Carter, Eric (Oral history)

Sound: © IWM (33300)

1730320503
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1495083120
Order this sound recording under fair dealing

All Rights Reserved except for Fair Dealing exceptions otherwise permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.
1324989842
Order this sound recording under fair dealing

All Rights Reserved except for Fair Dealing exceptions otherwise permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.
258934248
Order this sound recording under fair dealing

All Rights Reserved except for Fair Dealing exceptions otherwise permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.
1323997710
Order this sound recording under fair dealing

All Rights Reserved except for Fair Dealing exceptions otherwise permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.
434225083
Order this sound recording under fair dealing

All Rights Reserved except for Fair Dealing exceptions otherwise permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.

Description

Object description

British NCO trained as pilot with RAF in GB, 1940; served as pilot with 615 Sqdn, No 12 Group, Fighter Command, RAF in GB, 1940-1941; served with 81 Sqdn, No 151 Wing, RAF in Soviet Union, 9/1941-10/1941; served with 81 Sqdn, Nos 13 and 11 Groups, Fighter Command, RAF in GB, 11/1941-9/1942; served with 81 Sqdn, No 904 Wing, 3rd Tactical Air Force, RAF in Burma, 1944-1945

Content description

REEL 1 Background in Birmingham, GB, 1920-1939: family; education; early interest in aviation; degree of awareness of political situation in Europe; sporting activities; employment. Recollections of enlistment and training with RAF in GB, 1939-1940: background to enlistment; selection process; training at No 4 Initial Training Wing, RAF at Paignton; treatment by instructors; instruction in Morse Code; reaction to flying training; looping aircraft. REEL 2 Continues: spinning; flying straight and level and making turns; instruction; landing and taking off; aircraft controls; taxiing Supermarine Spitfire; practising forced landings; meteorological and aerobatic advice; use of Hawker Hart and Hawker Audax at No 9 Advanced Flying Unit, RAF at RAF Hullavington; practice dogfights; use of Link Trainer and instrument flying. REEL 3 Continues: importance of trusting instruments; attitude towards night flying; dogfighting; opinion of Hawker Hart and Hawker Audax; allocation as fighter pilot; character of navigation training; wearing of inflatable vest; practice firing and gunsight; impressions of Hawker Hurricane. REEL 4 Continues: instructors; formation flying; emphasis on operating in pairs; question of force landing Hawker Hurricane; instruction on bailing out and ditching; importance of discipline in radio communication; contrast flying in training in and service period; posting to 615 Sqdn, RAF at end of training; opinion of value of training; lessons learnt in training; question of pilots being overconfident. REEL 5 Continues: Aspects of period as pilot with 615 Sqdn, No 12 Group, Fighter Command, RAF in GB, 1940-1941: duties on posting to squadron at RAF Valley; sharing duties with 456 Sqdn, RAF; convoy escort duties; night fighter flights; first encounter with German bomber; opinion of Boulton Paul Defiant. Recollections of operations as pilot with 81 Sqdn, No 151 Wing, RAF in Soviet Union, 9/1941-10/1941: rapid move to join wing at RAF Leconfield, 9/1941; background to sending No 151 Wing to Soviet Union; voyage from GB to Soviet Union, 9/1941; conditions on airfield at Vaenga, north of Murmansk; flying in winter conditions; lack of ammunition on arrival at airfield; loss of Sergeant Norman Smith, 12/9/1941. REEL 6 Continues: bomber escort role; question of number of aircraft shot down by wing; bounty paid to Soviet Air Force pilots; incident of commanding officer Squadron Leader Anthony Rook formatting on German aircraft; effects of weather on aircraft engines; relations with Soviet personnel; side-slipping aircraft; formations flown; living conditions in crate; duration of stay in Soviet Union and return to GB; question of survival on posting to Soviet Union. Aspects of period as pilot with 81 Sqdn, Nos 13 and 11 Groups, Fighter Command, RAF in GB, 11/1941-9/1942: convoy escort duties on return to GB; character of Supermarine Spitfire; story of accident in which civilian killed whilst crossing runway in front of his aircraft. REEL 7 Continues: Aspects of period as officer with 81 Sqdn, No 904 Wing, 3rd Tactical Air Force, RAF in Burma, 1944-1945: move to India, 1944; state of health; use of jungle strips; conditions in Burma; return to GB, 1946. Story of meeting son of Soviet Air Force ace. Attitude towards service with RAF.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
McDonough, Richard (Recorder)
Carter, Eric (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 2011-03-30
Dimensions: whole: Duration 210, Number Of Items 7
Catalogue number: 33300

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