Morton, John Henry (Oral history)

British NCO trained as observer with No 8 Air Observers School in Canada, 1944-1945

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Old Trafford, Manchester, 1922-1943: family background and social circumstances; education and night school; work as apprentice motor mechanic, 1936-1939; reactions to outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; clerical work for garage carrying out contracts for army vehicles, 1939-1943; blackout; use of neighbours' reinforced cellar as air raid shelter; effects of German air raids during Manchester Blitz, 12/1940, including story of incendiary bomb and close escapes; service with Local Defence Volunteers and Home Guard, Old Trafford, ca 1940-1943, including recruitment, uniform, drill, rifle training, first aid, tactical exercises defending Stretford Town Hall, street fighting exercises, night guard duties, view of German parachute mines and patrols; German bomb damage to garage showroom in Deansgate. REEL 2 Continues: German bomb damage to garage showroom in Deansgate and move to Bolton premises; reserved occupation status and rejection on volunteering as artificer for Royal Navy; volunteering as RAF air crew, 1942; tests, medical and attestation at Air Crew Selection Board, Blackpool, 7/1942; extra education at night school arranged by RAF; call up for RAF, 5/1943. Recollections of period at Air Crew Reception Centre, Lords Cricket Ground, St Johns Wood, London, 5/1943-6/1943: reception; kitting out; flat accommodation; educational tests; drill; vaccinations; food rations and kitchen cockroaches; recreations; relationship with recruits and instructors. Recollections of training at No 12 Initial Training Wing, St Andrews, 6/1943-9/1943: Morse code; navigation and meteorology; theory of flight; engines; aircraft recognition. REEL 3 Continues: clay pigeon shooting; dingy drill in swimming pool; tests. Recollections of period flying Tiger Moth with No 11 Elementary Flying Training School, Scone, 9/1943-10/1943: billets in Perth; nature of airfield; theory of flight ground training; familiarisation flight; dual training flights including take off and spinning; question of flying solo. Assignment as navigator or wireless operator to Air Crew Dispersal Centre, Heaton Park, Manchester, 11/1943, 11/1943. Recollections of training as wireless operator at No 1 Radio School, Cranwell, 11/1943-4/1944: barrack accommodation; familiarisation flight in DH Domine Rapide; Morse code and cipher training; use of crystal and Marconi wireless sets; wireless exercises in Percival Proctor; wireless theory and question of repairs; voice procedure. Periods at Heaton Park and Newquay, 4/1944-9/1944: disturbances caused by treatment of trained air crew as working parties; presence of US troops prior to D Day, 6/6/1944. Voyage aboard Mauritania to New York, US, 9/1944: passengers. REEL 4 Continues: passengers including Spike Jones and route sailing alone. Train journey to Monckton, New Brunswick, Canada, 9/1944. Period at RAF Receiving Centre, Monckton, 9/1944. Period at No 3 Air Gunnery Training School, Three Rivers, 9/1944-10/1944: working parties unloading ballast at docks; gunnery training on Browning machine gun. Recollections of training flying Anson with No 8 Air Observer's School, Ancienne Lorette, Quebec, 10/1944-3/1945: advanced navigation and methods of astro-navigation; night navigation exercises; use of direction finding wireless; nature of Anson; cold flying conditions and flying kit; navigational equipment; ground lectures and celestial navigation training; icing on Anson propellers; recreations and relationship with French-Canadian civilians; period confined to camp during French Separatist riots; recreations. REEL 5 Continues: status as leading aircraftman; passing out as sergeant, 30/3/1945. Period at Monckton, 3/1945-5/1945: formation of Mosquito crew with Sergeant Jock Fisher; VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945; issue of tropical kit; question of training in Mosquito. Continuation of U-Boat precautions during voyage aboard Athlone Castle to Liverpool, 5/1945-6/1945. Period at Harrogate, 6/1945-8/1945: question of transfer as observer to Royal Navy; training courses; various postings; status as redundant air crew and retraining as motor transport mechanic. Period as motor mechanic at Hildescheim and Celle, Germany, 1945-1946: role supervising German mechanics; conditions of service; relationship with German civilians and mechanics. Dembobilisation, 1/1947. Post-war career: question of remaining in RAF as regular; effects of RAF service; training and career as technical draughtsman; membership of RAF Assoc and Air Crew Assoc; question of reaction to lack of operational service.