Description
Object description
British cadet with RAF Cranwell in GB, 1936-1939; officer served with 105 Sqdn, RAF in GB, 1939; served as pilot with 5 Coastal Patrol Unit, RAF in GB, 1939-1940; served with 417 Flight RAF in GB and West Africa, 1940-1941; served with 48 Squadron, RAF in GB, 1941; served as instructor with 5 Coastal Operational Training Unit, RAF in GB, 1941-1943; served with 489 Sqdn, RAF in GB, 1943-1944; POW in Stalag Luft III, Sagan and Marlag and Milag Nord in Germany, 1944-1945; served as pupil and instructor on Empire Central Flying School at RAF Hullavington, GB, 1945-1947; served as instructor with Royal Naval College at Greenwich in GB, 1947-1949; served as officer with Headquarters at RAF Habbaniya in Iraq, 1950-1952; served as pupil on RAF Flying College Course at RAF Manby in GB, 1952-1953; served as staff officer with Coastal Command, RAF in London, GB, 1953-1955; served as instructor with Maritime Flying Unit at RAF Kinloss in GB, 1955-1958; served as officer with RAF Kuala Lumpur in Malaya, 1958-1959; served as station commander with RAF Seletar in Singapore, Malaysia, 1959-1961; served as station commander at RAF Tangmere in GB, 1961-1963; served as Director of Joint Anti-Submarine School and Senior Officer, Northern Ireland, RAF in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, 1963-1966; served as staff officer with Air Ministry in London, GB, 1966-1968
Content description
REEL 1 Background in GB, 1918-1936: family; education; early interest in aviation including site of R101 airships; sitting entrance examination for armed services, 1936. Aspects of period as cadet at RAF Cranwell in GB, 1936-1939: flying training on Avro Tutor; instruction on principles of war; character of RAF Cranwell; daily routine; question of reasons for not taking parades; punishment for low flying. Aspects of operations 105 Squadron, RAF in GB, 1939: posting to squadron at RAF Marham, 8/1939; reaction to joining peace time squadron; hearing declaration of war during drive to RAF St Athan for navigation course, 3/9/1939; navigational training.
REEL 2 Continues: loss of squadron on operations over Germany. Aspects of period as pilot with 5 Coastal Patrol Unit, RAF at St Eval in GB, 1939: posting to unit; becoming lost during first coastal patrol; allocation as second pilot; description of convoy escort duties; character of Avro Anson Mk 1. Aspects of period as pilot with 417 Flight, RAF in GB and West Africa, 1940-1941: posting to flight at RAF St Athan, 7/1940; voyage from GB to Freetown; Sierra Leone; proposed role of flight; duties with Royal Marines on board ship in Freetown harbour; return to GB via Gibraltar, 1/1941; disbandment of unit. Aspects of period as pilot with 48 Sqdn, RAF in GB, 1941: posting to squadron; question of Royal Navy's attitude towards RAF providing escorts; trips on submarine and anti-submarine trawler; posting to RAF Wick.
REEL 3 Continues: question of effectiveness of American instructors; character of Lockheed Hudson; leaving squadron, 11/1941. Aspects of period as instructor with 5 Coastal Operational Training Unit, RAF in GB, 1941-1943: posting to training flight at RAF St Eval; first flight of night; move to Scotland; posting to Central Flying School; posting to training position at RAF Turnberry character of Bristol Beaufort; posting to RAF Long Kesh in Northern Ireland; background to volunteering for join active service squadron. Aspects of operations as pilot with 489 Sqdn, RAF in GB, 1943-1944: posting to squadron at RAF Wick, 4/1943; role of squadron flying torpedo bombing operations; first operation on Norwegian coast; anti-submarine patrols; character of anti-shipping strikes on Norwegian coast; move to RAF Leuchers; conversion to Bristol Beaufighter; more to RAF Langholme, 5/1944; attack on German merchant ship; briefing prior to operations; taking off and forming up.
REEL 4 Continues: attacking target and return to base; story of being shot down during operation against convoy off Norwegian coast, 8/1944; inflating dinghy; loss of navigator; capture by Germans. Aspects of period as POW in Norway and Germany, 1944: journey to Oslo; treatment in German headquarters in Norway; contact with Norwegians; transfer to Denmark; treatment by Germans in Hamburg; interrogation in Dulag Luft, Oberursel. Aspects of period as POW in Stalag Luft III, Sagan, Germany, 1944-1945: arrival and reception in camp; reasons for lack of escape attempts; Red Cross parcels.
REEL 5 Continues: obtaining war news; exercise; morale amongst POWs; POW camp leadership; awareness of fate of Great Escapers; march away from camp, 1/1945. Aspects of period as POW in Marlag and Milag Nord in Germany, 1945: state of camp on arrival; march away from camp; liberation by British troops; opinion of behaviour of German guards; return to GB, 2/5/1945; death of brother in RAF. Aspects of period as pupil and instructor on Empire Central Flying School at RAF Hullavington, GB, 1945-1947: joining school.
REEL 6 Continues: character of school; instrument flying; daily routine; practising engine failures; types of aircraft flown; opinion of Avro Lancaster; background to joining course; instructional duties. Aspects of period as instructor with Royal Naval College, Greenwich in GB, 1947-1949: posting to college as instructor; character of college; instruction on Junior Officers War Course. Aspects of period as pupil at RAF Staff College, Andover in GB, 1949-1950: joining course; opinion of Supermarine Spitfire.
REEL 7 Continues: story illustrating 'maintenance of the aim'. Aspects of period as officer with Headquarters at RAF Habbaniya in Iraq, 1950-1952: posting to Iraq; accommodation; visits to RAF bases in Middle East; social activities; relations with Iraqi civilians. Aspects of period as pupil on RAF Flying College Course at RAF Manby in GB, 1952-1953: pattern of training; character of Gloster Meteor Mk IV; flight to Canada in Avro Lincoln; opinion of course; rescuing family from floods, 1953. Aspects of period as staff officer with RAF Coastal Command in GB, 1953-1955: reaction to posting to command.
REEL 8 Continues: responsibilities and duties; accommodation; degree of gunnery in command by 1953. Aspects of period as instructor with Maritime Flying Unit at RAF Kinloss in GB, 1955-1958: posting to airfield; character of RAF Kinloss; instructional duties; character of Avro Shackleton; role as chief flying instructor. Aspects of period as officer at RAF Kuala Lumpur in Malaya, 1958-1959: flight from GB to Malaya; role and duties; flying conditions in Far East. Aspects of period as station commander at RAF Seletar in Singapore, Malaysia, 1959-1961: character of airfield.
REEL 9 Continues: background to becoming station commander; Queen's Birthday parade on airfield; maintenance on airfield; food and uniform worn. Aspects of period as station commander at RAF Tangmere in GB, 1961-1963: character of airfield and accommodation; radar calibration role using English Electric Canberras; role flying recording missions over London; role of airfield as diversionary location; mess nights. Aspects of period as Director of Joint Anti-Submarine School and Senior Officer, Northern Ireland, RAF in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, 1963-1966: role and duties; anti-submarine tactics.
REEL 10 Continues: duties as Senior Officer Northern Ireland; situation in Northern Ireland during period. Aspects of period as staff officer with Air Ministry in London, GB, 1966-1968: appointment to ministry; character of work and attitude towards role; decision to leave RAF.