Interview with Ronald William Pottinger

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Description

Object description

British private and NCO served with 9th Bn Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regt), 1st (London) Infantry Bde, 1st (London) Motor Div and 167th (London) Infantry Bde, 56th (London) Infantry Div in GB, 1939-1941; aircraftman trained with RAF in GB and Canada, 1941-1942; cadet trained as pilot with No 5 British Flying Training School, Riddle Field, Clewiston in United States of America, 1942; NCO trained with No 5 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit, RAF at RAF Tern Hill, GB, 2/1943-3/1943; NCO and officer served as pilot with 3 Sqdn, No 148 Wing, No 85 Group, 2nd Tactical Air Force, RAF in GB and North West Europe, 4/1943-1/1945; prisoner of war in Dulag Luft Interrogation Centre, Oberursel and Stalag III-A, Luckenwalde, Germany, 1/1945-5/1945

Content description

REEL 1 Background in Earlsfield, London, GB, 1919-1939: family; employment; anticipation of coming war. Aspects of period as private and NCO with 9th Bn Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regt), 1st (London) Infantry Bde, 1st (London) Motor Div and 167th (London) Infantry Bde, 56th (London) Infantry Div in GB, 1939-1941: call-up for militia service, 10/1939; anti-invasion exercises, 1940; opinion of training received; attending sniper course; joining Intelligence Section and duties; background to applying to join Royal Air Force. Aspects of enlistment and training with Royal Air Force in GB, Canada and United States Army, 1941-1942: selection process; training at No 1 Initial Training Wing, RAF at Cambridge; attitude towards joining Royal Air Force; voyage from GB to Canada; in transit at RCAF Monkton; initial impressions of United States of America. Recollections of flying training as cadet with No 5 British Flying Training School, Riddle Field, Clewiston in United States of America, 1942: arrival at school on banks of Lake Okeechobee for primary training; accommodation; familiarisation flight in Boeing PT-17 Stearman trainer. REEL 2 Continues: stalling Boeing PT-17 Stearman; circuit and bumps; landings and taking off; controlling aircraft; making a turn; soloing; airfield personnel; spinning aircraft; rolling aircraft; description of Boeing PT-17 Stearman; night flying; problems with oil leak during flight; checking aircraft; use of Vultee BT-13 Valiant for basic training; contrast between primary and basic training; move to advanced training using North American Harvard; formation flying. REEL 3 Continues: need to gain air awareness; incident of landing at primitive airfield after running out of fuel; opinion of North American Harvard; use of Link Trainer; flying on instruments; character of night flying; attitude towards flying; climate in Florida; mosquitoes and snakes; effects of rain on flying; ground school and examinations; promotion to sergeant on passing out; voyage aboard HMT Queen Elizabeth from United States of America to GB, 12/1942; posting to No 7 Personnel Reception Centre, RAF at RAF Harrogate on return to GB, 1/1943; move to Bournemouth; familiarisation flights in GB. REEL 4 Continues: Recollections of period as private and NCO with 9th Bn Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regt), 1st (London) Infantry Bde, 1st (London) Motor Div and 167th (London) Infantry Bde, 56th (London) Infantry Div in GB, 1939-1941: move from Uckfield to Sturry; role as observer in tower; sight of aerial activity during Battle of Britain, summer 1940; move to Milner Court at Sturry; observation work from school, including sight of German Air Force Dornier Do 17 being shot down and aftermath; capture of crew of German Air Force Dornier Do 17 by unit; investigation of sight of lights in marshes; use of boat to investigate lights in marshes; sight of crashed aircraft parts in garage; move to Bridge and accommodation; route march; use of drum beats during parades and choice of stickmen at Sturry; issue of Thompson Machine Guns at Bridge; role testing defences in local camps around Bridge and Ashford; attending courses including one on crossing barbed wire and unarmed combat; marching behind band; living conditions; move to Romney area. REEL 5 Continues: problems of mines at Romney. Aspects of flying training at No 5 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit, RAF at RAF Tern Hill in GB, 2/1943-3/1943: acclimation flying training; move to operational training unit to fly Hawker Hurricane aircraft; difficulties in raising undercarriage of Hawker Hurricane; opinion of Hawker Hurricane; air-to-air firing using drogue; method of working out deflection; incident of losing wingtip of Hawker Hurricane whilst low-level flying; accidents; brief posting after training to air-sea squadron at RAF Valley; opinion of Avro Anson, Mk I; opinion of RAF Valley. Recollections of operations as pilot with 3 Squadron, No 148 Wing, No 85 Group, 2nd Tactical Air Force, RAF in GB, 4/1943-8/1944: posting to squadron at RAF West Malling, 4/1943; arrival of Hawker Typhoons Mk IB; initial problems with Hawker Typhoon Mk IB; air-sea rescue flight; types of operations carried out by squadron; Belgian pilots in squadron. REEL 6 Continues: move to RAF Manston, 11/6/1943; first anti-shipping strike to Flushing Harbour, Netherlands; landing at night at RAF Manston; low-level and dive-bombing; shooting down of Squadron Leader Samuel Thomas over Netherlands, 5/9/1943 and arrival of new commanding officer Squadron Leader Ronald Hawkins; operation to bomb Sinclair Petroleum Refinery at Langerbrugge near Ghent, Belgium, including loss of Squadron Leader Ronald Hawkins in Hawker Typhoon Mk IB (JP585), 5/10/1943; question of making second run over target; squadron losses; shooting down of German Air Force training aircraft; duration of flights; method of attacking targets; threat from German Navy E-boats; technique for dropping bombs; bomber escort duties; German Air Force fighter attacks during bomber escort operations; use of long range fuel tanks whilst escorting Bristol Beaufighter aircraft. REEL 7 Continues: lack of flying at low-level over water; move to RAF Swanton Morley to escort Bristol Beaufighter aircraft, 28/12/1943; operations against steel works at Textel Island, Netherlands; return to RAF Manston to attack German V1 Flying Bomb sites, 14/2/1944; description of preparations for typical operation; character of Sabre Engine used in Hawker Typhoon Mk IB; taking off in pairs and formatting; reforming after operation and landing; debriefing; boredom between operations; swinging aircrafts' compass; flying clothing worn. REEL 8 Continues: arrival of Hawker Tempest Mk V at RAF Bradwell Bay, 4/1944; account of ditching Hawker Typhoon at night from RAF Bradwell Bay including escaping from sinking aircraft, 22/3/1944; physical condition on rescue by naval launch; medical effects of ditching; air-sea operation; German Air Force bombing of RAF Bradwell Bay using SD-2 Butterfly Bombs; problems with over speeding of engines of Hawker Typhoon Mk IB and Hawker Tempest Mk V; story of how his son acquired parts of his crashed Hawker Typhoon; move to RAF Newchurch, 28/4/1944; patrolling over beachhead, Normandy, France, 6/1944; sight of first German V1 Flying Bomb, 6/1944; operating against German V1 Flying Bomb; shooting down German V1 Flying Bomb. REEL 9 Continues: shooting down German V1 Flying Bomb at night; problem of being too close to exploding German V1 Flying Bomb; incidents of having to abortive attacks on German V1 Flying Bombs; flight in squadron Taylorcraft Auster to London to collect uniform on commissioning. Recollections of operations as pilot with 3 Sqdn, No 148 Wing, No 85 Group, 2nd Tactical Air Force, RAF in North West Europe, 9/1944-1/1945: flight to Belgium 9/1944; reconnaissance role of Hawker Tempest Mk V; sight of air formations during Operation Market Garden, 9/1944; visit to Brussels, Belgium; move to Advanced Landing Ground, B-80 at Volkel in Netherlands, 1/10/1944; loss of squadron member to German anti-aircraft guns; accommodation and character of Advanced Landing Ground, B-80 at Volkel, Netherlands; accidents on airfield and need for ground crewman to sit on wing when taxiing aircraft; lack of German opposition; attacking trains in Germany; attack on boats on lake. REEL 10 Continues: start of winter; attacking train and signal box; story of bailing out of aircraft after anti-aircraft hit on aircraft over the Ruhr, Germany, 2/1/1945; landing next to railway. Recollections of period as prisoner of war at Dulag Luft Interrogation Centre, Oberursel and Stalag III-A, Luckenwalde, Germany, 1945: attempt to evade capture; capture near Dülmen; treatment during imprisonment in Dülmen; removal to second village; prior recollection of making way back to squadron from GB after Christmas leave, 12/1944; prior recollection of German attack on Advanced Landing Ground, B-80 at Volkel, Netherlands, 1/1/1945; background to being shot down, 2/1/1945; truck journey with forced labourers to Essen; removal to Dulag Luft Interrogation Centre, Oberursel. REEL 11 Continues: conditions and treatment in Dulag Luft Interrogation Centre, Oberursel; character of interrogation at Dulag Luft Interrogation Centre, Oberursel; nature of German intelligence held on his squadron; brief encounter with Royal Air Force pilot who he had trained with; discussion with German interrogator about German Air Force attacks, 1/1/1945; removal to transit camp and issue of uniform items and rations; train journey from Frankfurt am Main to Stalag III-A, Luckenwalde via Berlin; accommodation at Stalag III-A, Luckenwalde; rations; other nationalities in camp; method of passing time; behaviour of American prisoners of war. REEL 12 Continues: removal of American enlisted men to marquee on arrival of Royal Air Force officer prisoners of war; delay in leaving camp; description of latrines; use of bed boards for fuel; ingenious portable stoves made by Royal Air Force prisoner of war; hospitalisation; arrival of Soviet Army; refusal of Soviet Army to let prisoners of war leave camp; behaviour of Soviet Army guards; graves around camp; removal of former Soviet prisoners of war from camp; attempts of prisoners of war to escape to American lines; behaviour of Soviet Army troops towards Germans; removal to American forces' lines over River Elbe; issue of rations in American camp at Halle; flight from Germany to RAF Cosford, GB, 5/1945. Aspects of period as officer with Royal Air Force in GB, 1945-1946: leave and VJ Day celebrations in London, 15/8/1945; posting to Station Flight at RAF Milfield; role of Station Flight. REEL 13 Continues: abortive air gunnery course at Kingston upon Hull; purchase of motorbike; memories of Squadron Leader Edward Donaldson; mess party; attitude towards service with Royal Air Force during Second World War; prior recollection of attack on German V weapons site with 3 Sqdn, RAF in which Squadron Leader Kenneth Wigglesworth was shot down, The Hague, Netherlands, 13/9/1944; story of shooting of Flying Officer Kenneth Slade-Betts by German Air Force personnel at Rheine Airfield, Germany, 29/12/1944.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
McDonough, Richard (Recorder)
Pottinger, Ronald William (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 2016-07-01
Dimensions: whole: Duration 390, Number Of Items 13
Catalogue number: 34604

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Interview with Ronald William Pottinger

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