Description
Object description
British aircraftman and officer served with Royal Air Force in GB, US and Canada, 1941-1943; officer served as bomb aimer with 103 Sqdn Royal Air Force in GB, 1943; POW in Stalag Luft III Sagan, Germany, 1943-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Lincolnshire, GB, 1921-1941: civilian work; awareness of approaching war; story of IRA bomb in Birmingham; outbreak of war; issue of gas masks; false air raid alarm; civilian work; air activity; army medical and interview, 1939; change to reserved occupation status; process of joining Royal Air Force including desire to become navigator and role initially given; further details of civilian work. Aspects of period as aircraftman with Royal Air Force in GB, 9/1941-4/1942: posting to Lord's Cricket Ground; accommodation; supply of meals; details of recruits; posting as pilot; accommodation and fellow recruits at St Andrews; background to posting in US; initial pilot training in Perth; details of voyage to Canada aboard SS Banfora.
REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of period as aircraftman with Royal Air Force in US and Canada, 4/1942-12/1942: story of using latrine in Moncton; journey to Turner Field in Albany; organisation of training; physical training; story of accident; posting to Darr Aero-tech in Albany; details of staff; medical; learning to fly Boeing-Stearman Model 75 Kaydet; story of aircraftman thrown from plane; story of test with flight commander and departure from course; leave in Atlanta; interview and wait for re-posting in Trenton, Ontario; relationship with civilians; pattern of training at Paulson and London; story of promotion to sergeant and commissioning; activities before embarkation; conditions and activities during voyage to GB aboard SS Andes. Aspects of period as officer with Royal Air Force in GB, 1/1943-7/1943: leave.
REEL 3 Continues: posting at Castle Donington and formation of crew; story of parade and subsequent dinner. Aspects of operations as officer with 103 Sqdn Bomber Command Royal Air Force in GB, 7/1943-8/1943: posting at RAF Elsham Wolds; tests being undertaken at airfield including window or chaff radar countermeasure; organisation of bombing raids including briefings; flight meal including problems with flatulence during raids; possibility of flights being cancelled; clothing worn by Avro Lancaster crew; fears before raids; activities before and boarding of plane; final preparations for flight; opinion of US airmen; segregation in US including reaction.
REEL 4 Continues: discipline and punishments in US; relationship with American airmen including leave in Atlanta; relationship with Canadian civilians; attitude to war in US; preparations for first bombing raid; boarding of aircraft; duties before takeoff; morale among crew; details of takeoff and bomb load; knowledge of target; scenes after takeoff; description of bombing raid to Hamburg including use of window, dropping of bombs and story of fainting; reactions after raid; need for accuracy; release of bombs.
REEL 5 Continues: conditions and atmosphere in Avro Lancaster; description of raid on Essen including near collision with another Avro Lancaster; problems with engine during raid on Hamburg; details of raids on Hamburg; leave in Boston; problems with weather during raid on Hamburg; details of raid on Turin including lights in Europe and opposition faced; description of briefing and raid on military installation, 17/8/1943; rations and activities on return journey including changes to dropping of window; details of raids and leave; description of raid on Leverkusen; news of raid on Berlin; story of fire in another Avro Lancaster on runway including details of subsequent raid on Berlin.
REEL 6 Continues: gaining of home leave; story of awarding of Distinguished Flying Cross to Avro Lancaster; story of train journey home; story of premonition during visit to Scunthorpe; briefing for raid on Nuremburg; story of German Jew from Nuremburg's premonition; problems with engine en route to Nuremburg and reasons for not turning back; attack from German fighter plane and subsequent fire onboard; extinguishing of fire and resulting situation; dropping of bombs and second fighter attack; results of attack; exit from Avro Lancaster; description of parachute jump and landing including parachute training; flying suit worn; activities and thoughts after landing; contents of escape kit; footwear; walk away from landing site including fall into manure; story of capture. Aspects of period as POW in transit, 8/1943: march away from site of capture; reception from civilians.
REEL 7 Continues: scenes and events in pub; earlier period in farmhouse including rations and latrines; talk in pub with schoolboy in French; treatment given to pilot; scenes during drive to jail; description of jail; period in cells; journey via Nuremburg to Frankfurt; details of interrogation; train journey to POW Camp. Aspects of period as POW in Stalag Luft III Sagan, 1943-1945: arrival in camp and reunion with former colleagues, 8/1943; further details of train journey to Stalag Luft III; details of camp; opinion of 1963 film The Great Escape; memories of fellow POWs; organisation of camp; talk from senior British officer; discovery and destruction of Tom tunnel; later use of Tom tunnel; involvement with protecting Harry tunnel including description and bribery of guards.
REEL 8 Continues: movement to and details of satellite camp; role in camp; accommodation including relationship with fellow POWs; use of empty tins from Red Cross parcels including story of suitcase; mail; organisation within accommodation; sources of news; story of book run on date of invasion; news of D-Day.
