Interview with Maxwell Nicholas Sparks

New Zealand officer served as pilot with 487 (RNZAF) Sqdn, No 2 Group Bomber Command, RAF in GB, 10/1942-6/1943; served with 487 (RNZAF) Sqdn, No 140 Wing, No 2 Group, 2nd Tactical Air Force in GB, 6/1943-9/1944, including Operation Jericho, the raid on Amiens Prison, France, 18/2/1944; various postings with Royal Air Force in GB and Federation of Malaya, 1947-1967

REEL 1 Background in Auckland, New Zealand, 1920-1940: family; education; employment; reasons for volunteering for Royal New Zealand Air Force, 1940. Aspects of training as pilot with Royal New Zealand Air Force in New Zealand and GB, 1941-1942: initial training in New Zealand; move to GB; accidents in training; training as aircrew and responsibilities as pilot; opinion of Bristol Blenheim. Aspects of operations as pilot with 487 (RNZAF) Sqdn, No 2 Group, Bomber Command, RAF in GB, 10/1942-6/1943: joining squadron, 10/1942; opinion of Lockheed Ventura; nature of operations; use of box formation; reasons for missing raid on power station at Eindhoven, Netherlands; types of targets attacked, 3/1943-4/1943; ferrying remaining aircraft to Coastal Command, RAF. Aspects of operations as pilot with 487 (RNZAF) Sqdn, No 140 Wing, No 2 Group, 2nd Tactical Air Force, RAF in GB, 6/1943-2/1944: conversion onto De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito Mk VI, 8/1943-9/1943; start of operations using De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito, Mk VI. REEL 2 Continues: low-level bombing tactics; low-level flying; opinion of Air Vice Marshal Basil Embry; problems with location of RT and bomb buttons; first encounter with Group Captain Percy Pickard and his dog Ming. Aspects of operations with 487 (RNZAF) Sqdn, No 140 Wing, No 2 Group, 2nd Tactical Air Force, RAF during Operation Jericho, the raid on Amiens Prison, France, 18/2/1944: briefing for Operation Jericho; flight in poor weather towards Amiens Prison; low-level approach to target; damage to aircraft crossing French coast and diversion to HMS Peregrine, Royal Naval Air Station Ford. Aspects of operations as pilot with 487 Sqdn, (RNZAF) Sqdn, No 140 Wing, No 2 Group, 2nd Tactical Air Force, RAF in GB, 2/1944-9/1944: operations prior to D-Day, 6/1944; posting to experimental squadron on searchlight co-ordination; amusing story of cows eating fabric from crashed aircraft. Aspects of period as officer with RAF in GB and Federation of Malaya, 1947-1967: return to New Zealand, 1945 and rejoining RAF, 1947. REEL 3 Continues: background to volunteering to Meteorological Air Observer (MAO) and duties with Meteorological Flight; posting to 19 Sqdn, RAF flying De Havilland DH.103 Hornet; posting to No 1 Staff Navigation Course; volunteering for helicopter flying, 1955; engine off landing; posting to 194 Sqdn, RAF in Federation of Malaya, 1955-1957; method of landing in jungle clearings; capacity of Bristol Type 171 Sycamore Helicopter; search and rescue work from RAF Leconsfield; posting as production test pilot at RAF Wroughton; work as helicopter examiner in Far East until 1967; problems flying early helicopters; attitude to service with Royal Air Force.