Description
Object description
British aircraftman served with Royal Air Force in GB, 1938-1939; served with Royal Air Force attached to 800 Naval Air Sqdn Fleet Air Arm in GB, Atlantic, Mediterranean and Norway, 1939-1940; NCO served with Royal Air Force attached to Fleet Air Arm in GB and North Africa, 1940-1942; attached to 826 Naval Air Sqdn Fleet Air Arm in North Africa and Palestine, 1942-1943; attached to 766 Naval Air Sqdn Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1943; served with 29 Sqdn Royal Air Force in GB and North West Europe, 1943-1944; served with 91 Sqdn Royal Air Force in GB, 1944-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Eastleigh and Shedfield, GB, 1920-1938: family and education; reasons for wanting to join Royal Air Force; civilian work; work of mother; memories of childhood in Eastleigh; knowledge of First World War; death of father; family; period in Shedfield including return visits; further details of education and discipline including while teacher after war; leisure activities; story of cooking turkeys in Alexandria, 12/1941; visits to RAF Worthy Down as child.
REEL 2 Continues: awareness of approaching war; joining of Royal Air Force in London. Aspects of period as aircraftman with Royal Air Force in GB, 7/1938- 5/1939: activities before posting to RAF Cardington; reception on arrival; pattern of training; preparation of kit for inspection; memories of Paddy Lang; choice of posting including other possibilities; posting at Eastchurch; details of armament training; details of synchronised firing mechanism in Fairey Swordfish; posting to School of Naval Cooperation at RAF Ford; bombs dropped on ranges; details of Fleet Air Arm; posting to 800 Squadron. Aspects of period as aircraftman with Royal Air Force attached to 800 Naval Air Sqdn Fleet Air Arm in GB, Atlantic, Mediterranean and Norway, 5/1939-11/1940: search for squadron at Devonport; journey to RAF Worthy Down; duties with Blackburn B-24 Skua; posting at Lympne; boarding of HMS Ark Royal; activities and exercises in Firth of Forth; story of accident; details of RAF Hatston including accommodation; outbreak of war.
REEL 3 Continues: loading of ammunition in aircraft; accommodation and supply of meals; relationship with civilians; standard of turnout for shore leave; details of voyage in North Sea including story of air attack; accommodation and sleeping arrangements; details of voyage to South Atlantic including stories of taking action stations; NAAFI; details of run to Sardinia including air attacks; arrival and bombing received at Gibraltar; accommodation; activities of squadron; duties; story of French airmen; refuelling in Rio de Janeiro including contact with Americans; Christmas 1939 in Freetown; shore leave in Cape Town; story of departure from Rio de Janeiro.
REEL 4 Continues: relationship with crew and other squadrons; leisure activities; story of day in Cape Town; sinking of burning German liner; sighting of British cruisers in South Atlantic; procedure in case of fire including story of fire in Y Hangar; fire hazards in hangars; question of concern during voyage; phosphorescent creatures and sea water; escort duties with convoy; stories of seasickness among colleagues; story of food poisoning from liver; scenes of night sky; details of HMS Ark Royal including landing procedure of aircraft and removal of cannons from Supermarine Spitfire Mk 21s; leisure activities onboard.
REEL 5 Continues: relationship with officers and NCOs; activities while stationed off Orkney Islands, 1940; opinion of Blackburn Skua; dealing with climate on Norwegian coast; German air activity including raids against HMS Ark Royal; filling of ammunition belts; transport of shells around ship; story of interview with adjutant about rum ration in South Atlantic; crossing the line ceremonies witnessed during service; knowledge of activities of squadron's planes; wounding of pilot Jack Hadley; reaction to leaving HMS Ark Royal; loss of knowledge during attachment to Fleet Air Arm including details of Blackburn Roc aircraft; period onboard HMS Ark Royal; posting to Lee-on- the-Solent. Aspects of period as NCO with Royal Air Force attached to Fleet Air Arm in GB and North Africa, 11/1940-8/1942: details of unit; posting gained at Eastleigh; meeting of wife; story of visit to Exeter and marriage; voyage to Egypt, 1941; disembarkation; conditions on train journey to Delta; posting gained in Alexandria Dockyard.
REEL 6 Continues: accommodation and daily routine; posting to Mex; smells from tannery; staff; armourer duties; accommodation; German and Italian attacks on Alexandria; reasons for evacuation to Ismailia and leisure activities in Alexandria including story of air raid; accommodation at Ismailia; story of visit to Port Tewfiq; attacks on servicemen; civilian workers in Egypt; posting to 826 Squadron. Aspects of operations as NCO with Royal Air Force attached to 826 Naval Air Sqdn Fleet Air Arm in North Africa and Palestine, 8/1942-3/1943: role of squadron and own duties including description of bombs; preparation of planes for raids; memories of artillery barrage at El Alamein; physical state during Battle of El Alamein including story of unusable bomb; relationship with pilots; climate including details of khamsin; details of air mail sent home; story of Blackburn Skua wreck off Norway.
REEL 7 Continues: morale; activities of squadron; details of journey to Palestine including description of sandstorm and care taken of rifles; story of knives gained in Palestine; problems with prickly pears and method of eating them; horse riding; description of local wedding attended; visit to Haifa; Bristol Bombay flight to Dekheila; knowledge of war; details of voyage to GB aboard SS Iles de France, 1943; posting to Lee-on-the- Solent; fruit brought back to GB; rations in North Africa; scenes around Benghazi; terrain in desert; story of dog adopted outside Benghazi.
REEL 8 Continues: plants at Cyrenaica; arrival of aircraft; story of journey to landing strip including night time air raid. Aspects of period as NCO with Royal Air Force attached to 766 Naval Air Sqdn Fleet Air Arm in GB, 7/1943-11/1943: posting at RNAS Inskip; activities of squadron; daily routine; story of accident involving dog; effects of old age. Aspects of period as NCO with 29 Sqdn Royal Air Force in GB and North West Europe, 11/1943-11/1944: attendance on cannon course; postings with squadron; voyage to Normandy; details of work with de Havilland Mosquito; story of accident; journey to and arrival in Louvain; story of visit into Louvain and relationship with civilians; details of posting in Amiens; posting to 91 Squadron; journey to RAF Manston. Aspects of period as NCO with 91 Sqdn Royal Air Force in GB, 11/1944-10/1945: leave; problems with removing cannons from Supermarine Spitfire Mk 21s; relationship between ground and air crews; discussion of women in air force and navy including stories of women at reunions; posting to RAF Ludham.
REEL 9 Continues: news of war's end and leave; period at Drem; demobilisation at Wembley; story of journey home on leave, 6/1944. Aspects of period as civilian in GB from 1945: teacher training and subsequent civilian work; background to voting Labour in 1945 General Election; atmosphere in GB after war including details of family home; reflections on modern world including United Nations; attitude to Germans and Italians; contact with German POW during leave, 1943; opinion of European Union.
