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Description: | British signaller served with Royal Engineers Signal Service in GB, 1914-1917; officer served as observer with 225 Sqdn, Royal Naval Air Service/RAF based at Mudros and Imbros in the Aegean, 1918; served with RAF in South Russia, 1919-1920
REEL 1 Recollections of recruitment and period as signaller with Royal Engineers Signal Service in GB, 1915-1917: initial lack of uniform on arrival at St Mary's Barracks, Chatham, 4/1915; Zeppelin raids; patriotic reaction to outbreak of war, 4/8/1914; reaction to army discipline; learning Morse code; various postings and promotion to lance corporal; experiments with signal jamming device; acting as instructors to cadet officers; discovery of under age status; interview with Royal Engineer colonel prior to transfer as midshipman observer with Royal Naval Air Service, 1917.
REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of training as midshipman observer with Royal Naval Air Service in GB, 1917: initial posting to Great Yarmouth, 1917; training as observer on various aircraft at Eastchurch, 1917; stories illustrating traditional nature of mess life as cadets during period at Naval College, Greenwich, 1917. Journey to Mudros, Lemnos, Greece, 1918.
REEL 3 Continues: Recollections of daylight bombing operations as observer with 225 Sqdn, Royal Naval Air Service/RAF whilst based at Imbros, 1918: prior briefing; bombs load; question of effect of bombs on Goeben; clashes with German fighters and problems with Lewis gun; lack of food rations; latrine arrangements. Rough landing with bombs aboard during flight to Salonika, Greece, 11/1918. Aspects of journey to Chechen Island, Caspian Sea, 1918: question of volunteering; voyage out.
REEL 4 Continues: rifle shooting at mines in Black Sea; effects of storm off Battum; billets during journey. Recollections of period as observer at Chechen Island, Russia, 1919-1920: long distance bombing operations; confused situation; story of mission in DH9 A to assist Captain Grigson who had landed with engine trouble, success in repairing Grigson's engine , subsequent crash of Kemp's aircraft on take off and walk home; question of relationship with Russian civilians and troops; hand over of aircraft to Russian pilots; question of hostile fire.
REEL 5 Continues: hand over of aircraft and Flight Commander's Keymer's role in training Russian pilots; sniper fire on train during evacuation, 1920. Demobilisation and interview with Trenchard, 1920: question of promised special leave; question of Trenchard's ignorance of RAF personnel remaining in South Russia. Comparison of morale in Fleet Air Arm, Royal Navy and Royal Naval Air Service in First and Second World Wars. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Kemp, Leslie H | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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