Crayton, Ron (Oral history)

British naval airman trained as pilot in GB, Canada and US, 1941-1943; petty officer served as pilot with 768 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at Royal Naval Air Station Inskip in GB, 1943; officer served as pilot with 836 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in Northern Ireland and aboard Empire MacAndrew in Atlantic, 1944-1945; served as test pilot with Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1945-1947; served as instructor with Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1947-1950; served as batsman aboard HMS Indomitable in GB coastal waters, 1950- 1951; served as instructor with 705 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1952-1954; served with 848 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in Malaya, 1954-1955; served with 845 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in GB and Suez landings, 1956-1957; served as test pilot with Fleet Air Arm in GB and US, 1957-1958

REEL 1 Background in Newton Abbott and Torquay, GB, 1922-1940: family; anticipation of coming war; witnessing Alan Cobham's Flying Circus; education. Aspects of enlistment and training with Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1940-1941: background to selection to Fleet Air Arm, 1940; selection interview; employment whilst on Royal Navy Reserve, 1940-1942; discovery of motor torpedo boats at Torquay whilst serving with Home Guard; basic training at HMS Daedalus; accommodation at HMS St Vincent; story illustrating quality of food; memories of Chief Petty Officer Wilmott. Aspects of flying training as naval airman and petty officer with Fleet Air Arm in Canada, US and GB, 1942-1943: conditions on troopship during voyage from GB to Canada; in camp at RCAF Monkton; move to US Navy training unit at Grosse Isle near Detroit; flying training in N3N1s; opinion of American instructor. REEL 2 Continues: relations with US civilians; move to US Navy base at Pensacola; opinion of discipline; reasons for being placed on false charge and subsequent posting to RCAF Trenton; transfer to Halifax, Nova Scotia and theft of personal processions; removal to St John's Newfoundland; joining corvette as crewman; duties on board; return to GB; re-starting flying training at Royal Naval Air Station Lee on Solent; duties at Royal Naval Air Station, Worthy Down; accident on landing at Royal Naval Air Station, Worthy Down; visit to American PX; method of starting Blackburn Shark and Fairey Swordfish; flying duties. REEL 3 Continues: attitude to service. Aspects of period as pilot with 768 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at Royal Naval Air Station Inskip, GB, 1943: rocket and depth charge training; use of flares to fire rockets at night; loss of aircrew at night; reliability of Fairey Swordfish; practice deck landings. Recollections of operations as 836 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in Northern Ireland and Empire MacAndrew in Atlantic, 1944-1945: commissioning; joining Empire MacAndrew; operating from MAC ships; use of radar to locate MAC ship; landing on; effect of bad weather on flying; on duty activities; discovery of whale on patrol; introduction of Rocket Assisted Take Off. REEL 4 Continues: leave in Canada; disturbances at time of VE Day, Halifax, 5/1945; return voyage to GB; dealing with Customs and Exercise officers on return to GB; flying Fairey Swordfish for scrapping after VE Day; squadron morale. Aspects of period as test pilot with Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1945-1947: degree of instruction received on aircraft; pattern of training as test pilot at Royal Naval Air Station Worthy Down; appointment to Flight Test Section at HMS Blackcap, Royal Naval Air Station Stretton; state of De Havilland Mosquitoes leased to Americans; opinion of De Havilland Mosquito Mk 225; opinion of Fairey Barracuda; memories of David Attenborough; decision to stay in Fleet Air Arm; hospitalisation for damage to ear. Aspects of period on instructor course with Central Flying School at RAF Little Rissington in GB 1947: appointment to course; flying Avro Lancaster; pattern of training as instructor. REEL 5 Continues: Aspects of period as instructor with Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1947-1950: converting to jet aircraft; instructional duties; offers of permanent commissions; incident of instructor having to bail out; failure of pilots; prior recollection of road accident at Royal Naval Air Station Worthy Down; flying clothing worn. Aspects of period as batsman aboard HMS Indomitable in GB coastal waters, 1950-1951: attending batsman and deck officers course prior to initial appointment to HMS Vengeance; appointment to HMS Indomitable; squadrons on board and accidents; character of Blackburn Firebrand; deck landing accident in Fairey Sea Fury; rescue facilities; duties as batsman. REEL 6 Continues: conditions for aircrew on board; opinion of ship's captain; problems landing on and trials for angle decks. Aspects of period as helicopter instructor with 705 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1952-1954: reaction to appointment to Examining Wing, RAF; helicopter training with 705 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm; character of Westland Dragonfly; emergency landing during first solo flight; attitude of RAF and Royal Navy to helicopters; rescue work during floods in Netherlands, 1953; landing accident during rescue work. REEL 7 Continues: problems instructing pupils who had taken part in rescue work; further details of rescue work. Aspects of operations as pilot with 848 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in Malaya, 1954-1955: background to move to Singapore; problems of fuel consumption on Sikorsky S 55 helicopter; reasons for receiving adverse report; nature of jungle operations; flight in inexperienced Air Arm Corps pilot; story of extraction of downed helicopter. Aspects of period as pilot with 845 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in GB and during Suez Crisis, 1956-1957: appointment to squadron; improvements in Sikorsky S 55; nature of sonar exercises. REEL 8 Continues: visit to Hamburg; helicopters built in GB under licence; preparations for Suez operation; reconnaissance flight to find suitable landing place; damage to helicopter from ground fire; attitude to return to GB. Aspects of period with Trials Unit, Fleet Air Arm in GB and US, 1957-1958: nature of work; assessment of automatic night flying equipment in US; appointment as test pilot to Westland; flying Westland Sea King; background to leaving Fleet Air Arm, 1958.