Skinner, Brian Grant (Oral history)

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Description

Object description

British cadet at Royal Naval College, Dartmouth in GB, 1956; officer served aboard HMS Albion in GB coastal waters and North Atlantic, 1956-1957; served aboard HMS Bermuda in Mediterranean and West Indies, 1957-1958; served aboard HMS Dufton and HMS Shavington in Mediterranean, 1958-1960; served aboard HMS Chichester in GB coastal waters and Mediterranean, 1960-1961; trained as pilot with Fleet Air Arm at No 1 Flying Training School, RAF at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, GB, 1961; trained as helicopter pilot with Bristow Helicopters Ltd at Redhill Aerodrome, GB, 1961-1962; trained with 771 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, GB, 2/1962-4/1962; served with 845 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in GB, aboard HMS Albion and during Indonesian Confrontation in Borneo, 1962-1964; served with Search and Rescue Flight, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Goldcrest, Royal Naval Air Station Brawdy, GB, 1965-1966; served with 829 Naval Air Sqdn, HMS Sirius in GB coastal waters, Far East and Pacific, 1966-1967; served as senior pilot with 829 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Osprey, Royal Naval Air Station Portland, GB, 1967-1969; served as staff pilot with Admiral's Staff, Far East Fleet in Singapore, 1969-1971; commanded 829 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Osprey, Royal Naval Air Station Portland, GB, 1971-1973; commanded 848 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Heron, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, GB and aboard HMS Bulwark in Mediterranean and West Indies, 1973-1975; commanded 846 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in GB and Norway, 1975-1977; student on Naval Staff Course at Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London, GB, 1977-1978; staff officer with Flying Officer Naval Air Command Staff at HMS Heron, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, GB, 1978-1980; staff officer with Ministry of Defence in London, GB, 1981-1985

Content description

REEL 1 Background in Bournemouth, GB, 1938-1956: family; family's military experience during Second World War; education. Recollections of period as cadet at Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, GB, 1956: background to obtaining place at Royal Naval College, Dartmouth; reasons for choosing a career with armed services; arrival at college; accommodation; syllabus; sailing and rowing; academic studies; organisation of course; nature of sea training with Dartmouth Training Sqdn including sleeping in hammock; signals training. REEL 2 Continues: drop out rate amongst cadets; question of importance of sport/social aptitude in Royal Navy; discipline; amusing story of visit by First Lord of Admiralty to cadet yacht; lessons learnt from period at Dartmouth; visit by Lord Louis Mountbatten. Aspects of period as officer aboard HMS Albion in GB coastal waters and North Atlantic, 1956-1957: joining aircraft carrier; cutting medal ribbon for Suez landings; amusing story of reaction to collision with Portuguese ship; accommodation and effect of influenza outbreak; duties; issue of rum ration; officers' alcohol ration; messing arrangements in ward room; amusing story of attending lecture on board. REEL 3 Continues: attitude towards contact between aircraft carrier's naval crew and aircrew; flight in aircraft. Aspects of period as officer aboard HMS Bermuda in Mediterranean and West Indies, 1957-1958: character of captain; duties in X Turret during live firing exercises; visit to Bermuda; ashore in Bermuda; joining fleet for exercise; incident of racing ship's boat to flagship; petty officer's method of dealing with belligerent drunken seaman returning from shore leave in Lisbon, Portugal. Recollections of operations as officer aboard HMS Dufton and HMS Shavington in Mediterranean and off Cyprus, 1958-1960: appointment to minesweeper; size of crew; amusing story of encounter with American Sixth Fleet; opinion of conditions on board; boarding and searching Greek ship; reasons for searching ships. REEL 4 Continues: visit to 3rd Bn Grenadier Guards camp on Cyprus; situation during Cyprus Emergency; patrolling coastline off Cyprus; provision of comforts on board; narrow escape from bomb explosion; investigation into near accident aboard; attitude towards Greek and Turkish ships; transfer to HMS Shavington; amusing story of ordering large quantity of glue; crew size and atmosphere on board; minesweeping and board of inquiry after seaman lost rifle whilst firing at mine; weapons on board; conducting searches. REEL 5 Continues: Aspects of period as officer aboard HMS Chichester in GB coastal waters and Mediterranean, 1960-1961: appointment as torpedo anti-submarine officer to aircraft direction frigate; working up at Portland; system used to monitor aircraft movement; accidental firing of anti-torpedo mortar; role of aircraft direction frigate; move to Mediterranean; background to applying to join Fleet Air Arm for helicopter flying training; subsequent medical; duties transporting last Governor of Cyprus Sir Hugh Foot to Italy, 1960; character of frigate; question of what makes a happy ship; work as divisional officer on board in contrast to minesweepers. Recollections of flying training with Fleet Air Arm at No 1 Flying Training School, RAF at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, GB, 1961: survival training in New Forest; arrival at RAF Linton-on-Ouse for flying training; character of De Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk; problems caused by his height in De Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk; sequence of instruction. REEL 6 Continues: nature of instrument flying; importance of monitoring controls; practising simple aerobatics; night flying and navigation; soloing aircraft; attitude towards flying; practising forced landings; navigation exercises; air awareness; failure rate on course. Recollections of helicopter flying training with Bristow Helicopters Ltd at Redhill Aerodrome, GB, 1961-1962: joining helicopter course; character of Hillier UH-12C Helicopter; helicopter checks; controlling helicopter; initial familiarisation flight; flights with instructor; taking off in helicopter; landing helicopter. REEL 7 Continues: problems of landing helicopter too quickly; method of hovering helicopter; character of Westland Whirlwind Helicopter; soloing on Westland Whirlwind; capacity of Westland Whirlwind; visibility in Westland Whirlwind; practised forced landing near Gatwick; formation flying; contrast in flying capabilities between Hillier UH-12C and Westland Whirlwind; presentation of wings. Recollections of training as pilot with 771 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, GB, 2/1962-4/1962: joining helicopter training squadron; character of Westland Wessex HAS.1; flying over sea; handling Westland Wessex HAS.1; converting to Westland Wessex HAS.1; landing at night. REEL 8 Continues: Aspects of period as pilot with 845 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, GB, 1962: appointment to squadron to fly Westland Wessex HAS.1 Helicopter; equipping of Westland Wessex HAS.1 with missiles; other armaments; crew roles; carrying capacity of Westland Wessex HAS.1; method of lifting loads under helicopter; unloading helicopter; problems with helicopter's lifting hooks; emplaning and deplaning of troops including incident of deplaning Gurkha troops in Indonesian Confrontation; practising on dummy deck; roping exercises; method of landing amongst trees; attending air day. REEL 9 Continues: story of flying Admiral Percy Gick in helicopter after exercise. Aspects of period as pilot with 845 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Albion in GB coastal waters and in Mediterranean, 1962: landing on board HMS Albion, 9/1962; method of landing on commando carrier; landing and taking off from HMS Albion; crowded nature of decks; size of squadron on embarkation; role of ship's maintainers working with squadron; number of squadron helicopters; role of Westland Whirlwinds of 846 Naval Air Sqdn; accommodation on board; value of lessons learnt from exercise in Libya on route to Far East. Recollections of operations as pilot with 845 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm during Indonesian Confrontation in Borneo, 1962-1964: reaction to situation in Borneo, 12/1962; signal to proceed rapidly to Borneo. REEL 10 Continues: initial arrival at Kuching, Sarawak, 14/12/1962; decision to put helicopters ashore; location of bases ashore and deployment of Royal Marines; nature of terrain; situation during initial period of operations; 'hearts and minds' flights; creation of jungle landings; location of border; maintenance of helicopters at jungle bases; use of Kuching as maintenance base; location of 845 and 846 Naval Air Sqdns helicopters and main bases; accommodation ashore in Borneo; operations in aftermath of Indonesian attack on jungle post held by Gurkhas at Long Jawi; information obtained from local sources. REEL 11 Continues: importance of minimising flights due to terrain and weather; navigation in jungle terrain; clearing of landing sites in jungle; landing helicopter in jungle clearing; character of landing sites; story of casualty evacuation at night in poor weather; effects of climate on flying; varied nature of daily flying; story of landing and picking up Gurkhas after contact with Indonesians; appearance and demeanour of Indonesian POWs; opinion of Gurkha, Royal Marines and army units; marriage during tour. REEL 12 Continues: clothing worn when flying; role as detachment commander; organisation of daily flying; use of Indian canteen contractor; provision of rations; incident of propaganda leaflets being dropped on camp; return to GB. Aspects of period as pilot with Search and Rescue Flight at HMS Goldcrest, Royal Naval Air Station, Brawdy, GB, 1965-1966: background to appointment; use of Westland Whirlwind for search and rescue; supplying mail to lighthouses; search operations at sea; training for ditching; opinion of Westland Whirlwind search and rescue capabilities; role of crewman; attitude towards search and rescue work; rescues from ships. REEL 13 Continues: Recollections of period as pilot with 829 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Sirius in GB coastal waters, Far East and Pacific, 1966-1967: reasons for conversion to Westland Wasp Helicopter; character of Westland Wasp HAS.1; joining frigate at Plymouth; duties in Pacific including attending coronation in Tonga; flying helicopters from frigate; use of hangar aboard frigate; helicopter maintenance crew; amusing story of his petty officer electrician being mistaken as senior officer at civilian village; problems with engine; visit to Sydney, Australia including flying under Sydney Harbour Bridge; story of flying Miss New Zealand in helicopter and subsequent consequences. REEL 14 Continues: Aspects of period as senior pilot with 829 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Osprey, Royal Naval Air Station Portland, GB, 1967-1969: background to appointment; role of senior pilot; training of helicopter pilots for sea service. Aspects of period as staff pilot with Admiral's Staff, Far East Fleet at Singapore, 1970-1971: background to appointment; duties including flying Westland Wasp HAS.1; amusing story relating to camels during visit to Bahrain; visit to Hong Kong; flying duties on board ship after pilot broke his leg; incident of having smoke in cockpit; question of next appointment. Aspects of period commanding 829 Naval Air Sqdn at HMS Osprey, Royal Naval Air Station Portland, GB, 1971-1973: appointment and duties assessing pilots; expansion of Westland Wasp fleet; character of HMNB Portland; assessment of pilots. REEL 15 Continues: attitude towards work; leaving role, 2/1973. Recollections of period commanding 848 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Heron, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, GB and aboard HMS Bulwark in Mediterranean and West Indies, 1973-1975: conversion to Westland Wessex HU.5; joining HMS Bulwark; exercises in Mediterranean including exercise with Americans; request to fly American admiral around Istanbul, Turkey; use of American ranges in Virgin Islands; visit to aircraft carrier by Admiral Michael Pollock; award of Naval Shield to squadron; flying duties from HMS Heron, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton including attending air days; leaving squadron and promotion to commander, 1975. REEL 16 Continues: Aspects of period commanding 846 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in GB and Norway, 1975-1977: joining squadron; flying in winter conditions in Norway; visit to Norwegian/Soviet Union border; visit by Norwegian officer to GB; question of commanding three front line squadrons. Aspects of period as student on Naval Staff Course at Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London, GB, 1977-1978: opinion of staff course. Aspects of period as staff officer with Flying Officer Naval Air Command Staff at HMS Heron, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, GB, 1978-1980: joining staff, 12/1978; role and duties; acceptance of Egyptian contract Westland Sea King helicopters. Aspects of period as staff officer with Ministry of Defence, London, GB, 1981-1985: role and duties; strength of helicopter force; meetings at North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium including problems with Greek and Turkish representatives; watch keeping duties during Falklands War, 4/1982-6/1982; attempts to get live firing tests for anti-ship missiles. REEL 17 Continues: work on provision of early air warning Westland Sea King HAS.2 (AEW) helicopters during Falklands War, 4/1982-6/1982; appointment and role as Joint Services Operations Co-ordinator; role working on updating integrated computer systems in Ministry of Defence; background to leaving Royal Navy to work in the information technology field; attitude towards service with Royal Navy.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Creator: IWM (Production company)
McDonough, Richard (Recorder)
Skinner, Brian Grant (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 2015-07-10
Dimensions: whole: Duration 510, Number Of Items 17
Catalogue number: 33195

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