Denham, Eric (Oral history)

British aircraftman trained with No 1 Aircrew Reception Centre, Lord's Cricket Ground, St John's Wood, London, No 11 Initial Training Wing, RAF, Scarborough and with No 4 Elementary Flying Training School, RAF Brough in GB, 4/1942-10/1942; aircraftman trained as pilot with No 5 British Flying Training School, Clewiston, Florida, US, 1/1943-7/1943; NCO served with No 7 Personnel Reception Centre, RAF, Harrogate, GB, 9/1943-3/1944; trained with No 14 Advanced Flying Unit, RAF and 1512 (Beam Approach Training) Flight, RAF at RAF Banff, GB, 4/1944-9/1944; served as pilot with No 2 Air Gunnery School, RAF at RAF Dalcross, GB, 9/1944-11/1945; served with No 11 Air Gunnery School, RAF at RAF Andreas and RAF Jurby, Isle of Man, 11/1945-11/1947; served with No 1 Flying Training School, RAF at RAF Spitialgate, GB, 11/1947-3/1948; served with Central Gunnery School, RAF at RAF Leconfield, GB, 7/1948-3/1951; served as air traffic controller at RAF Digby, GB, 3/1951-10/1952; served with Central Gunnery School, RAF at RAF Leconfield, GB, 10/1952-10/1954; officer cadet with No 1 Officer Cadet Training Unit RAF Jurby on Isle of Man, 11/1954-1/1955; officer trained on Jet Conversion Course with No 203 Advanced Flying School, RAF at RAF Driffield, GB, 2/1955-7/1955; trained on English Electric Canberra Conversion Course with No 231 Operational Training Unit, RAF at RAF Bassingbourn in GB, 8/1955-9/1955; officer served as pilot with 101 Sqdn, Bomber Command, RAF at RAF Binbrook, GB, RAF Butterworth in Malaya and RAF Hal Far during the Suez operations, Egypt, 9/1955-12/1956; served with 9 Sqdn, Bomber Command, RAF in GB, 12/1956-11/1957; trained with No 6 Avro Vulcan Conversion Course, RAF in GB, 11/1957-4/1958; pilot served with 101 Sqdn, Bomber Command, RAF at RAF Finningley in GB, 4/1958-2/1961; trained with No 230 Operational Conversion Unit, RAF at RAF Waddington in GB, 3/1961-4/1961; served with 27 Sqdn, Bomber Command, RAF at RAF Scampton in GB, 5/1961-8/1963; served as flight simulator instructor at RAF Coningsby in GB, 8/1963-5/1966; trained as pilot with Transport Command, RAF in GB, 1966-1967; served with 511 Sqdn, Transport Command, RAF in GB, 1967-1971; served as instructor with Operation Conversion Unit, Transport Command, RAF, 1971-1973

REEL 1 Background in GB and India, 1922-1941: family; family moves due to father's military service with York and Lancaster Regt; period in India, 1934-1938; opinion of education received by Army Education Corps; living conditions in cantonments; employment with building contractors William Birch and Sons Ltd in York. Aspects of period as civilian in York, GB, 1939-1941: construction of road blocks by William Birch and Sons Ltd; memories of outbreak of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Aspects of enlistment and training with No 11 Initial Training Wing, RAF, Scarborough in GB, 1941-1942: question of not wanting to serve in army; volunteering for aircrew at RAF Padgate, 1941; termination of civilian employment during deferred call up; induction at No Aircrew Reception Centre, Lord's Cricket Ground, St John's Wood, London, 4/1942; training at No 11 Initial Training Wing, RAF, Scarborough, 4/1942-9/1942 including meteorological, Morse Code and navigational instruction; daily routine. REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of training with No 4 Elementary Flying Training School, RAF Brough in GB, 9/1942-10/1942: posting to grading school; familiarisation with De Havilland Tiger Moth; flying De Havilland Tiger Moth; recovery from spin; taking off and landing De Havilland Tiger Moth; controls and communication with instructor; assessment of pupils; period in transit at RAF Heaton Park, Manchester, GB, 0/1942-12/1942. Aspects of voyage aboard RMT Andes from Gourock, GB to Halifax, Canada, 12/1942: embarkation; conditions and duties on board; period at RCAF Monkton, 12/1942-1/1943. Recollections of flying training as leading aircraftman with No 5 British Flying Training School, Clewiston, Florida, US, 1/1943-7/1/1943: character of train journey from Monkton, Canada to Clewiston, Florida, US; organisation of school; accommodation; familiarisation with Boeing PT-17A Stearman; making turns; taxiing aircraft; practising forced landings. REEL 3 Continues: need for awareness of surroundings during forced practice landings; Link Trainer sessions and instrument training; character of Boeing PT-17A Stearman; soloing aircraft; loss of trainee pilots; night flying; aerobatics practised including loops and slow rolls; navigation exercises; issue of log book and numbered; move onto advanced flying course; instructors; familiarisation on North American AT-6A Harvard. REEL 4 Continues: signing for aircraft prior to flight; navigation training using Radio Range system; formation flying; pattern of advanced flying training course; receiving wings, 7/1943. Aspects of period as NCO with No 7 Personnel Reception Centre, RAF, Harrogate in GB, 9/1943-3/1944: return voyage aboard RMS Queen Elizabeth from Canada to GB, 8/1943; question of assessment of flying skills; posting to No 7 Personnel Reception Centre, 9/1943-3/1944; courses taken; attitude towards period at Harrogate. Aspects of flying training as pilot with No 14 Advanced Flying Unit, RAF and 1512 (Beam Approach Training) Flight, RAF at RAF Banff in GB, 4/1944-9/1944: conversion to twin engined Airspeed Oxford; training on beam approach system; description of Airspeed Oxford. Aspects of period as pilot with No 2 Air Gunnery School, RAF at RAF Dalcross in GB, 9/1944-11/1945: posting as staff pilot; flying role during air gunner training sessions. REEL 5 Continues: use of Miles Martinet for drogue target towing; conversion onto Supermarine Spitfire Mk VII; taking off in Supermarine Spitfire Mk VII; character of Supermarine Spitfire Mk VII; cine-camera work. Aspects of period as pilot with No 11 Air Gunnery School, RAF at RAF Andreas and RAF Jurby, Isle of Man, 11/1945-11/1947: posting to RAF Andreas; use of Supermarine Spitfire Mk XVI; daily routine; move of school to RAF Jurby; character of Vickers Wellington Mk X; obtaining long service commission. Aspects of period as pilot with No 1 Flying Training School at RAF Spitialgate, GB, 11/1947-3/1948: posting to school; duties air testing aircraft. Aspects of period as pilot with Central Gunnery School, RAF at RAF Leconfield, GB, 7/1948-3/1951: duties training air gunnery instructors. REEL 6 Continues: flying Avro Lancaster; role of flight engineer. Aspects of period as air traffic controller at RAF Digby, 3/1951-10/1952: work as air traffic controller; organisation at RAF Digby; need to keep up flying hours. Aspects of period as pilot with Central Gunnery School, RAF at RAF Leconfield, GB, 10/1952-10/1954: posting to Central Gunnery School; story of accidentally penetrating East German airspace during Operation Barrage in Germany, 12/3/1953; character of Avro Lincoln; flights to RAF stations in Germany; air to sea gunnery; applying for commission; RAF's move towards all commissioned aircrew. REEL 7 Continues: Aspects of period as officer cadet at No 1 Officer Cadet Training Unit RAF Jurby on Isle of Man, 11/1954-1/1955: background of officer cadets; degree of knowledge of RAF law; field exercise at end of course. Aspects of training on Jet Conversion Course with No 203 Advanced Flying School, RAF at RAF Driffield in GB, 2/1955-7/1955: converting to jet aircraft on Gloster Meteor T.7; contrast between jet and piston engined aircraft; pattern of course. Aspects of training on English Electric Canberra Conversion Course with No 231 Operational Conversion Unit, RAF at RAF Bassingbourn in GB, 8/1955-9/1955: joining course, 8/1955; problems with English Electric Canberra tail plane; crew; crewing up. Recollections of operations as pilot with 101 Sqdn, RAF at RAF Binbrook, GB, RAF Butterworth in Malaya and at RAF Hal Far on Malta during Suez Operation, 9/1955-12/1956: commanding officer Squadron Leader Bernard 'Buddy' Moorcroft; squadron flying and instrument ratings; demarcation of crew roles; bombing exercises; detachment to RAF Butterworth in Malaya, 1956. REEL 8 Continues: flight from RAF Binbrook to RAF Butterworth; bombing operations using English Electric Canberra B.6 in Malaya; return to RAF Binbrook, 8/1956; flight to RAF Luqa in Malta, 9/1956; build up for Operation Musketeer on Malta and move to RAF Hal Far, 10/1956; bombing Kabrit Air Base in Egypt, 31/10/1956; conditions in aircraft during long range bombing operation to Kasfareet Air Base, 1/11/1956; character of bomb run; return to GB, 29/11/1956; disbandment of squadron during reorganisation of Bomber Command squadrons, 12/1956. Aspects of period as pilot with 9 Sqdn, RAF in GB, 11/1956-11/1957: posting to squadron; background to obtaining place on conversion course to Avro Vulcan; detachments to Malta; reasons for wanting to convert to Avro Vulcan. REEL 9 Continues: Aspects of period as pilot on No 6 Conversion Course, RAF in GB, 11/1957-4/1958: description of Instrument Landing System; electrical system in Avro Vulcan; ground school; use of simulator during conversion course to Avro Vulcan; impressions of Avro Vulcan. Recollections of period as pilot with 101 Sqdn, RAF at RAF Finningley in GB, 4/1958-2/1961: use of RBS radar equipment for practise bombing runs; question of problem of crew ejecting from Avro Vulcan; nature of electrical problem with Avro Vulcan Mk 1; overseas detachment to Nigeria; 'lone ranger' patrol to Kenya; public relations flights to Far East and US. REEL 10 Continues: planning for attacks in event of war; attitude to prospect of nuclear strikes; targeting; nature of exercises using dispersal airfields; nature of Quick Reaction Alerts. Aspects of period as pilot on No 230 Operational Conversion Unit, RAF at RAF Waddington in GB, 3/1961-4/1961: improvements in Avro Vulcan Mk II; converting to Avro Vulcan Mk II. Recollections of period as pilot with 27 Sqdn, RAF at RAF Scampton in GB, 5/1961-8/1963: pre-flight checks on aircraft; deploying parachute to slow aircraft on landing; effect of Cuban Missile Crisis on squadron commander, 10/1962; state of readiness during Cuban Missile Crisis, 10/1962; piloting Air Vice Marshal Patrick Dunn on overseas trip to US; witnessing failed launch of Thor Missile at Vandenberg Air Force Base in US. REEL 11 Continues: introduction of Blue Steel Missile; participation in Paris Air Show, 6/1963. Aspects of period as flight simulator instructor at RAF Coningsby in GB, 8/1963-5/1966: attitude towards instructional work; nature of simulator instructional work; attending sea survival course; secondary duties. Aspects of training with Transport Command, RAF in GB, 1966-1967: converting to Vickers Varsity and Bristol Britannia from 1966; attitude to converting to Bristol Britannia; participating in world trip at end of course; piloting Lieutenant General Sir John Mogg on retirement tour of Africa; division of duties between pilot and co-pilot. Aspects of period as pilot with 511 Sqdn, Transport Command, RAF in GB, 1967-1971: squadron duties; 'western ranger' exercises to US and reinforcement exercises to Pacific. REEL 12 Continues: duration of tour; move to RAF Brize Norton, 1970; leaving squadron, 1971. Aspects to go to Transport Command Operational Conversion Unit, Transport Command, RAF in GB, 1971-1973: Periodical Refresher Training; converting new crews to Bristol Britannia; route checking; attitude to work; decision to retire from RAF, 9/1973; attitude towards career with RAF.