem; uniform; news from camp wireless; food; Red Cross parcels; question of sharing food and punishment of NCO for stealing food; roll calls; relationship with prisoners and German guards; shower and latrines; concert parties; British camp organisation and military discipline; ban on escape attempts; bartering; question of working parties; winter conditions; hut searches; hut searches; view of US air raids; Polish female prisoners. Recollections of march to Frankfurt area, Germany, 8/2/1945-10/3/1945: issue of greatcoat; lack of preparations; German civilian refugees; nature of march and overnight stops; friendship with Staff Sergeant Danny Baker; food. Period at Stalag IX B, Bad Orb, 10/3/1945-2/4/1945: presence of Soviet POWs; conditions; burials; departure of German guards; liberation by US soldiers, 2/4/1945. REEL 9 Continues: US mobile showers and kitting out with US uniform; question of over-eating; funerals; accompanying US patrol. Flight back to GB, 4/1945. Leave in Smethwick, 4/1945-5/1945: reception; state of health; VE day celebrations in Birmingham, 8/5/1945. Period in rehabilitation camps at Hertford Bridge, Morpeth and Rousillon Barracks, Chichester, 5/1945-7/1945: lectures; story of meeting local women; resumption of military training;. Period with D Sqdn, GPR at Fairford, Shepherds Grove and Wormingford, 7/1945-2/1946: conversion to Waco glider and nature of Waco; assisting with potato picking; practical jokes. Voyage to Port Said, Egypt, 3/1946. Period at EL Quassasim, 3/1946-4/1946: story of signpost souvenir of GB; train journey; Egyptian salesmen; visits to Cairo and story of arrest in out o bounds are. Recollections of period on internal security role at Quastina, Palestine, 4/1946-8/1946: lorry journey from Egypt; nature of base; minimal flying; briefings on Jewish insurgents; visit to Jewish family of Hyman Woltag and their reaction; role guarding airfield perimeter; escorting Palestine Police and discover of arms cache in kibbutz; court inquiry into theft from stores; drill. REEL 10 Continues: guarding wireless direction finding station used to track Jewish illegal immigrants; flight as co-pilot in Horsa with airborne taskforce to Khartoum, Sudan, 5/1946, including route, overnight stops, demonstration landing, recreations, shave at Sudanese barbers and story of force landed glider during return flight; worsening security situation; Sten gun accident; relationship with Arab and Jewish civilians; route march to Jaffa; pet chameleon; question of recreations. Journey back to GB, 8/1946. Demboilsation, 13/10/1946. Post-war career: question of employment; review of career as fire officer; mental effects of war service; membership of Air Crew Assoc and GPR Assoc; recites poem, 'Memories'.