Description
Object description
British naval cadet with Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, 1968-1972; officer served as diving officer with Minesweeper Sqdn and HMS Tiger in GB coastal waters and Mediterranean, 1972-1974; trained as pilot with Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1975-1976; served as helicopter pilot with Devonshire Flight aboard HMS Devonshire in GB coastal waters and West Indies, 1976-1978; served as helicopter pilot with 814 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Hermes and HMS Bulwark in GB coastal waters and North Atlantic, 1978-1979; served with 706 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1979-1980; commanded 824 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in GB, 7/1981-3/1982 and aboard RFA Olmeda in South Atlantic during Falklands War, 4/1982-6/1982
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Gold Coast and GB, 1950-1968: family; education. Aspects of training as cadet with Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, GB, 1968-1972: background to enlistment in Royal Navy, 1968; pattern of training; flying familiarisation course; attitude to sea service; engineering courses; attitude towards final year of courses; learning French on six month course. Aspects of period as diving officer with Minesweeper Sqdn and aboard HMS Tiger in GB coastal waters and Mediterranean, 1972-1974: joining minesweeper squadron; appointment to HMS Tiger; story of dealing with trapped diver in Portsmouth Harbour. Aspects of flying training with Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1975-1976: selection for flying training; start of training; reasons for preference for helicopter flying.
REEL 2 Continues: start of helicopter conversion course of Westland Gazelle at HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, 10/1975; description of flying helicopters; options for helicopter pilots at end of course; contrast between active and passive sonar; character of Westland Wessex HAS.3; converting to Westland Wessex with 737 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm. Aspects of period as second pilot with Devonshire Flight, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Devonshire in GB coastal waters and West Indies, 1976-1978: appointment to ship, 12/1976; crash of helicopter and loss of flight commander on board HMS Devonshire on arrival, 1/1977; duties in West Indies; story of forced landing of helicopter during flypast in Solent, 7/1978; outcome of court martial following incident.
REEL 3 Continues: Aspects of period as pilot with 814 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Hermes and HMS Bulwark in GB coastal waters and North Atlantic, 1978-1979: appointment to squadron; method of using Sonabuoys to detect submarines; tracking Soviet Navy submarines; transfer to HMS Bulwark; fire on board HMS Bulwark, 15/3/1979; qualifying as first pilot. Aspects of period as helicopter pilot with 706 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1979-1981: conversion to Westland Sea King; duties as staff pilot; landing helicopters on ships during day and night-time. Aspects of period commanding 824 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in GB coastal waters, 7/1981-3/1982: organisation of squadron; opinion of squadron on arrival, 7/1981; exercise to simulate terrorist taking over oil rig in North Sea, 12/1981; coastal patrols off Northern Ireland; story of landing troops during counter-terrorist operation.
REEL 4 Continues: Recollections of operations commanding 824 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard RFA Olmeda during Falklands War, 4/1982-6/1982: rapid preparations for deployment, 4/1982; character of RFA Olmeda; training on route to Accession Island; awareness of Argentinean forces; repacking ships off Accession Island; use of shadowing Soviet Navy submarine for training; supply of fresh eggs; accidents during anti-submarine operations on route for Falkland Islands; problem with helicopter landings on RFA Olmeda at night; confusion after sinking of HMS Sheffield; evacuating casualties from HMS Sheffield; move ashore to San Carlos; transporting water from San Carlos to positions on hills.
REEL 5 Continues: obtaining better rations and accommodation; activities on hearing air raid warning; incident of being fired on by Argentinean aircraft; re-embarkation aboard RFA Olmeda; preparations for retaking of South Sandwich Islands, 6/1982; modification of Westland Sea King to carry Royal Marines; landing first Royal Marines in blizzard conditions on South Thule, South Sandwich Islands, 20/6/1982; proximity of radio mast to helicopter landing area, 20/6/1982; return to GB and briefing Westland Helicopters company board on Falkland War operations; return to Falkland Islands, summer 1982; mining of Falkland Islands by Argentineans. Aspects of period as officer with Fleet Air Arm in GB, North Atlantic and Gulf, 1983-2005: character of Westland Lynx; appointment to HMS Broadsword for second tour of South Atlantic; leaving HMS Broadsword, 1985; taking command of HMS Scylla.
REEL 6 Continues: duties as senior naval commander aboard RFA Argus during Gulf War, 1991; naval personnel on board; experimental work with night goggles; preparations for active role; importance of provision of medical teams; attitude to staff appointment with Admiralty, Ministry of Defence, London; start of intelligence planning work, 1994; extension of appointment; producing intelligence reports to Chiefs of Staff; three sources of intelligence; question of validity of intelligence report produced at start of Iraq War, 2003; leaving Royal Navy, 2005.