Description
Object description
British upper yardman and aviation cadet trained aboard HMS Implacable and HMS Indefatigable in Portland Harbour, GB 11/1953-4/1954; aviation cadet trained as observer at Royal Navy Observers School, HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in GB and HMS Gannet, Royal Naval Air Station Eglington, Northern Ireland, 4/1954-6/1955; midshipman and officer served as observer with 825 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in GB and aboard HMS Albion in Far East, 7/1955-7/1956; trained on Night Fighter Course with No 238 Operational Conversion Unit, RAF at RAF Colerne, GB, 8/1956-10/1956; officer served as observer with Joint Submarine Flight, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Gannet, Royal Naval Air Station Eglington, GB, 10/1956-12/1956; served with 814 Sqdn, Naval Air Sqdn, HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station, Culdrose in GB and aboard HMS Eagle in Mediterranean, 1/1957-12/1957; served as Carrier Controlled Approach Controller aboard HMS Eagle in Mediterranean, 1/1958-4/1959; served as observer with 820 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in GB and aboard HMS Ark Royal in Mediterranean, 9/1959-5/1960; served as staff officer with Intensive Flying Trials Unit, No 700 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in GB, 6/1960-7/1961; served as observer with 815 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in GB and aboard HMS Ark Royal in Mediterranean and on World Tour, 7/1961-12/1962; served as instructor with HMS Osprey, Royal Naval Air Station Portland in GB, 1/1963-1/1965; served as exchange officer with 725 and 817 Sqdns, Royal Australian Navy in Australia and Far East, 1/1965-1/1967; served as instructor at HMS Osprey Royal Naval Air Station Portland in GB, 1/1967-12/1968; served as trials officer with Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down in GB, 1/1969-1/1972; served as instructor and senior observer with 772 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Osprey, Royal Naval Air Station, Portland, GB, 3/1972-3/1975; served as senior observer with 781 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Daedalus, Royal Naval Air Station Lee on Solent in GB, 3/1975-10/1979; commanded Aircrewman School at HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in GB, 10/1979-10/1982; served as instructor with Royal Navy Observers School at HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in GB, 10/1982-10/1989
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Bishop Stortford and Harlow, GB, 1935-1953: family; education. Aspects of enlistment and training as upper yardman aboard HMS Implacable and HMS Indefatigable in Portland Harbour, GB, 11/1953-12/1953: terms of enlistment as National Service upper yardman; extension of service; arrival of uniforms; training aboard aircraft carrier; conditions during training. Aspects of training as aviation cadet aboard HMS Implacable and HMS Indefatigable in Portland Harbour, GB, 1/1954-4/1954: background and attitude towards selection as observer; question of education received during Second World War; quality and nature of training received; drill; duration of course; leave; nature of training. Recollections of training as observer at Royal Naval Observers School, HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in GB and HMS Gannet, Royal Naval Air Station Eglington in Northern Ireland, 4/1954-6/1955: organisation of course; elementary observer flying training; use of Percival Sea Prince; basic observer flying training in Fairey Firefly.
REEL 2 Continues: character of pilots; method of finding wind; advanced observer flying training including photography; Morse Code training; receiving wings; start of operational training at HMS Gannet, Royal Naval Air Station Eglington, Northern Ireland; training with sonar buoys. Aspects of period as midshipman and officer with 825 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in GB and aboard HMS Albion in Far East, 7/1955-7/1956: discipline and relations between ranks in naval squadrons; joining squadron, 7/1955; contrast between Fairey Firefly and Fairey Gannet A.S. Mk 1; operational training including use of mines; story of firing flares near tanker carrying aviation fuel; working up squadron; embarkation aboard HMS Albion; initial problems with Fairey Gannet, A.S. Mk 1
REEL 3 Continues: nature of Far Eastern tour; promotion to sub-lieutenant, 1/4/1956; effects of climate on his flying; relations with pilot; amusing story of landing at RAF Kai Tek, Hong Kong; return to GB, 7/1956. Aspects of training on Night Fighter Course with No 238 Operational Conversion Unit, RAF at RAF Colerne in GB, 8/1956-10/1956: attending course at RAF Colerne; character of Bristol Brigand; reasons for failure of course. Aspects of period as observer with Joint Submarine Flight, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Gannet, Royal Naval Air Station Eglington, GB, 10/1956-12/1956: joining flight using Orange Harvest radar system; exercises. Aspects of period as observer with 814 Sqdn, Naval Air Sqdn, HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in GB and aboard HMS Eagle in Mediterranean, 1/1957-12/1957: appointment to squadron; character of Fairey Gannet Mk IV; opinion of senior pilot and his insistence on blind night drills; opinion of captains of HMS Eagle. Aspects of period as Carrier Controlled Approach Controller aboard HMS Eagle in Mediterranean, 1/1958-4/1959: appointment to role; aircraft carrier's aircraft complement; an unserviceable Fairey Gannet Mk IV; duties in Mediterranean; problems with De Havilland Sea Venom; recreational activities; marriage and purchase of Bentley car.
REEL 4 Continues: story power loss during Westland Wyvern recovery; nature of duties on board; problems with damaged landing mirror on carrier; damage to flight deck catapult caused by De Havilland Sea Hawk; use of painted angled deck. Aspects of period as observer with 820 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in GB and aboard HMS Ark Royal in Mediterranean, 9/1959-5/1960: background to helicopter conversion; character of Westland Whirlwind Mk VII; move to Mediterranean. Aspects of period as staff officer with Intensive Flying Trials Unit, 700 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in GB, 6/1960-7/1961: appointment as staff officer; opinion of Westland Wessex H.A.S. Mk I. Aspects as period as observer with 815 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Seahawk Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in GB and aboard HMS Ark Royal in Mediterranean and on World Tour, 7/1961-12/1962: incident of commanding officer ditching in sea; nature of problems with Westland Wessex H.A.S. Mk I; story of rescue of De Havilland Sea Vixen crew who ditching at night in Indian Ocean; contrast in attitude of Europeans in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong; relations with army personnel at Nee Soon Barracks in Hong Kong including amusing stories about Gurkha drivers; visits to Australians in Malaysian jungle.
REEL 5 Continues: disembarking off carrier, 12/1962. Aspects of period as instructor with HMS Osprey, Royal Naval Air Station Portland, GB, 1/1963-1/1965: starting instructional role on Westland Wessex H.A.S. Mk I and need for two pilots in helicopters; attending Helicopter Control Officers course; character of radar set; shipping out. Aspects as exchange officer with 725 and 817 Sqdns, Royal Australian Navy in Australia and Far East, 1/1965-1/1967: joining squadron as senior observer at HMAS Albatross at Nowra; reasons for going to 817 Sqdn, Royal Australian Navy; squadron duties; degree of threat from Indonesia during transit in HMAS Sydney to South China Sea; problems flying early model Westland Wessex and Bristol Sycamore; amusing story of encounter with cavalry officer in Malaysia; crossing the Great Australian Bight; nature of tropical conversant zone; inexperience of Royal Australian Navy.
REEL 6 Continues: return to GB via New Zealand. Aspects of period as instructor at HMS Osprey Portland, GB, 1/1967-12/1968: instructing on Westland Wessex H.A.S. Mk 1; introduction of Westland Wessex H.A.S. Mk III; character of training course; question of seniority amongst observers. Aspects of period as trials officer with Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down in GB, 1/1969-1/1972: problems trialling Westland Sea King H.A.S Mk 1; how he questioned trials programme and became project officer; character of Magnetic Anomaly Detector and trialling it in Canada; amusing story of stores requisite triggering nuclear alert; nature of Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) range in Bahamas; need to guard against competing commercial interests.
REEL 7 Continues: writing report on Magnetic Anomaly Detector trials; relations with commercial manufacturers; liaison with Maths Services; question of classified documents held on site; limitations of Magnetic Anomaly Detector; nature of Magnetic Anomaly Detector trials and question of trophy hunting. Aspects of period as instructor and senior observer with 772 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Osprey, Royal Naval Air Station, Portland, GB, 3/1972-3/1975: character of 10/75 Trainer; becoming senior pilot with 772 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm, 1974; training programme; initial problems with Westland Sea King. Aspects of period as senior observer with 781 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Daedalus, Royal Naval Air Station Lee on Solent in GB, 3/1975-10/1979: joining squadron as senior observer; character of De Havilland Sea Heron. C.Mk 20; squadron duties including fisheries protection; nature of VIP helicopter flights.
REEL 8 Continues: amusing stories of time on squadron; problems with RAF Avro Nimrod aircraft operating on fisheries protection; threat of bird strikes on aircraft; nature of squadron duties. Aspects of period commanding Aircrewman School at HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in GB, 10/1979-10/1982: training of aircrewmen; effects of Falklands War on training programme, 1982. Aspects of period as instructor with Royal Navy Observers School at HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in GB, 10/1982-10/1989: secondment to Ferranti at Stockport to work on navigational trainer projection; nature of navigational trainer; taking control of navigational trainer project; question of how navigational training was organised; nature of work; decision to leave Fleet Air Arm.
REEL 9 Continues: medical problems experienced on leaving Fleet Air Arm; attitude towards service with Fleet Air Arm and at Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment, Boscombe Down.