Brindley, Bill (Oral history)

British pilot flying Tempest V and Vampire I and V with 3 Sqdn, RAF in Germany, 1946-1950

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Cambridge, 1924-1943: family background and social circumstances; education; view of aerial fighting during Battle of Britain, 1940; question of German air raids; Anderson shelter; question of rationing; work as laboratory assistant working on dehydration of cabbages, 1940-1943; training with Air Cadets; fire watching; question of interest in aviation; background to call up to join RAF, 10/1943. Kitting out and medical at Bedford, 10/1943. Period at Initial Training Wing, Newquay, 1943: navigation; aircraft recognition; drill and route marches. Period at Heaton Park, Manchester, 1943. Conditions during voyage aboard Canberra to Durban, South Africa, 1944. Period in holding camps at Durban and Bulaweyo, Rhodesia, 1944. Recollections of flying training on Cornell with 26 Elementary Flying Training School, RAF, Guinea Fowl, Gwelo, Rhodesia, 6/1944-9/1944: opinion of Cornell; prior assessment course on Tiger Moth with 7 Elementary Flying Training School, RAF, Derford,, 9/1943-10/1943; techniques of flying including turns, rolls, loop and spinning, taking off, landing, stall turns and forced landings. REEL 2 Continues: opinion of flying instructors; instrument and night flying; cross country flights and navigation. Period flying Harvard I and V at 22 Service Flying Training School, RAF, Thornhill, Rhodesia, 9/1944-3/1945: opinion of Harvard I and problem with ground loops; opinion of Harvard V; conditions of service; formation flying; use of camera gun in mock dogfights; enjoyment of flying; assessment and award of wings as sergeant pilot. Recollection of period flying Thunderbolt with 73 Operational Training Unit, RAF, Fayed, Egypt, 4/1945-7/1945: flight out in Dakota; nature of Thunderbolt; dangers of high altitude flights; flying kit; tactical formations; firing at ground targets. REEL 3 Continues: dive bombing practice; use of gyro gun sights for deflection shooting; VE Day, 8/5/1945; passing course, 7/1945; GB leave. Recollections of period flying Tempest V and Typhoon at 56 Operational Training Unit, RAF, Wooller area, 8/1945-1/1946: reaction to VJ Day, 15/8/1945; nature of Tempest V and Typhoon; low level strafing role; 20mm cannon, 60pdr rocket and 250pdr bomb armament; assessment. Recollections of period as sergeant pilot flying Tempest V and Vampire I and V with 3 Sqdn, RAF at Fassburg, Wunsdorf, Gatow, Berlin and Gutersloh, Germany, 1946-1950: reception as sergeant pilot, 1/1946; conditions of service; reconnaissance flight; airfield direction finders; practice flights; memories of Squadron Leader Bruce Cole; sergeants' mess and drinking habits; relationship with officer pilots; restrictions on flights caused by fuel shortage; unit role; move to Wunsdorf and nature of runway. REEL 4 Continues: detachment to Gatow airfield, Berlin; state of city; cold weather; removal of Lord Brandon as Commander in Chief; recreational facilities; contacts with Soviet personnel; question of Soviet threat and move of unit to Gutersloh, 1948; absence of role during Berlin airlift, 1948; nature of Vampire I and V; opinion of Spitfire XVI flown on gunnery instructor course; extensions of service and question of becoming regular; change in atmosphere within RAF; question of delay of demobilisation due to Korean War; leaving unit, 1950. Period at Full Sutton, 1950-1951: role training reserve pilots in flying Vampire I; demobilisation, 1951. Post-service career: career as airline pilot; membership of 3rd Sqdn, RAF Assoc.