Description
Object description
British officer cadet trained with RAF in GB and Canada, 1956-1958; officer served on 67 Canadian Simulation Course at RAF Valley, GB, 1958-1959; served as pilot with 24th Commonwealth Squadron, RAF in GB, 1959-1961; served with Support Development Flight, Transport Command, RAF at RAF Abingdon in GB, 1961-1962; served as student on Armstrong Whitworth Argosy Conversion Course at RAF Benson, 1962-1963; served as pilot with 215 Squadron, RAF at RAF Changi, Singapore, 1963-1965; student with Central Flying School at RAF Little Rissington in GB, 1965; served as flying instructor at RAF Oakington in GB, 1966-1967; served as examiner with Transport Wing, RAF at RAF Benson in GB, 1967-1969; student with RAF Staff College at Bracknell in GB, 1970; served as staff officer with Ministry of Aviation Supply at Ministry of Defence in London, GB, 1971-1973; commanded 36 Sqdn, RAF in GB, 1973-1975; student on Air Warfare Course at RAF Cranwell in GB, 1976; served as staff officer with Directorate of Air Staff Briefing in Ministry of Defence in London, GB, 1976-1977; served as station commander and deputy commander of Queen's Flight at RAF Benson in GB, 1977-1978; student with University of South California in US and at Cambridge University in GB, 1979-1980; served as Director of Department of Air Warfare at RAF College, Cranwell in GB, 1980-1981; served as Director of Air Staff Briefing in Ministry of Defence, London, GB, 1981-1982; served as Head of Public Relations for RAF at Ministry of Defence in London, GB, 1982-1984; civilian with British Aerospace in GB and US, 1984-1986; civilian employee with Royal Military College, Shrivenham in GB, 1986-2000
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Northampton area, GB, 1936-1956: family; incident of German bombing of small town; use of shelters; attitude towards war; father's work in aircraft factory; wartime disruption of education; reasons for family move; effects of post-war rationing; social life; membership of Army Cadets; reasons for deferment of National Service. Aspects of enlistment and training as officer cadet with RAF in GB, 1956: allocation to aircrew selection with RAF; father's reaction to his allocation to aircrew.
REEL 2 Continues: flights in Vickers Varsity; reporting to RAF Hornchurch for aircrew selection, 11/1956; selection process; reaction to qualifying for pilot training; issue of kit at RAF Cardington including how to wear beret; cleaning boots; start of officer training at RAF Kirton-on-Lindsay, late 1956; format for military writing; cadets who had problems marching; allocation to 101 Sqdn; opinion of commanding officer; origins of recruits; daily routine; lack of cars amongst cadets.
REEL 3 Continues: selection for NATO training scheme in Canada. Aspects of flying training with RAF in Canada, 1957-1958: move to Canada, 2/1957; joining Course 1957/02 at London, Ontario; distinctions between different NATO cadets; accommodation; effects of not flying until Canada; character of flying training on De Havilland Chipmunk; instrument flying; air awareness; soloing; use of Link Trainer; language problems for NATO colleagues; course bonding; vices of North American Harvard; pattern of training on North American Harvard; question of number of fatalities on training courses and on services during 1950s.
REEL 4 Continues: cadet who volunteered to withdraw from course; instrument training in North American Harvard; flying disorientation; engine failure training; simulated flapless landings; navigational exercises; formation flying; character of flying instructors who came straight off flying training courses.
REEL 5 Continues: character of Canadair T-33 Silver Star training aircraft; duration of jet course; use of flight simulator; presentation of wings, 7/1958; wearing Royal Canadian Air Force uniform; instructional duties on flight simulator in Canada. Aspects of flying training with 67 Canadian Simulation Course at RAF Valley, GB, 1958-1959: character of De Havilland Vampire; duration of training flights; question of training being behind that received in Canada.
REEL 6 Continues: story of fellow pilot being killed bailing out of De Havilland Vampire, 12/1958; description of canopy restraint lanyard; comparison between navigation in Canada and GB; selection interview for squadron service. Aspects of period as co-pilot with 24th (Commonwealth) Squadron, RAF in GB, 1959-1961: advantages of joining RAF Transport Command; character of squadron; types of squadron trips made; para-dropping operations; problems loading Handley Page Hastings; character of Handley Page Hastings; opinion of Blackburn Beverley and Vickers Valetta; signalling and navigation in Handley Page Hastings; VIP aircraft on squadron; crew facilities on board Handley Page Hastings; reliability of engines and hydraulic systems; stories illustrating time taken to wait for spares.
REEL 7 Continues: character and role of Handley Page Hastings including supply dropping and trooping; long range flights; problems of serviceability with RAF transport aircraft; degree of awareness of size of spares problems; character of squadron personnel; memories of David Barnes; special duties of his crew. Aspects of period as pilot with Support Development Flight, Transport Command, RAF at RAF Abingdon in GB, 1961-1962: reasons for his crew joining flight; method of dropping supplies; role of air despatchers.
REEL 8 Continues: supply and parachute dropping training flights; pattern of duties with Support Development Flight; taking photographs. Aspects of period on Armstrong Whitworth Argosy Course at RAF Benson, 1962-1963: joining course 10/1962; attitude to flying in aircraft after Handley Page Hastings; visit to Armstrong Whitworth factory; winter conditions at RAF Benson, 1962-1963; move to Malta; problems with controls caused by icing and method of dealing with it; description of Armstrong Whitworth Argosy.
REEL 9 Continues: question of using British built aircraft; method of braking and reversing in Armstrong Whitworth Argosy; pilots attitude to flying Armstrong Whitworth Argosy. Recollections of period as pilot with 215 Sqdn, RAF during Indonesian Confrontation, 1963-1965: move to RAF Changi Singapore, 1963; initial problems of establishing role on arrival; description of RAF Changi; method of finding accommodation; acquiring uniforms and bush jackets; opinion of issued clothing; relations with civilians; signals role of Royal Malay Regiment; background to appointment to training role.
REEL 10 Continues: reconnaissance of supply dropping zones in Borneo; problems with Armstrong Whitworth Argosy during supply drops in mountain valleys; method of overcoming problem of supply drops in aircraft; character of supply dropping zones in jungle; operational bases in Borneo; navigational problems; effects of weather on supply drop missions; amusing incident of blowing grass hut down in Royal Marine base; character of jungle drop zones; method of dropping supplies to Royal Marines in jungle; receiving escort from Gloster Javelins; technique of dropping large load in single drop; incident of squadron aircraft's dinghy becoming loose in flight.
REEL 11 Continues: system for dropping containers from aircraft; incident when door of his aircraft was damaged during container drop; story of occasion when he landed his aircraft during thunderstorm and poor visibility; his crew; question of suitability of Armstrong Whitworth Argosy for supply drop missions; opinion of Denis Healey's role as Defence Secretary during Confrontation; importance of having own squadron ground crew; attitude to leaving squadron, 1965. Aspects of period as student with Central Flying School at RAF Little Rissington in GB, 1965: background to posting; jet refresher training prior to course; question of volunteering for course; allocation to multi-engined instructor course; importance of understanding process of flying and attitude to period at Central Flying School.
REEL 12 Continues: Aspects of period as instructor at RAF Oakington in GB, 1966-1967: start of instructional duties at RAF Oakington; handling students; promotion. Recollections of period as examiner with Transport Wing, RAF at RAF Benson, 1967-1969: training duties on return to RAF Benson; question of ability of some pilots; dealing with below average pilots; test flying Armstrong Whitworth Argosy; organising Battle of Britain Day celebrations; background to posting as student to RAF Staff College at Bracknell, 1970.
REEL 13 Continues: description of categorisation of pilots; use of flying simulator; system of assessing pilots as examiner; degree to which flying simulators can be used to train pilots; question of who examines examiners; question of unsuitability of some pilots for transport duties; problems in dealing with experienced pilots; support received from station commander.
REEL 14 Continues: question of promotion in RAF; attitude of some of pilots removed from flying duties and their subsequent career moves; squadrons based at RAF Benson; examining duties in Middle East; reassignment of one eyed pilot to flying duties; description of RAF Benson; use of RAF Benson to repatriate VIPs who had died overseas; presence of Queen's Flight at RAF Benson; question of suitability of RAF Benson for landing Armstrong Whitworth Argosy; re-iteration of organisation of Battle of Britain Day celebrations. Aspects of period as student with RAF Staff College at Bracknell in GB, 1970: attitude to posting to staff college.
REEL 15 Continues: character of students on course; presence of Commonwealth and American air force personnel on course; description of organisation of course; visits to Royal Naval College at Greenwich; character of Americans on course; commandants of college; question of roles of students on leaving course. Recollections of period as staff officer with Ministry of Aviation Supply at Ministry of Defence in London, GB, 1971-1972: attitude towards selection as personal staff officer in ministry, 1/1971.
REEL 16 Continues: selection interview; duties as personal staff officer including monitoring telephone calls; description of responsibilities to Air Vice Marshal Peter Fletcher; character of British aviation industry; daily routine.
REEL 17 Continues: question of cancellation of Concorde programme; problems of working on multi-national aviation programmes; quality of civil servants working on aviation programmes; character of Air Vice Sir Marshal Peter Fletcher; relations Air Vice Marshal Peter Fletcher had with aviation industry.
REEL 18 Continues: importance of personal relationships at high level of industry; lessons learnt from role; story illustrating Air Vice Marshal Sir Peter Fletcher's methodology.
REEL 19 Continues: problems of lack of standardisation with NATO forces; reasons for looking for collaborative projects with European partners; origins of joint programmes for BAC Jaquar and Sepecat Tornado; complication with collaborative programmes; Air Vice Marshal Sir Peter Fletcher's responsibilities for aircraft testing; involvement in commercial aviation projects; Air Vice Marshal Sir Peter Fletcher's dealing with commercial aviation companies.
REEL 20 Continues: strength of American aviation industry in contrast with British; problems of selling more expensive British aircraft in world market; need for government support to aviation industry; question of political dimension in procurement of military equipment; procurement role of Ministry of Defence.
REEL 21 Continues: Recollections of period commanding 36 Sqdn, RAF in GB, 1973-1975: joining Lockheed C130 Hercules conversion course at RAF Thorney Island, 1/1973; characteristics of Lockheed C130 Hercules; limitations of Lockheed C130 Hercules; removal of radar from Lockheed C130 Hercules; adaptations to Lockheed C130 Hercules; character of conversion course; taking command of squadron; crew composition.
REEL 22 Continues: problems of meeting his squadron members due to operational requirements; levels of standby; worldwide scope of flights; types of cargo carried; flying nuclear material from US to GB; role of squadron; air support flights; effects of lack of radar in aircraft; work with Joint Air Transport Force; opinion of air traffic controller Leslie Cook; night drops; tasking to train of crews operating with Special Forces.
REEL 23 Continues: role of Special Forces crews; question of discipline needed by Special Forces crews; training Special Forces crews for night operations; incident of co-pilot who lost his nerve during engine failure prior to landing at Trondheim; attitude to commanding squadron; relations with station staff; role of commanding officer including social aspects; reaction of pilots after decision to cut number of crews.
REEL 24 Continues: question of career watershed after commanding squadron; dealing with prospect of non-flying role; opinion of station commander; character of his flight commanders; dealing with flight engineer who needed further training; degree of control over promotion; closed nature of RAF society; question of personnel who did not fit into the system.
REEL 25 Continues: Aspects of period as student on Air Warfare Course at RAF Cranwell in GB, 1976: origins of course; reasons for six month courses; pattern of syllabus; tour of NATO bases; question of measuring effectiveness of course; use of invented countries in scenarios; challenging nature of course; question of next posting; importance of inter-service college courses.
REEL 26 Continues: pushing of tri-service approach. Aspects of period as staff officer with Directorate of Air Staff Briefing in Ministry of Defence in London, GB, 1976-1977: description of role of directorate; gaining understanding of workings of ministry; question of complex nature of system; method of dealing with refurbishment of BAe Nimrod.
REEL 27 Continues: organisation of briefings; question of number of support staff to pilots in RAF. Recollections of period as station commander and deputy commander of Queen's Flight at RAF Benson in GB, 1977-1978: duel role and duties; origins of Queen's Flight; structure and size of Queen's Flight; nature of regime on Queen's Flight; allocation of pilots to individual members of royal family; rules of operating aircraft and times when aircraft would be used.
REEL 28 Continues: allocation of crews for royal flights; reconnaissance flights to check landing sites; participation in royal flights; amusing story of participating in Princess Anne's visit to Bristol; question of use of local pilots; reconnaissance flight for royal visit to Soloman Islands; accompanying Prince of Wales on Brazil and Caribbean trip; story of visiting Africa with Prince of Wales; Princess Margaret's opinion of new seats in aircraft.
REEL 29 Continues: flight to Australia at time of funeral of Sir Robert McKenzie; responsibilities of role; opinion of Royal Family's use of Queen's Flight.
REEL 30 Continues: limitations of RAF Benson; question of moving Queen's Flight to RAF Northolt; facilities at RAF Benson; attitude of signal personnel and civil servants move from RAF Medmenham to RAF Benson; role and equipment of Air Transport Mobile Catering Support unit; responsibilities for motor transport section of RAF Cranwell; other roles of station; problems with lack of funding at RAF Benson.
REEL 31 Continues: refurbishment of station; question of not being able to get permission to knock Morrison Club building down; role of station warrant officer; story of removal of Morrison Club building; role of station in repatriation of dead members of royal family; facility for dealing with visiting dignitaries; character of RAF Support Command Headquarters on station; his refusal to spend budget on RAF Support Command Headquarters rather than station.
REEL 32 Continues: problems of maintaining facilities on station including grass cutting; disposal of furniture; role of station as national fuel point; providing volunteers during national fireman's strike; disciplinary role; relations with local civilians; charity activities; story of visit by Australian who had served on station during Second World War; station morale; station padres and medical officers.
REEL 33 Continues: question of strike breaking activities during national fireman's strike; ties with community; presence of women personnel on station; effect of attempted suicide of female section officer; use of WAAF driver; question of woman's role in RAF; commanding officer's station inspections; description of a typical inspection of air traffic control.
REEL 34 Continues: question of use of management by walking around; involvement in project planning; station commander's budget; uses of commanding officer's fund; handing over command of station; farewell dinner; offer of university sabbatical;
REEL 35 Continues: interview of university sabbatical (short reel).
REEL 36 Continues: Recollections of period as student with University of South California in US and at Cambridge University in GB, 1979-1980: background to sending officers to university; role of university graduates in RAF; concept of special defence fellowship and how it was funded; mentoring of students; starting course at University of South California.
REEL 37 Continues: arrival in US; making contacts with American military; method of American defence procurement; question of how threats were dealt with in RAF; situation in NATO, 1/1979; question of rationalisation within NATO; nature of contacts in US.
REEL 38 Continues: character of Los Angeles; arrival at University of South California and organisation of course; lecturing on defence issues; degree to which he had access to military system in US; role of defence lobbyists in US; need to understand American political system; character of American defence industry.
REEL 39 Continues: degree of political/industrial/military integration in American defence industry; contrast between British and American systems; attending lobbyist meeting in Washington DC; character of American lobby system; nature of lobbying system in GB.
REEL 40 Continues: work carried out at Cambridge University; contrast between British and French defence industries; contrast between British and French attitudes to provision of spares for BAC Jaguar; question of status of engineers in GB; importance of period in US; character of US academics he met and contrast with British academics; strengths of British system.
REEL 41 Continues: financial arrangements at Cambridge University. Recollections of period as Director of Department of Air Warfare at RAF College, Cranwell in GB, 1980-1981: origins of Department of Air Warfare; character of courses and instructors; degree of security needed on course; nature of special security relationship between GB and US; role of staff navigators; question of supervision of flying operations by officers who had no experience on aircraft type and need for course.
REEL 42 Continues: provision of senior officer briefing teams; relations with main college; accommodation for course and problems with sound proofing; size and duration of course; visits to various air headquarters; opinion of Apache helicopter; driving tank at Bovington Camp; question of financial costs of visits weighed against experience.
REEL 43 Continues: benefits of short courses for career officers; divisions of NATO boundaries during 1980s; question of how situation has changed after fall of Soviet Union over potential operational areas; question of unsuitability of military equipment at time of Gulf War, 1992; how military equipment was tailored to meet threat of Warsaw Pact prior to 1991; question of political nature of military expenditure; opinion of one of his instructors.
REEL 44 Continues: support for course received from senior officers. Recollections of period as Director of Air Staff Briefing in Ministry of Defence, London, GB, 1981-1982: reaction to appointment to role, 3/1981; unusual nature of his appointment; location of his office; role and duties; green ink used by Chief of Air Staff; memories of Bernard Small; size and composition of his team.
REEL 45 Continues: origins of Ministry of Defence; description of composition of defence council; use of smaller committees; character of Air Marshal Sir Michael Beetham; working relations with Vice Marshal David Craig.
REEL 46 Continues: dealing with Chiefs of Defence Staff; relations between Chiefs of Staff; incident when three Chiefs of Staff went to see Prime Minister; relations between briefers; types of issues dealt with.
REEL 47 Continues: issues dealt with; character of Ministry of Defence; opinion of structure of Ministry of Defence; Recollections of period as Head of Public Relations for RAF at Ministry of Defence in London, GB, 1982-1984: background to appointment, 3/1982; attitude towards appointment.
REEL 48 Continues: running courses; structure of department; responsibilities for RAF News; lack of television cameras and photographers; production of RAF promotional films; opinion of Royal Navy's public relations; dealing with film production of 'Local Hero'; production of television series 'Fighter Pilot'; market research commissioned.
REEL 49 Continues: television projects; dealing with requests; working with journalists; dealing with story relating to espionage; story of taking journalist to staff college.
REEL 50 Continues: memories of journalist Derek Wood; dealing with loss of first RAF Sepecat Tornado aircraft; problems of dealing with journalists; awareness of the situation in Falkland Islands prior to Argentinean invasion; decision to send Task Force.
REEL 51 Continues: question of Ministry of Defence's attitude to sending limited number of journalists to South Atlantic; problems of journalists getting to Falkland Islands and lack of satellites; question of experience of journalists sent with Task Force; problems with press coverage of conflict; opinion of quality of journalists sent to Falkland Islands; memories of Ministry of Defence spokesperson Ian MacDonald; tri-service approach taken in Ministry of Defence during Falklands War, 1982.
REEL 52 Continues: question of journalists' access to Argentinean sources of information; use of D notices; relations with editors and journalists; question of problems with informed journalistic speculation; approach taken to information supplied about Avro Vulcan bombing of Stanley airfield; assessment of public relations/communications during Falklands War; question of degree of access given to journalists.
REEL 53 Continues: dealing with complaints about low flying aircraft and aircraft crashes; relations with public; various roles of public relations department; organisation of briefings to journalists; attitude of journalists to general briefings; degree to which journalists were informed about aircraft; choice of Daily Mail feature writer to make first flight in back seat of aircraft; character of defence correspondents; defence correspondents' cocktail party.
REEL 54 Continues: organisation of public relations system; question of dealing with road accident involving nuclear weapons; use of reserve RAF officers during exercises; opinion of relations with journalists during Falklands War; need to inform next of kin of deaths prior to journalists; question of censorship and journalists leaking information; importance of Falklands War to understanding relations /communications with press.
REEL 55 Continues: press conference with RAF personnel who were repatriated after capture during invasion of Falklands Islands, 1982; use of tri-service briefing team; importance of embedded journalists; opinion of role of journalists in Afghanistan; question of how Falklands War was a watershed for military/press relations; question of future career and attitude towards Ministry of Defence; decision to leave RAF and join British Aerospace; process of leaving RAF.
REEL 56 Continues: farewell party on leaving RAF; attitude towards leaving RAF and Ministry of Defence. Recollections of period as civilian with British Aerospace in GB and US, 1984-1986: joining company at Hatfield; development programmes for air to air missiles; joint British and Germany company developing air to air missile; description of data pack; his company role in Washington DC; wide dispersal of development programme in US; nature of American industrial/military development programmes.
REEL 57 Continues: role of Congress in military procurement; relations with British Embassy; respect of Americans for European and Canadian contribution to development programme; early morning starts; American attitude towards European holidays; question of authorisation needed from US State Department; difficulty of comparing British, German and American defence industries.
REEL 58 Continues: working with Germans; character of American defence procurement in comparison with British system; complexity of multi-national projects; question of cancellation of defence projects; applying to Royal Military College, Shrivenham.
REEL 59 Continues: character of interview. Recollections of period as civilian with Royal Military College, Shrivenham in GB, 1986-2000: origins of college; nature of courses and programmes at Shrivenham; organisation of college; character of vice chancellor.
REEL 60 Continues: role as Head of Defence Procurement Group; lack of electronic training records; setting up of procurement training programme; lack of understanding of personal computers within college; degree of understanding; taking over as Dean of Continuing Education; background to setting up School of Defence Management; duties with school; investment in college.
REEL 61 Continues: question of college making a profit and interference by retired officers; subsidised college facilities; dress style of some officers; attitude to time with college; reasons for leaving job, 2000.