Description
Object description
British aircraftman and NCO trained as navigator with RAF in GB and Canada, 1941-1943; officer served as navigator with 235 and 618 Sqdns RAF in GB, 1943-1945
Content description
REEL 1: Background in GB, 1923-1939: born at Guards Depot, Caterham, Surrey; family; father's service with Irish Guards; childhood; education; employment as junior clerk in Barclay's bank, London; attitude to possible war; activities with Boy Scouts including delivering gas masks; reaction to hearing news of outbreak of war, 9/1939; . Aspects of period in London, GB, 1939-1941: preparations for war; public information bulletins; fire watching duties; given steel helmet as protection from shrapnel; locating and putting out of incendiary bombs; area of St John's Wood covered; attitude to fire-watching duties; air raid precautions in family home; sheltered in Hampstead Underground station; daily life in London during Blitz; bomb damage and smell of smoke; good community spirit; daily routine at bank; recreational and sporting activities; reason for wanting to join the RAF; reaction of father; volunteered for air crew, 5/1941; interviews and aptitude tests; accommodation in work house; selected for training as navigator and called up after three weeks; attitude of parents; question of age on enlistment.
REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of training with RAF in GB, 5/1941-1/1942: induction at Air Crew Receiving Centre, Lord's cricket ground, St John's Wood; description of uniform and flying clothing; use of duffel bags to carry flying clothing; description of flying helmet and flying boots; contents of survival kit; formed into squads and marched to Regent's Park; six weeks drill and basic training; posted to Initial Training Wing in Babbacombe, Devon; accommodation in hotel; navigation exercises in Torbay harbour; posted to No 1 Signal School, Cranwell for training as wireless operator training; opinion of accommodation and food in barracks; discipline and punishments; posted to Heaton Park, Manchester; description of voyage from Liverpool to New York; opinion of accommodation and facilities aboard ship; disembarked in New York, 1/1942. Aspects of training with RAF in Canada, 1/1941-7/1942: posted to holding camp in Monckton, New Brunswick; posted to No. 31 Air Navigation School, Port Albert; various memories of flying training in De Havilland Domini and Percival Proctor in GB; description of training as wireless operator in Avro Anson; advantages of training in Canada; navigation instruments and charts.
REEL 3 Continues: varied ground and air training programme including aerial photography and air gunnery; pay; off-duty activities; hospitality of Canadian civilians; training methods used by navigation instructors; description of interior of Avro Anson; size of space for navigator; examinations; failure rate; opinion of instructors and station padre; daily routine; opinion of accommodation and food; no alcohol allowed on base; off-duty visits to America; night flying exercises; training in meteorology; safety training; qualified as observer/wireless telegraphist and promoted to sergeant; returned to GB aboard RMS Windsor Castle, 7/1942. Aspects of training with RAF in GB, 7-9/1942: posted to Air Crew Dispersal Centre, Bournemouth; commissioned as acting pilot officer; description of officer's uniform; posted to School of General Reconnaissance, RAF Squire's Gate, Blackpool, Lancashire; navigation training over sea and on aircraft carrier; ground training navigational exercises.
REEL 4 Continues: description of training centre; use of Blackburn Botha in training; examinations; wireless operator testing. Aspects of training at RAF Catfoss, Yorkshire, 9-12/1942: story of crewing up with pilot Doug Turner; opinion of Bristol Beaufighter; fatalities during training; story of losing way over North Sea during snow storm, 12/1942; description of pilot and navigator's cockpits in Beaufighter; method of entering cockpit; letting out trailing aerial; location of Vickers machine gun and ammunition in navigator's cockpit; use of interrupter to avoid shooting tail plane; role in reconnaissance operations over Norwegian coast; reason for carrying homing pigeon; parachute training; problem of exiting Beaufighter quickly; navigational exercises and North Sea patrols along Dutch coast; transferred to RAF Coastal Command; role of Coastal Command and types of aircraft; further training and operational missions searching for German shipping and escorting torpedo bombers. Aspects of operations with 235 Sqdn RAF Coastal Command in GB,1-3/1943: posted to RAF Leuchars, Scotland; description of station; composition of Beaufighter squadron; opinion of ground crew.
REEL 5 Continues: relations between air and ground crews; attitude to use of first names; off-duty activities; command structure of 235 Sqdn; messing arrangements for officers and NCOs; good working relationship with pilot Doug Turner; description of officers' mess; opinion of accommodation and services of batman/batwoman; daily routine and duties; attitude to role in censoring mail; testing aircraft and equipment; sporting activities; attitude to drinking before missions; operational briefings; number of times on standby; story of being attacked by German fighters while escorting Hampden torpedo bombers over Norwegian coast; amusing story of reconnaissance flight with intelligence officer; defensive manoeuvres used by Beaufighter.
REEL 6 Continues: Aspects of operations with 618 Sqdn RAF in GB, 3-10/1943: posted to Bomber Command station at RAF Skitten, Scotland, for conversion to Mosquitos; opinion of RAF Service Police; reason for strict security measures at station; story of briefing for intended low level daylight attack on German battleship Tirpitz; description of bouncing bomb to be used against the Tirpitz; question of synchronizing attack on Tirpitz with raids by 617 Sqdn on German dams; description of proposals to overcome problem of range of Mosquito and refuelling; high level of secrecy surrounding mission; reason for postponement of attack on Tirpitz; attitude to death; posted to Photographic Reconnaissance Unit, RAF Benson, 9/1943. Aspects of operations with 618 Sqdn RAF in GB, 10/1943-1/1945: posted to RAF Predannack, Cornwall; description of Mk 18 Mosquito fitted with 57mm anti-tank gun; role of 618 Sqdn along French Atlantic coast attacking U-boats entering pens.
REEL 7 Continues: navigation using mine-swept channels; timing of patrols and number of aircraft; reaction to death of CO, 3/1944; description of sinking U-976, 25/Mar/1944; further attacks on U-boats and shipping; loss of aircraft; story of shooting down Junkers JU 88, 4/1944; casualties; posted to RAF Banff, Scotland; continuation of operations against German shipping and U-boats; frequency of missions; route; story of disabling U-boat in Brest harbour; role in anti-U-boat operations during Normandy landings, 6/1944; flying tactics; amount of ammunition used; story of last mission, 12/1944; attitude to attacking tankers and causing civilian deaths; opinion of success of missions with 618 Sqdn; opinion of Mosquito; effect of attaching 57mm gun to Mosquito; description of pilot and navigator's cockpits in Mosquito; use of bottle for urinating; daily routine at RAF Predannack; billeted in hotel.
REEL 8 Continues: officers' mess; relations with Polish crews; posted to RAF Portreath, Cornwall; communications with family; memories of pilot Doug Turner. Aspects of period with RAF in GB, 1/1945-8/1946: description of duties as Conducting Officer in Public Relations Dept, RAF Coastal Command HQ, Northwood, and with Communications Flight; awarded DFC for sinking of U-976, 25/Mar/1944; amusing story of collecting DFC in London, 1946; reaction to news of end of war, 5/1945; reason for leaving RAF, 8/1946; demobilization. Post-war life and employment: work with engineering firm; trained as Fighter Controller with RAF in Newcastle during Cold War; resigned commission and moved to Nigeria; employment with oil industry; involvement with RAF associations and British Legion.