Hall, Mike (Oral history)

3 CDs - British NCO pilot served flying Horsa with 1st Glider Pilot Regt based in GB, North Africa and Italy, 1943-1944; served with 31 Sqdn, Transport Command, RAF in India and operating over Burma, 1945. Took part in Arnhem operations, 9/1944

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Westminster, London, 1920-1939: family background and social circumstances; education; work as office boy with engineering firm, 1936-1939; background to recruitment and training with London Irish Rifles, London Regt, Duke of York Barracks, London, 4/1939-9/1939; call up, 1/9/1939; outbreak of war, 3/9/1939. Recollections of periods with London Irish Rifles, London Regt in GB, 9/1939-3/1942: initial billets in Euston Square, London; various movements; role as company clerk; acting as driver and story of lorry crash; administrative course; story of dispute with officer over non participation in exercise; story of visit to London after bombing raid; family move to Watford; digging trenches at Thetford; volunteering for air crew with RAF; suspension of transfer to RAF; volunteering for Glider Pilot Regt, ca 12/1941. Recollections of period at Glider Pilot Regt Depot, Tilshead Camp, 3/1942: reception from Company Sergeant Major Cowley; question of being returned to unit; conditions of service; promotion to corporal; opinion of Regimental Sergeant Major Briody; infantry training; theoretical lectures; memories of Corporal Wally Holcroft. REEL 2 Recollections of period flying Miles Magister with 16 Elementary Flying Training School, RAF, Burnaston, 5/1942-8/1942: chool billets; lectures; opinion of flying instructor; familiarisation flight; nature of Miles Magister; aircraft controls and instruments; dual instruction flights; first solo, 12/10/1942; aerobatics formation flying and cross country flights; lectures; night flights; use of Link Trainer; instrument flying; room kit inspections; passing course and promotion to sergeant. Recollections of training on Hotspur glider with No 2 Glider Training School, Weston on the Green, 9/1942-10/1942: nature of Hotspur flights including take off, towing position, cast off and landing; relationship with tow pilots; reactions to fatality; recreations; award of red beret. Period at Bedford, 11/1942-12/1942. Recollections of flying Horsa glider with Heavy Glider Conversion Unit, RAF, Brize Norton, 11/1942-12/1942: nature of Horsa and use of compressed air to power flaps; training as 1st pilot. Period flying Horsa with 1st Glider Pilot Regt, Hurn airfield, Bournemouth, 1/1943-5/1943: flying kit; sea survival test in swimming pool. REEL 3 Continues: practising long distance glider flights. Flight in Horsa from Portreath to Sale, Morocco, 21/6/1943: jettisoning undercarriage to reduce drag; initial escort by Beaufighters; threat from German fighters; stories of casualties on flight. Recollections of period in North Africa and Italy, 6/1943-11/1943: compassion of Hadrian and Horsa gliders; visit to Rabat; loss of Horsa; flight in Wellington to Froha, Tunisia; assembly of Hadrian; story of co-pilot malingering to secure return to GB; move to Sousse; preparations for glide operations during invasion of Sicily, 7/1943; reactions to being left behind and subsequent reports of US pilots actions in releasing gliders prematurely during Operation Husky, 7/1943; voyage aboard Princes Beatrix to Taranto, 9/1943; situation; role guarding swing bridge; conditions of service; relationship with Italian civilians; movements as reserve troops. Voyage back to GB, 11/1943. Recollections of flying Horsa with F Sqdn, 1st GPR at Blakehill Farm, Swindon, 3/1943-9/1943: prior refresher courses; composition of unit; promotion to staff sergeant; introduction of 2nd pilot and relationship with Sergeant George Hogg; nature of sergeants' mess. REEL 4 Continues: detachment on ferrying duties to RAF Maintenance Unit at Wroughton; story of meeting drunken NCOs in mess during visit to RAF fighter station; story of poor landing during mass take off and landing night exercise at Netheravon; reaction to missing D Day operations, 6/6/1944; abortive operations; introduction of RAF pilots. Recollections of flying Horsa on Operation Market Garden at Arnhem, 17/9/1944-25/9/1944: prior briefing; load carried of Border Regt; arrangement of keep together with Sergeant Wally Holcroft; assembly for take off; escape kit; personal weapons; personal morale; take off, 10.00, 17/9/1944; flight out towed by Dakota and intercom communications; sight of V2 vapour trail; approach, release and landing in field; planned move to Headquarters, 6th Airborne Div, Hartenstein Hotel, Oosterbeck; digging in to protect landing field; strafing by German aircraft, 18/9/1944; view of German POWs; food rations; view of landing of main body of gliders and paratroopers; journey with German POWs by lorry to Oosterbeck; German POW cage on tennis courts; digging trench; move to occupy former German trenches on defensive perimeter; situation; opening fire on German self-propelled gun. REEL 5 Continues: role on Bren gun and firing at German troops in wood; movements around perimeter; German sniping; view of third glider landing, 19/9/1944; German mortar fire; withdrawal towards Hartenstein Hotel; move to occupy houses and story of visit by Dutch householder; night evacuation, 25/9/1944, including preparations, heavy German fire during move to rendezvous, move to river, boat crossing, reception and move to rest centre, Nijmagen; story of close escape from German shells during visit to barber; fight on Dakota back to GB; reaction to casualties. Period at Blakehill Farm, Swindon, 10/1944-12/1944: volunteering for posting to India; refresher course. Recollections of flight with draft aboard Sunderland Flying Boat to Karachi, India, 12/1944: issue of tropical kit; air crash of first draft; civilian nature of flight; nature of Sunderland; aborted flight during Christmas celebrations, 25/12/1944; flight to Cairo, Egypt; recreations in Cairo. REEL 6 Continues: recreations in Cairo; route; fist impressions during period at Karachi Transit Camp. Recollections of periods at Fatejhang and Basal, 1/1945-2/1945: reception; state of camps; conversion course on Waco glider. Period acting as 2nd pilot flying Dakota with Transport Command at Lalaghat and Comilla, 2/1945: nature of bas; Indian servant; opinion of Dakota; flight carrying cargo across Chin Hills into Burma. Attending jungle school in Kachar Hills, 2/1945-3/1945: opinion of Ursula Graham-Bower; survival training from Naga tribesmen; nature of jungle exercises; Naga booby trap; leech problem. REEL 7 Period as 2nd pilot flying Dakota with 31 Sqdn, TC, RAF, Hathazari, 3/1945: supply flights in Imphal area; flying role and making successful landing. Period at Lalaghat, 3/1945. Attending infantry training course at Belgaum, 4/1945-6/1945: train journey; nature of training; Indian servant; live firing exercise; recreations. Period at Fetejhang and Upper Tupa, Murce hills, 6/1945-2/1946: varying climate; VJ Day, 15/8/1945. Voyage aboard Durban Castle to GB, 3/1946. Demobilisation, 3/1946. Post-war carer: return to work with engineering firm; career with veneer cutters; absence of effect of war service; membership of Glider Pilot Regt Assoc.