Bainbridge, Charles Garden: my Air Force recollections (July 7, 1983)
PublicABSTRACT: LAC Charles Garden Bainbridge Royal Canadian Air Force Bainbridge_C_0013_01.mp3 Born on May 10, 1925 in Winnipeg, Man. His family moved to Hamilton, Ont., and then during the Depression homesteaded in northern Ontario. Once again in Hamilton, and after a partial high school education, he became a civilian aircraft inspector. In 1943 he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, unfortunately failing the physical requirements for aircrew. Basic training was undertaken at the manning depot in Toronto after which he was sent for general duties at Trenton, Ont. Later he was sent to an equipment depot in Toronto. (30:00) Sent overseas in 1944 to Gloucester, England where a course in anti-gas training was undertaken. Explains the necessity of this and compares the fearful attitude then prevalent on gas to our present attitude toward nuclear warfare. He was posted to the Canadian No. 6 Group (Bomber) Headquarters near York as a batman for six officers. Did not like this duty nor a later one as a steward in the Officers' Mess. (39:00) Posted to No. 420 and No. 425 Squadrons as an intelligence clerk. Duties included decoding signals, providing target information, and attending briefings. Debriefings were often hard, e.g. facing up to numerous casualties. (45:00) Bainbridge_C_0013_02.mp3 No. 425 was a French Canadian squadron with an excellent reputation. Mentions the Air Force distress at bombing our own troops in Normandy in the summer of 1944. Some aircrew in tears. He participated, as an unauthorized passenger disguised as a sergeant, on a daylight raid against a target on the Dutch/German border. A little nervous at the sight of flak. From the air observed a V-2 rocket being launched. First realization that another era was approaching. At the close of the war he underwent a short battle course for members of the Occupation Forces for Germany. Landed in Bruges in time to observe the Belgian treatment of prostitutes and collaborators. (15:00) The unit was stationed at Oldenburg in Germany. While there he did not feel any personal animosity toward German civilians. In the Occupation Force his duties involved interrogation and disarmament of German air force personnel and assisting with weapons research. Also attempted to find the graves of missing Canadian aircrew. This unit was disbanded in Apr. 1946. While on leave he attended part of the Nuremberg war crimes trials. Visited Belsen, after which he felt that the trials were justified, but in retrospect not as sure that they all were, although he feels that the trials were conducted fairly. Comments on a few major defendants. (30:00) Discharged at Trenton in Sept. 1946. After 1960, for a short time, was a second lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps (militia).
Interviewee: Bainbridge, Charles Garden, 1925-2007
Rank: Leading Aircraftman.
An interview/narrative of Charles Garden Bainbridge's experiences during World War II. Leading Aircraftman Bainbridge served with the Royal Canadian Air Force. Interview took place on July 7, 1983.
Interviewer: Bell, Chris
- In Collection:
- Great Britain--Royal Air Force--Bomber Command
- Canada--Royal Canadian Air Force--Casualties
- Nuremberg Trial of Major German War Criminals, Nuremberg, Germany, 1945-1946
- War casualties
- Friendly fire (Military science)
- Canada--RCAF Station (Trenton, Ont.)--Air Navigation School, 1
- Germany (Territory under Allied occupation, 1945-1955)
- Battle casualties
- Canada--Royal Canadian Air Force
- Bombing, Aerial
- D-Day, 1944 (Normandy invasion)
- Great Britain--Royal Air Force--Antigas School
- World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Canadian
- Great Britain--Royal Air Force--Bomber Command--Group, No. 6
- World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--France--Normandy
- Aerial observation (Military science)
- Canada--Royal Canadian Air Force--Group, No. 6
- Canada--Royal Canadian Air Force--Squadron, 425
- Canada--Royal Canadian Air Force--Squadron, 420
- Nuremberg War Crime Trials, Nuremberg, Germany, 1946-1949
- Bergen-Belsen (Concentration camp)
- V-2 rocket
- World War, 1939-1945--Collaborationists
- Bainbridge, Charles Garden, 1925-2007--Interviews
- Canada--RCAF Station (Toronto, Ont.)--Manning Depot, 1
- 2 sound recordings (MP3)
- 54.75844, -2.69531
- 60.10867, -113.64258
- 49, 0
- One original sound tape reel (ca. 90 min.) : 1 7/8 ips, 2 track, mono. ; 1 sound cassette copy : standard, mono. in Special Collections.
- Canadian Military Oral History Collection
- BCG_013
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/reginald-herbert-roy-fonds
- April 13, 2007
- Digital sound recording in .wav format at 16 bits and 22 kHz. In .mp3 format at 64 kbps and 22 kHz. Digitized by JW, technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. Transferred from audio reel to audio cassette between 1987-1997. Interview migrated to digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2007. Migration metadata by KD and MT.
- Rights
- This interview has been posted with the understanding that it may be used for research purposes only. Should the interviewee or their heirs have any objections to this interview being accessible on the Internet, it will be removed promptly. Contact UVic Special Collections for permission if using for other than research purposes: speccoll@uvic.ca
- DOI
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