Leppard, Keith Andre (Oral history)

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Description

Object description

British naval airman trained as pilot with Fleet Air Arm at No 19 Elementary Flying Training School, RAF Sealand, GB and No 14 Service Flying Training School, RCAF Aylmer, Canada, 1943-1944; officer trained as pilot with Fleet Air Arm at No 9 Advanced Flying Unit, RAF at RAF Errol and No 1 Naval Air Fighter School, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Herion, Royal Naval Air Station, Yeovilton, GB, 1944; served with 882 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in Northern Ireland and aboard HMS Searcher in GB coastal waters, Arctic and Indian Ocean, 1944-1945; served as pilot with 837 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Glory in Far East, 1946-1947; student with Central Flying School, RAF at RAF Little Rissington, GB, 1948; served as flying instructor with No 22 Flying School, RAF at RAF Syerston in GB, 1948-1949; student with Batsman's School at HMS Heron, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, GB, 1949; served as batsman with Naval Operational Flying Sqdn at HMS Gannet Royal Naval Air Station Eglinton, Northern Ireland, 1949-1951; served as batsman aboard HMS Eagle in GB coastal waters and North Atlantic, 1951-1952; served as flying instructor with 736 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Stations Culdrose and HMS Fulmar, Royal Naval Air Station Lossiemouth in GB, 1952-1954; served with 897 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in GB and aboard HMS Eagle in Mediterranean, 1955-1956; served as liaison officer to French Navy aboard Arromanches during landings at Suez, Egypt, 11/1956; served as officer with Directing Staff of School of Land Air Warfare at Old Sarum, GB, 1957-1958; student on Fighter Leader's Course, RAF in GB, 1958; commanded 807 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Fulmar, Royal Naval Air Station Lossiemouth, GB, 1958-1959; served with Directorate of Naval Air Organisation and Training at Admiralty, London, GB, 1959-1961; served as staff officer on staff of Flag Officer Naval Flying Training in GB, 1961-1963; served as Commander Air aboard HMS Victorious in Far East, 1963-1964; served as Air Appointer with Admiralty, London, GB, 1965-1967; served as staff officer to Admiral Flag Officer Naval Air Command in GB, 1967-1969; commanded HMS Heron, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, GB, 1971-1973; served as Director of Public Relations for Royal Navy in GB, 1973-1977

Content description

REEL 1 Background in London, GB, 1924-1942: family; education; early interest in aviation including visit to aircraft carrier HMS Courageous, 1935; selection for Y Scheme with Fleet Air Arm; employment. Aspects of training with Fleet Air Arm at HMS Daedalus, Royal Naval Air Station Lee-on-Solent and HMS St Vincent, Gosport in GB, 1942-1943: reporting to HMS Daedalus, Royal Naval Air Station Lee-on-Solent; opinion of catering at HMS St Vincent; pattern of training at HMS St Vincent; character of fellow recruits; opinion of experience of wartime training; discipline; degree of physical training; instructors. Aspects of flying training as naval airman with Fleet Air Arm at No 19 Elementary Flying Training School, RAF at RAF Sealand, GB, 1943: familiarisation flight in De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth; character of first instructor. REEL 2 Continues: soloing; spinning and method of recovery; landing De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth; taxiing De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth; character of De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth; use of Gosport Tubes to communicate with instructor; introduction to night flying and cross-country navigation; aerobatics in De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth; De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth instruments; sideslipping; forced landing practice; ground school and course failure rate; reasons for failure of trainee pilots; question of confidence. Aspects of flying training as naval airman with Fleet Air Arm at No 14 Service Flying Training School, RCAF Aylmer, Canada, 1943-1944: attitude to posting to RCAF Aylmer; voyage aboard HMT Queen Mary from GB to US. REEL 3 Continues: relations with his first instructor; weather conditions; character of North American Harvard; brakes on North American Harvard; description of variable pitch; night flying; instrument flying; presentation of wings, 12/1943. Aspects of period of flying training at No 9 Advanced Flying Unit, RAF at RAF Errol and No 1 Naval Air Fighter School, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Heron, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, GB, 1944: conversion course on Miles Masters; question of selection for fighter training; initial impressions of Grumman Martlet; training casualties; pattern of fighter training including formation flying. REEL 4 Continues: use of finger four formation; training for air combat; bombing practice from HMS Vulture, Royal Naval Air Station St Merryn; Aerodrome Dummy Deck Landing (ADDLs) training including instance of engine failure; character of batsman signals; deck landing training aboard HMS Ravager; attitude towards deck landing; opinion of Grumman Wildcat; use of three point landing by Fleet Air Arm. REEL 5 Continues: Aspects of operations as pilot with 882 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in Northern Ireland and aboard HMS Searcher in GB coastal waters and Arctic, 1944-1945: joining squadron at RAF Long Kesh; working up with squadron; embarkation aboard HMS Searcher, 1/1945; description of HMS Searcher; conditions on board; opinion of squadron ground crew; operations against coastal targets in northern Norway; role of squadron during operations; role in suppressing anti-aircraft positions; description of attack during Operation Judgement on Kilbotn, Norway, 5/1945; reaction to being diverted from Copenhagen, Denmark to Scapa Flow; question of having no secondary target. REEL 6 Continues: Aspects of period as pilot with 882 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Searcher in Indian Ocean, 1945: sailing for Ceylon; disembarkation at Ceylon; improvements in rocket crandle on Grumman Martlet Mk IV; jungle training in Ceylon; re-embarkation on board HMS Searcher for Operation Zipper, 7/1945; awareness of Japanese brutality; reaction to dropping of atom bombs, 8/1945; move to Rangoon, Burma to pick up former POWs; destruction of Lend-Lease aircraft; return to GB; volunteering for short service commission in Ceylon, 1945; question of attempting to get out of appointments in Fleet Air Arm. Aspects of period as pilot with 837 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Glory in Far East, 1946-1947: relaxed nature of commission; joining aircraft carrier in Ceylon. REEL 7 Continues: problems with aircraft carrier's Supermarine Seafires; impressions of Fairey Firefly; aircraft carrier's area of responsibility; causalities; memories of Rear Admiral Dennis Cambell designer of angled deck; visit to Australia; living conditions at RAF Kai Tak, Hong Kong; social life; return to GB, 1947. Aspects of period as student Central Flying School at RAF Little Rissington, GB, 1948: reaction to appointment; reputation of flying instructors during Second World War; contrast between British and American flying training; nature of flying instructor training. REEL 8 Continues: importance of imparting confidence to students; training on different aircraft; impressions of De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito and Avro Lancaster. Aspects of period as flying instructor with No 22 Flying School, RAF at RAF Syerston in GB, 1948-1949: appointment as flying instructor, 8/1948; first night flights; first four students; story of unofficial aerobatics over airfield and subsequent court martial, 12/1948. REEL 9 Continues: Aspects of period as student with Batsman's School at HMS Heron, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, GB, 1949: role of batsman; importance of experience. Aspects of period as batsman with Naval Operational Flying Sqdn at HMS Gannet, Royal Naval Air Station Eglinton, Northern Ireland, 1949-1951: appointment to squadron; how senior batsman lost his confidence and suspension of training; importance of confidence; story of ferrying prototype Blackburn YV1 from Aeroplance and Armaments Experimental Establishment, Boscombe Down to station. Aspects of period as batsman aboard HMS Eagle in GB coastal waters and North Atlantic, 1951-1952: contrast between piston engined and jet aircraft during landing on board aircraft carriers; incident of Supermarine Attacker crashing into ground during Aerodrome Dummy Deck Landings (ADDLs) at HMS Peregrine, Royal Naval Air Station Ford; impressions of Supermarine Attacker; character of experimental jet barrier; story of George Baldwin crashing into jet barrier; safety area for batsman. REEL 10 Continues: participation in Operation Mainbrace in North Atlantic; limited number of batsman qualified in jet landings; need for rapid recovery of aircraft on aircraft carrier; effect of slower engine response with jet aircraft during landings. Aspects of period as flying instructor with 736 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose and HMS Fulmar Royal Naval Air Station Lossiemouth in GB, 1952-1954: appointment to squadron; reasons for less accidents with jet pilots; move to HMS Fulmar Royal Naval Air Station Lossiemouth. Aspects of period as officer aboard HMS Starling in GB coastal waters, 1954-1955: appointment to ship, 7/1954. Aspects of period as flying instructor at HMS Peregrine, Royal Naval Air Station Ford, GB, 1955: appointment to conversion course; question of piston engined trained pilots converting to jets. Aspects of period as 897 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in GB and aboard HMS Eagle in Mediterranean, 1955-1956: appointment to squadron as senior pilot, 10/1955; working up at HMS Goldcrest, Royal Naval Air Station Brawdy; duties as senior pilot; presence of Air Weapons Instructor (AWI) in squadron; character of Hawker Sea Hawk; story of breaking leg in mess. REEL 11 Continues: account of ejecting from Hawker Sea Hawk into sea off Genoa, Italy and fate of aircraft; method of ejecting from Hawker Sea Hawk; damage to his spine from ejection. Aspects of period as liaison officer to French Navy aboard Arromanches during landings at Suez, Egypt, 11/1956: arrival on aircraft carrier; opinion of French Navy; liaison duties. Aspects of period as officer with Directing Staff of School of Land Air Warfare at Old Sarum, GB, 1957-1958: initial reaction to appointment; lecturing duties; attitude to service with school. REEL 12 Continues: flying Boulton Paul Sea Balliol from airfield; incident of engine failure at Old Sarum; character of Boulton Paul Sea Balliol. Aspects of period as student on Fighter Leaders Course, RAF in GB, 1958: conversion to Hawker Hunter; character of Hawker Hunter; duration of conversion courses; character of Fighter Leaders Course; question of over control with RAF; problems of operating at high altitude; fatiguing nature of aerial combat practice; introduction of G suits; restrictions on flying jets at low altitude; opinion of course; importance of conservation of fuel; story of loss of Lieutenant Commander John 'Des' Russell in Supermarine Scimitar, 25/9/1958; opinion of Supermarine Scimitar. REEL 13 Continues: Recollections of period commanding 807 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Fulmar, Royal Naval Air Station Lossiemouth, GB, 1958-1959: reaction to appointment; rate of climb of Supermarine Scimitar; role of Senior Pilot Tom Leece; method of delivering nuclear weapon from Supermarine Scimitar; incident of receiving ricochet in port engine of Supermarine Scimitar; working up for display at Farnborough Air Show; description of 'twinkle' roll; other manoeuvres displayed at Farnborough Air Show, 9/1959; amusing story of receiving promotion whilst flying over Loch Ness. Aspects of period as officer with Directorate of Naval Air Organisation and Training at Admiralty, London, GB, 1959-1961: appointment to role; demonstration in flight in Hillier H.T.E helicopter and acquisition of them for training. REEL 14 Continues: story of organising helicopter training course with Alan Bristow. Aspects of period as staff officer on staff of Flag Officer Naval Flying Training in GB, 1961-1963: character of Admiral Percy Gick; story of visits to US Navy flying training facilities including flight in Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Aspects of period as Commander Air aboard HMS Victorious in Far East, 1963-1964: appointment to carrier; problems of lack of wind for take offs during work up in Indian Ocean; role and responsibilities of Commander Air. REEL 15 Continues: opinion of Blackburn Buccaneer; illustration of value of aircraft carriers during intervention in East Africa; return to attend staff course in GB, 1964. Aspects of period as Air Appointer with Admiralty, London, GB, 1965-1967: promotion system in Fleet Air Arm; attitude towards appointment; opinion of appointer system; role and duties; question of fairness of system. REEL 16 Continues: Aspects of period as staff officer Admiral Flag Officer Naval Air Command in GB, 1967-1969: situation in Northern Ireland; role as Captain Air during constriction of Fleet Air Arm. Aspects of period as staff officer with Far East Fleet in Singapore, 1969-1971: role and duties; threat of oil spillage after sinking of Royal Navy auxiliary craft off Seychelles and method of dealing with it, 6/1970; photographing Soviet Navy cruiser at Singapore. Aspects of period commanding HMS Heron, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, GB, 1971-1973: reaction to appointment; accommodation; daily routine; character of the station Air Day, 7/1972. REEL 17 Continues: improvements to station Air Day, 7/1973; display given by Italian Air Force display team at Air Day, 7/1973. Aspects of period as Director of Public Relations for Royal Navy in GB, 1973-1977: background to appointment; problems with public relations during Icelandic Cod War; personnel working for his department; relations with press; agreement for filming of 'Sailor' television programme; attitude towards service with Fleet Air Arm.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Creator: IWM (Production Company)
McDonough, Richard (Recorder)
Leppard, Keith Andre (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 2011-01-20
Dimensions: whole: Duration 510, Number Of Items 17
Catalogue number: 33213

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