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Description: | British officer served with Northamptonshire Regt in GB, 1915; served with 32 Sqdn, Royal Flying Corps on Western Front, 1916; served with 40 Sqdn, RFC/RAF on Western Front, 1917-1918
REEL 1 Question of correct pronunciation of Gwilym. Period at Marlborough School, 1914-1915: question of enlistment; OTC activities. Background to recruitment and training with Royal Flying Corps, 1/1916-2/1916: prior commission and initial training with Northamptonshire Regt, 91/1915; colonel's reaction to application to transfer; necessity of learning to fly at personal expense at Hendon Airfield, ca 10/1915; period of flying training at Farnborough, 1/1916-2/1916; flying training methods at Hendon. Period of flying training at Central Flying School, RFC, Upavon, 2/1916-5/1916: flying characteristics of BE2 A; looping BE2 C, flying Vickers Fighter. Posting to fly DH2s with newly formed 32 Sqdn, RFC at Netheravon., 5/1916: keenness to fly DH2; opinion of Major Lionel Rees; preference for DH2 in contrast to Bristol Bullet; situation. Recollections of period in France, 1916: crossing English Channel; nickname of 'Cherub'; line patrols; story of first combat with Roland two-seater illustrating inexperience; story of spin during training at CFS; success of the DH2 in countering Fokker DRI and successful liaison with bombing and army co-operation squadrons.
REEL 2 Continues: contacts with Trenchard; situation at Vert Galand; replacing 60 Sqdn, RFC in Somme area due to inadequacy of Morane Bullet; view of infantry; supporting tank attack at Flers, 15/9/1915; ground crew; arrival of brother Edmund Lewis; arrival of new German fighters; German fighter aces; air situation, late 1916; acting as patrol leader; state of morale; visits to Amiens; drinking habits; effects of strain of air combat; daily patrols; formation flying; size of Vert Galand airfield; air situation, late 1916; opinion of Richtofen; question of lack of publicity given to British fighter aces; opinion of various German aces; evacuation with appendicitis to GB, 11/1916.
REEL 3 Continues: interviewer reads letter from ground crew; relationship with ground crew. Hospitalisation with appendicitis. Period as instructor at newly formed School of Aerial Fighting, Loch Doon and CFS, Upavon, 2/1917-12/1917: construction of SAF; disciplinary offence; pressure as commander of SE5 Training Flight to turn out more pilots due to air situation, 1917 corrective course in advanced flying at School of Aerial Fighting, Gosport. Recollections of period as flight commander flying SE5s with B Flight, 40 Sqdn, RFC in France, 12/1917-7/1918: military and air situation, 1917; reception; opinion of Mannock; relationship with flight NCOs and ground crew; question of personal mechanical knowledge; opinion of Mannock.
REEL 4 Continues: tactical importance of McCudden, Ball and Mannock; shooting dowm German aircraft during patrol with Tudhope; unit morale; difficulty in shooting down German aircraft; situation, ca 3/1918; success of ground strafing missions to stop German offensive, 3/1918; joint patrols with C Flight; success in protecting new pilots; taking over as temporary squadron commander following death of Major Leonard Tilney during dogfight, 5/1918; opinion of Major Roderick Dallas, question of his solo patrols and story of his dropping boots as joke during attack on German airfield; opinion of Captain McElroy; story of Mannock warning McElroy of dangers of ground fire, 7/1918. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | King, Brad | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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