|
Date: |
|
Description: | British driver served with Transport Section of 3 Sqdn, Royal Flying Corps in GB and Western Front, 1913-1915; mechanic served with 9 Sqdn, Royal Flying Corps on Western Front, 1916; instructor served with Equipment Officers School, Reading 1916-1917; NCO trained as pilot with Royal Flying Corps in GB, 1917-1918; officer served as pilot with 92 Sqdn, RAF on Western Front, 1918
REEL 1 Aspects of recruitment and training with Royal Flying Corps at Farnborough Royal Flying Corps Station, 5/1913-6/1913: reasons for enlistment; funeral of Colonel Samuel Cody. Aspects of period as driver to Motor Transport Section, 3 Squadron at Netheravon Royal Flying Corps Station, 6/1913-8/1914: posting to station; station layout and equipment establishment; restrictions on sergeant pilots flying even when they qualified as pilots privately; opinion of Private James McCudden and his exceptional eyesight; role as driver. Recollections of period as driver with Transport Section, 3rd Sqdn, Royal Flying Corps in France, 8/1914-11/1915: difficulties and reception from French civilians during journey to Mauberge, 8/1914; German air activity, 8/1914; holding aircraft down during storm, 9/1914; improving airstrip at Henges, near Amiens; premature bomb explosion whilst loading Lieutenant Cholmondley's aircraft; stories illustrating character of Gordon Bell.
REEL 2 Continues: stories illustrating character of Gordon Bell. Story of accident involving Captain Egerton flying BE2 C with 9 Sqdn, Royal Flying Corps on Western Front, 1916. Period as instructor at Equipment Officers School, Reading University, 10/1916-11/1917. Recollections of training as pilot with Royal Flying Corps in GB11/1917-7/1918: ground training at Reading; first solo and cross country flight at Thetford Royal Flying Corps Station; nature of flying; advanced flying training at Lilbourne Royal Flying Corps Station; keenness to learn aerial manoeuvres including Immelman turn, loop, roll and spin; use of rudder to confuse German anti-aircraft fire in action; use of flattened bracing wires to create whistling noise during ground attack operations; flying Avro 504 and enthusiasm for practising stunting to gain experience; flying Sopwith Pup; armament of SE5 A.
REEL 3 Continues: Recollections of period flying SE5 A with 92 Sqdn, RAF on Western Front, 7/1918-11/1918: initial period at Pilots Pool at St Omer, 7/1918; reception; opinion of Major Arthur Coningham; story of getting lost due to faulty compass and forced landing; relationship with pilots of different nationalities; role of patrols; method of communicating between aircraft; story illustrating methods of breaking off from combat with overwhelming numbers of German aircraft; nature of dogfighting; squadron and wing formations; German pilots' advantage in fighting over their own lines; story of gliding back from behind German lines; ground strafing German transport and use of 20lb Cooper bombs; story of harassing German officer on horseback.
REEL 4 Continues: story of receiving slight head wound from machine gun post in church tower whilst ground strafing German transport in village; opinion of Captain James Robb and Arthur Coningham; story of deliberate destruction of sub-standard SE5 A; relationship with ground crew, officers and NCOs; sings 'The Young Aviator Lay Dying' and Tipperary parody: 'Its a Log Way to 5,000'. | 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 |
|
More Like this...
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
recording
Australian officer served flying Sopwith…
-
|