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Description: | British NCO served as air mechanic with Royal Naval Air Service in GB, 1914-1916; served as air gunner/observer with 3 and 5 Sqdns, Royal Naval Air Service on Western Front, 1916-1918
REEL 1 Recollections of enlistment and training as air mechanic with Royal Naval Air Service in GB, 1914-1915: recruitment as 2nd Class Air Mechanic , 4/11/1914; getting release from apprenticeship as motor mechanic; passing trade test at Hendon; reasons; father's reaction; prior failed attempts to join up; basic training at Sheerness, 11/1914-1/1915 including partial uniform, opinion of marine instructors and its lasting influence. Recollections of period as air mechanic with Royal Naval Air Service at Great Yarmouth, 1/1915-4/1916: uniform on arrival; situation.
REEL 2 Continues: status as war service volunteers; work in engine workshop; enthusiasm for flying; test flights on Sopwith Tabloids by Thomas Sopwith; question of relationship with regulars; clearing sand from slipway; station layout; rifle and rifle grenade armament during coastal anti-Zeppelin patrols; minesweeping patrol aboard trawler in North Sea including use of Sopwith Schneider Seaplanes to spot floating mines and subsequent method of clearing them; training as air gunner at Eastchurch, 4/1916-10/1916.
REEL 3 Continues: course in naval gunnery at Whale Island, Plymouth; method of practising bombing on targets from Henri Farmans; machine gun training impressions of Horace Short; question of adequacy of training; opinion of Henri Farman aircraft.
REEL 4 Continues: Recollections of period as air gunner/observer flying in Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter with 3 Sqdn, Royal Naval Air Service at Leuxeuil, France, 10/1916-5/1917: Channel crossing aboard hospital ship; dropping propaganda leaflets threatening retaliatory raid if any more hospital ships were sunk and subsequent raids after further sinking of hospital ship; nature of air combat and German system of layering fighters at different altitudes; bomb release gear and sights; question of effectiveness of bombing and nature of targets; role as observer; acting as working party when grounded due to bad weather; effects of weather on flying and use of whale oil to prevent frost bite; duration and number of flights.
REEL 5 Continues: relationship with officer pilots. Recollections of period as air gunner flying in DH4s with 5 Sqdn, Royal Naval Air Service at Dunkirk, 6/1917-3/1918: prior interval awaiting posting at Eastchurch; role as daylight bombers and escorts; problems in running out of fuel on long range missions and consequent forced landings illustrated by ditching in sea at La Panne beach; clashes with Richthofen's 'Flying Circus'.
REEL 6 Continues: story of being shot down during raid on Engel airfield, 11/1917, including method of using of stop watch and bomb sight, surprise attack from out of sun, leg wound and shooting down attacker; bombing raid during period at Dunkirk Hospital; hospitalisation in GB prior to return to unit, 11/1917-12/1917; question of decorations to ORs; effects of cold weather; ground strafing, role to hamper German offensives, 3/1918; question of value of Royal Naval Air Service operations; bombardments of Dunkirk; detachment as gunner on night operations in Handley Page Bombers of 7 Sqdn, Royal Naval Air Service.
REEL 7 Continues: reaction to casualties, pooled money for 'binges' and personal morale; grounding through nervous breakdown in air; assignment to airfield anti-aircraft Lewis gunpit; return as unfit for active service to GB, 3/1918; unearned flying pay following formation of RAF, 1/4/1918; story of using dual control stick to fly aircraft on pilot being sick and fainting in flight; question of contact with Royal Navy; question of relationship with Royal Flying Corps; nature of station at Dunkirk. | 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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