Arthur William Doubleday, as a Squadron Leader, Second World War, RAAF and RAF, interviewed by Ed Stokes for the Keith Murdoch Sound Archive of Australia in the War of 1939-45

(402945) Arthur William Doubleday, as a squadron leader Bomber Command, RAAF and RAF, interviewed by Ed Stokes for the Keith Murdoch Sound Archive of Australia in the War of 1939-45

Speaks of his early life in Wagga Wagga NSW; enlisted RAAF 1940; training at Bradfield Park and Narrandera; EATS Canada; posting to number 27 OTU England; training on Wellingtons; recreation; selection of crews; attributes of Wellingtons and Lancasters; role of navigators and engineers; landing techniques; standard of aircraft maintenance; casualty rates of Bomber Command; leave and recreation; searchlights; pre-flight anxiety; pathfinders; German defences; effect of Window; risk of inflight collisions and being hit by falling incidaries and bombs; thousand bomber raids; civilian casualties in Germany; marriage in England August 1943; tactics used to deceive Germans of intended target; Nuremberg raid; Winter Offensive (October 1943 to March 1944); role and success of Bomber Command; coordination and timing of aircraft waves; management of stress and lack of moral fibre (LMF); asked to take command of 61 Squadron RAF, only Australian to command an RAF bomber squadron; all pilots of 5 Group Bomber Command were commissioned officers; pre-raid conferences; comparison between American close formation and British "gaggle" style of flying; weather; memorable raids; success of OBOE; awarded DSO July 1944; successful daylight raid on radio valve store south of Paris; took command of training school at Litchfield; posted to America to attend staff college course; reaction to news of Japanese attacks in Pacific; Japanese surrender; return to Australia; approached by Country Party to stand for Federal Parliament; post-war employment as Director of Civil Aviation for Queensland; considers the war against Nazi Germany and Japan was necessary and in similar circumstances would do it all again.

Speaks of his early life in Wagga Wagga NSW; enlisted RAAF 1940; training at Bradfield Park and Narrandera; EATS Canada; posting to number 27 OTU England; training on Wellingtons; recreation; selection of crews; attributes of Wellingtons and Lancasters; role of navigators and engineers; landing techniques; standard of aircraft maintenance; casualty rates of Bomber Command; leave and recreation; searchlights; pre-flight anxiety; pathfinders; German defences; effect of Window; risk of inflight collisions and being hit by falling incidaries and bombs; thousand bomber raids; civilian casualties in Germany; marriage in England August 1943; tactics used to deceive Germans of intended target; Nuremberg raid; Winter Offensive (October 1943 to March 1944); role and success of Bomber Command; coordination and timing of aircraft waves; management of stress and lack of moral fibre (LMF); asked to take command of 61 Squadron RAF, only Australian to command an RAF bomber squadron; all pilots of 5 Group Bomber Command were commissioned officers; pre-raid conferences; comparison between American close formation and British "gaggle" style of flying; weather; memorable raids; success of OBOE; awarded DSO July 1944; successful daylight raid on radio valve store south of Paris; took command of training school at Litchfield; posted to America to attend staff college course; reaction to news of Japanese attacks in Pacific; Japanese surrender; return to Australia; approached by Country Party to stand for Federal Parliament; post-war employment as Director of Civil Aviation for Queensland; considers the war against Nazi Germany and Japan was necessary and in similar circumstances would do it all again.