Oral History collection: Alun John Richards, Johnny Jones, Betty Pope, Alexander Imlach, all former personnel of RAF Fairwood during the Second World War, and Ted Solomon, a local farmer, interviewed by Peter Hall. DVD recording entitled "A hundred years of Gower aviation, part 1: the early years 1911 to 1951" by Peter Hall. The DVD includes a full history of RAF Fairwood Common including interviews with personnel who were at the airfield during the Second World War. 2011

[00:00:01] Subject: Gower Aviation 1911-51. [00:00:52] Ernest Sutton: 19/1/11, first powered flight in Wales, Oxwich, Bleriot monoplane. [00:01:30] Alan Cobham: Flying Circus, at Pennard, 28/8/32 (National Aviation Day). [00:01:45] Alan Cobham: Flying circus displays 1935 [picture shows Avro504]. [00:01:59] Air Displays: British Hospitals Air Pageant, Penmaen,1933. [00:02:12] Alun Richards: Memories of flying in DH Dragon. [00:02:51] Idwal Jones: Tiger Moth pilot. [00:03:34] DH Dragon: Cockpit, interior. [00:03:57] John Hayman: May '37 first flight (glider), Fairwood Common. [00:05:26] Gliding: Launch technique. [00:06:16] Fairwood Aerodrome: 1100+ acres common land, purchased by Swansea Council, 1938. [00:06:36] RAF Fairwood: 1939: government bought additional 580 acres+, to turn aerodrome into fighter base. [00:06:47] RAF Fairwood: Construction summer '40, using Hafod industrial waste. [00:07:08] RAF Fairwood: 3 tarmac runways, various hangars, facilities for 2 fighter squadrons. [00:07:18] RAF Fairwood: Requisitioned 3 mansions for accommodation. [00:07:33] RAF Fairwood: Took over (uncompleted) base 25/5/41, as RAF Station Fairwood Common. [00:07:46] RAF Fairwood: 13 further sites for accommodation, c 2000 people. [00:07:58] RAF Fairwood: 14/6/41 79 Sqdn, Hurricanes, 15/6/41 Station declared operational, 10 Group Fighter Command. [00:08:22] 79 Sqdn: Missions and COs. [00:08:40] 79 Sqdn: Madras Presidency Squadron, sponsored by people of Madras. [00:09:04] RAF Fairwood: Beaufighter Mk 2, nightfighters,600 (City of London) Sqdn, 18/6/41. [00:09:23] RAF Fairwood: Unfinished airfield, difficult to operate Beaus, left after 9 days. [00:09:35] RAF Fairwood: 317 Sqdn arrives 27/6/41, Polish, Hurricanes. [00:09:44] 317 Sqdn: Operations: kill of Me 109, 10/7/41, Brest, 14/7/41 Ju 88 near Tenby. [00:09:59] RAF Fairwood: 7/7/41 ASR Lysanders. [00:10:10] RAF Fairwood: Buildings, procedures. [00:10:18] RAF: Fighter Control centre, Cockett, radar locations. [00:10:45] RAF Fairwood: 504 (County of Nottingham ) Sqdn, Hurricanes, replace 317 on 21/7/41. [00:10:56] RAF Fairwood: 125 (Newfoundland) Sqdn, radar-equipped Defiants, autumn '41, until Feb '42. [00:11:19] RAF Fairwood: Superceded RAF Pembrey as sector station. [00:11:25] 276 Sqdn: ASR Lysanders D Flight, there until Sept '44. [00:11:29] ASR: Procedures, locations. [00:11:48] RAF Fairwood: 263 Sqdn, Whirlwinds, Feb' 42. [00:12:10] RAF Fairwood: Fairwood Fighter Wing: 402 Sqdn, 213 (Czechoslovak) Sqdn, until May '42. [00:12:31] RAF Fairwood: 421 (Red Indian) Sqdn, Spitfires; 125 (Newfoundland) Sqdn, Beaufighter Mks 2 & 6 nightfighters. [00:12:53] Flt Sgt Johnny Jones, RCAF: An interview already indexed: see DD Z 717-17m 0m 17s to 9m 50s. [00:22:15] Betty Pope: RAF Meteorological Branch, interview indexed on DD Z 717-7. [00:26:11] RAF Fairwood: University Air Sqdn summer camp'42: impressions of Alun Richards - "chaos… queues". [00:27:30] RAF Fairwood: Moth Minor aircraft, training. [00:28:58] Richard Atcherly: Wing Cdr, succeeded by twin David: opinions of tricyle undercarriages. [00:30:35] RAF: Drem landing system: operation, tactical inhibitions. [00:31:30] RAF: Radio limitations, frequencies. [00:31:51] RAF: Drem landing procedures, general and Fairwood specific. [00:33:36] Telepathy: Atcherly brothers telepathic. [00:34:55] RAF Fairwood: Armin Faber, who got lost and landed in Wales (Presenting RAF with priceless FW 190), entertained there in mess. [00:35 17] RAF Fairwood: Attack exercise on Station by Home Guard, summer'42. [00:36:30] RAF Fairwood: Night defences improved: Turbinlight Havocs, 536 Sqdn, Oct '42; Turbinlight tactics. [00:37:12] Luftwaffe: Last raid on Swansea: night of 6/2/43, 3 WAACs dead. [00:37:56] 125 Sqdn: Training accidents; death of Vivian Taylor 26/2/43 - witness account, Ted Solomon; Beaufighter characteristics. [00:40:25] 125 Sqdn: Leaves, to Exeter, after 12 months. [00:40:30] RAF: Ops Room shift: Duke of Gloucester visits, 14/6/43. [00:40:43] RAF Fairwood: Runway extensions. [00:40:53] RAF Fairwood: Mosquitoes:307, 264, 456 Sqdns, rotate. [00:41:05] RAF Meteorology: Need for Poles in Met Office. [00:42 19] US Army: Oct '43 US Army camp at Scurlage, (2 ID, including 37 Field Artillery Rgt). [00:42:35] USAAF: Grass Airfield, Camp Scurlage, for OP and liaison light aircraft of artillery. [00:42:43] US Army: Amphibious exercises, Gower. [00:43:01] RAF Fairwood: Grp Cpt Sandy Johnstone, Station Cdr, Oct '43. [00:43:09] RAF Fairwood: Oct '43 11 Armament Practice Camp - target towing (Masters), combat practice for 2 TAF fighter-bombers. [00:43:38] RAF Fairwood: Sqdns needed 5 days to 3 weeks, varied, to hone skills. [00:43:40] RAF: ADGB set up, Nov '43. [00:43:45] RAF Fairwood: P-47 crash lands, St David's Day, '44. [00:44:19] RAF Fairwood: 456 Sqdn Mosquitoes leave on 1/3/44; 68 Sqdn Beaufighters replace (B Flight Czech). [00:44:30] RAF: 68 Sqdn Successes 14-16 May - 16 May JU 188 was last EA shot down by Fairwood aircraft (near Channel Islands). [00:45:10] RAF Fairwood: 29/3/44 B-24 450th Bomb Group