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Description: | British officer served as pilot with 47 Sqdn Royal Flying Corps in GB, 1917-1918; served with 218 Sqdn RAF on Western Front, 1918
REEL 1 Recollections of enlistment and training with and basic training as officer with 2/28th, London Regt in London, 5/1917-6/1917: reactions to outbreak of war in Trinidad, 4/8/1914; paid passage as prospective recruit to GB, 4/1917; family's reaction; debilitating leg problems caused by hook worm and successful treatment; reasons for application for commission in Royal Flying Corps. Aspects of period as officer with 47 Sqdn, Royal Flying Corps at Waddington, 8/1917-4/1918: first flight in Maurice Farman Longhorn; story of near crash in Avro 504 illustrating difficulties in learning to fly fast machines during period with 73 Sqdn, Royal Flying Corps at Turnhouse, 12/1917; consequent return to two-seater training at Waddington; sudden acclimatisation to flying and subsequent stunting ability. Recollections of period flying DH9 s with 218 Sqdn, RAF at Gheen and Dunkirk, France: 6/1918-10/1918: story of deliberately spinning a DH9; narrow escape due to engine failure on take off.
REEL 2 Continues: question of adequacy of training; continued naval traditions of unit, variety of uniforms worn and background to use of 'Hungarian blue' for RAF uniform; role of unit; nature of bombing raids; story of not realising there had been an attack by German aircraft on formation; bombing raids on German railway communications during offensive, 28/9/1918; story of air food drop to advanced Belgian troops and subsequently getting lost, c1/10/1918 | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Lance, David G | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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