Conversation with Alan Thomsett

Conversation with Alan Thomsett

Edited transcript. Gives personal details and service history. Enlisted in 1942.Pilot on 1473 Flight and 192 Squadron (100 Group) on Wellingtons. Starts with comments about first posting 1473 Flight which eventually merged with 1474 Flight to become 192 Squadron. Talks of aircraft including Wellingtons and Ansons tasked with tracking beams coming from Holland and following the German bomber stream. Mentions jamming trials and other work in radio countermeasures. Comments on RAF Foulsham and 192 Squadron having Wellingtons for coastal work and Mosquitos for deep penetration. Describes coastal operations carrying special operators. Mentions that they did not have much knowledge of what special operations intelligence was gathered. Mentions looking for V-3 and possible U-boat homing beacons. Continues with general chat about special operations. Speaks about crew for special operations. Did 40.5 operations. Mentions some operations concerning V-1. Speaks of playing cat and mouse with German fighters who knew where they were and what they were doing. Mentions danger of loose talk on radio and warning from Bomber Command about giving information to Germans. Provides comment after being asked what he thought of Wellingtons. Goes on to talk of air ministry secret flying unit with Wellington Mark 14s checking radio equipment accuracy. Mentions visiting Norwich aviation museum and exhibition of 100 Group. Continues to talk about his career after the war at Filton in Bristol. Goes back to when he joined up and mentions training including in North America. Mentions advanced flying, OTU, crewing up (describes crew), cancelled postings and eventually going to 1473 Flight. Mentions commissioning and comments on commissioned and non-commissioned aircrew. Mentions keeping up with crew and offers more comments on reliability of Wellington. Speaks of long operations and FIDO at RAF Foulsham and having to divert with little fuel left. Carries on with anecdotes about flying incidents and experiences as well of descriptions of aircraft he had flown. He offers some insights from operations record sheets for days in August 1944. Mentions Tiger Moth flights.

2008-11

2008-12

Eleven page printed document

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