Morris, Jeff: my post-war Air Force experiences (March 12, 2015)
Rank: Colonel (Ret.).
An interview/narrative of Jeff Morris's experiences during the post-war years. Colonel (Ret.) Morris served with the Royal Air Force. Interview took place on March 12, 2015.
ABSTRACT: Military Oral History Project Interview Summary Narrator: Col.(hon) Jeff Morris, 1943 – Title: Aviation’s Involvement and Evolution in Allied Success during the Second World War and Post War Interviewer: Mackenzie A Carr Extent 1 sound recording (MP3 file) 0:55:09 Interview Date and Location 12 March 2015, Victoria, BC Synopsis: Jeff Morris, born in Newcastle, England, Left at 15 to join RAF – received education in RAF, ordinary National degree. Joined at 15 as an apprentice airframe fitter – gives copy of advertisement that states hiring for RAF, a small cut out piece of paper to fill out with name and address. 3 years as airframe fitter, applied for aircrew after 2 ½ years – sent to Lab 1, island of North coast of Borneo and sent to Helicopter squadron crew - 2 days training, then sent on first mission to a scene of massacre. Helicopter was dependent on the crew holding the throttle, flew no more than an hour and a half. Flight engineer, three man crew, captain, flight crew and flight engineer (F/E) – technical representative on the airplane. Most aircraft in modern day does not have F/E due to cost and computer technology advancement. Experience with cultures within Borneo at Barrio school – shows picture of himself and headmaster and teacher – got along with the local cultures very well and their customs, cultural learning for Jeff. Weather was not too bad in Borneo – monsoons would make them land and wait it out, ITCZ would interfere, weather that moves north and south between the equator that creates thunderstorms up to 35,000ft, so had to go around them or were grounded. Wounds would take longer to heal due to the extreme heat. Had to rescue to a soldier who was shot in the wrist, most dangerous operation. Military and civilian roles, hearts and minds, transport and resupply troops and pull out casualties – fly the chief around, take women in labor to hospitals, protect villages from threat, if one wins the hearts and minds of the civilians then can win the trust – not what the Americans did in Vietnam. Little training with gunnery, given guns and grenades with no experience of training. 1973 left the RAF after a few years in Singapore. Got a job with Cathay Airlines and retired in 1996 and runs Angel Flights. Honorary Colonel for Helicopter squadron 443 in 2008 until 2014 holds rank but not the authority; goes through extensive process final stage being approved by the Prime Minister. Books write about SE Asia as the forgotten wars, rational is that it is too far away and don’t take an interest. Mentality how does it affect me, my province, and my country before realizing that people are dying – average person isn’t interested in what is happening outside of one’s country. 00:40-1:00 - Where were you born and grew up 01:05-2:00 - Where did you get your education 02:05-2:30 - Would you consider England or Canada your home? 02:32- 2:58 - Family 03:05- 4:36 - Royal Air Force at 15, what made you join? 04:37-4:47 - Parents Reactions 04:47- 5:15 - Looking back realizing what you learned 05:17- 6:43 - Post war and other wars, any family members? Lost members in the holocaust 06:52-8:51 - Character building, what was training like, stories with the others in training 08:58- 10:48 - Felt when you did fly, you were prepared? 10:48 -11:43 - What was it like in the air 11:52 -12:32 - Experience flying helicopter and fixed wing? 12:51 -13:36 – Aviation preference 13:45- 15:21 - Talked about Crew and FE<Flight Engineer along with stories about being a part of the crew and making decisions 15:21- 18:14 - Story about a travel he took with a fuel problem and how knowing those things helped 18:40-20:21 - After 1999 there aren’t using flight engineers on aviation anymore 20:17- 20:46 - Do you think school of thought built after your experience? 21:30- 22:27 - Post war, picture in Borneo with Children, what was it like? 22:27- 22:48 – Languages spoken in 23:01-24:17 - Asia and weather conditions, major effects when flying 24:22- 25:06 - Did tropical weather, or malaria or fevers worry you 25:11-26:20 - Most difficult flight 26:31-28:07 - As a flight engineer, what was your role in the protection of North Borneo Talking about winning hearts and minds 28:17-29:36 - close calls 29:45-31:47 - Memorable moments or stories and flying the Queen and King of Malaysia and dentist’s experience 31:47- 33:26 – “Everything was epic” 33:27- 34:03 - Gunnery practice 34:10- 37:00 - Discharged…applied to be a pilot and family in 1973. 37:00- 38:55 - What he did in Canada once there 39:00-39:22 - Awards 39:47-42:00 - Positive experiences, hearts and minds, morals 42:01-43:42 - Meeting people 43:14-45:00 - Wars in post war and south East Asia, overlooked in western society, why do you think it is overlooked? “Forgotten Wars” 45:08- 47:08 - Story on being airplane first in to tsunami then country later having a war 47:15- 53:00 – Scariest experience unknowingly flying with a flipper Suggested Clip(s) for Archive: 23:01-24:17 - Asia and weather conditions, major effects when flying 26:31-28:07 - As a flight engineer, what was your role in the protection of North Borneo Talking about winning the hearts and minds Subject Key Words: Flight Engineer; England; RAF; helicopter; 10/11 Tristar; training; Post War; Borneo; Barrio; Halton; ITCZ; monsoons; South East Asia; Malaysia; Singapore; Cathay; Honorary Colonel; Helicopter squadron; Squadron 443; hearts and minds; C130s; PAN; MAYDAY
Interviewee: Morris, Jeff, 1943-
Interviewer: Carr, Mackenzie A.
- In Collection:
- 1 sound recording (MP3)
- 52.16045, -0.70312
- 1, 114
- 1.28967, 103.85007
- Original sound recording (MP3) also available.
- Canadian Military Oral History Collection
- MJ_814
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/military-oral-history-collection
- March 12, 2015
- Digital sound recording in .mp3 format at 192 kbps. Recorded in digital format by interviewer, technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. Interview recorded in digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2015. 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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