Plant, John Lawrence: my Air Force recollections (June 23, and 29, 1977)

ABSTRACT: Air Vice-Marshal John Lawrence Plant Royal Canadian Air Force Plant_J_0115_01.mp3 (Side 1) Born on Aug. 20, 1910 in Swansea, Wales. Educated in Summerland and Victoria, B.C., then Victoria College and University of British Columbia, graduating in mechanical engineering in 1931. Qualified as a pilot in 1931 after spending summers with the R.C.A.F. Permanent commission on Jan. 1, 1934. After a year of courses posted to No. 4 Flying Boat Sqn. at Vancouver. Besides flying duries he served as adjutant in order to learn administrative duties. Explanation of the early purpose of the R.C.A.F., civilian-oriented toward aerial photography. In 1934 a major thrust began toward the establishment of a fighting force. Became a flying instructor. In 1939 was employed at air force headquarters in the rank of flight lieutenant. In Sept. 1940 posted to No. 12 Transport Sqn. (No. 12 Communications Sqn.) at Rockcliffe as commanding officer. This was the first squadron in what became air transport command. Remarks on the death of Norman Rogers, Minister of National Defence. That unfortunate accident gave impetus to the provision of safe air transport for V.I.P.'s (15:00). Later 9 Transport Group became operational at Rockcliffe and developed into air transport command with several bases. Posted to command No. 413 Sqn. on its way to Ceylon in March 1942. Almost immediately the first casualties occurred in the war against Japan. The disposition of the British Fleet and Japanese attacks on Columbo harbour. This R.C.A.F. squadron provided the first sighting reports on the approaching Japanese. Appointed to No. 6 Bomber Group in England as a wing commander and on the return flight was given the duty of escorting the German prisoner Gen. von Thoma and his aide to England. They stopped at Gibraltar which was so crowded that he called on the Governor to accommodate his distinguished prisoner at Government House. Landed in Cornwall; details of train journey to London. Served for a year with No. 6 Bomber Group. Some remarks on heavy raids. Returned to Canada; staff college in the United States, then to National Defence Headquarters. Plant_J_0115_02.mp3 (Side 2) (45:00) At N.D.H.Q. he was air member for technical services in charge of procurement for all equipment. Worked on the Avro Arrow project in its early stages. In 1958 he left the Air Force to become president of Avro Aircraft Ltd. Remarks on the specifications for the Arrow, tooling, supersonic flight, etc. (10:00) Gives a short history of the Orenda engine, a very successful development. Tooling costs became very high. Control systems for the aircraft and for the missiles were developed by Hughes Aircraft and then redeveloped for the Sparrow II missile; R.C.A. was involved at a later date. (30:00) The complicated Astra navigation system was very expensive. When government cancelled the Arrow program there was no alternative for the company. Canada lost a tremendous industrial asset. (35:00) Their engineers flocked to the United States, many into the aerospace program. Plant left Avro on Aug. 1, 1959. Still feels that the government could have handled the Arrow. Maintains that there is a possibility that the Arrow could have been carried to completion for the shutdown costs and the price of the older McDonnell Voodoo aircraft that the government bought as replacements. (47:00)

Interviewer: Murphy, James

Interviewee: Plant, John Lawrence, b. 1910

Rank: Air Vice-Marshal.

An interview/narrative of John Lawrence Plant's experiences during World War II. Air Vice-Marshal Plant served with the Royal Canadian Air Force. Interview took place on June 23 and 29, 1977.

In Collection:

• Canadian Military Oral Histories

Contributor

• Murphy, James
• Plant, John Lawrence, b. 1910

Subject

• World War (1914-1918)
• Canada. Royal Canadian Air Force
• World War (1939-1945)
• Military history

Language

• eng

Date created

• June 23, 1977

Relation

• Part of the Reginald H. Roy collection of interviews.

Resource type

• Sound

Rights statement

• In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Extent

• 2 sound recordings (MP3)

Geographic coverage

• British Columbia--Victoria
• England

Coordinates

• 48.4359, -123.35155
• 52.16045, -0.70312

Additional physical characteristics

• One original sound tape reel (ca. 90 min.) : 3 3/4 ips, 2 track, mono. ; 1 sound cassette copy : standard, mono. in Special Collections.

Physical repository

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Collection

• Canadian Military Oral History Collection

Provider

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Genre

• sound recordings
• oral histories (literary genre)
• interviews
• reminiscences

Archival item identifier

• PJL_115

Fonds title

• Reginald Herbert Roy fonds

Fonds identifier

• SC104

Is referenced by

• Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/reginald-herbert-roy-fonds

Date digitized

• July 16, 2007

Technical note

• Digital sound recording in .wav format at 16 bits and 22 kHz. In .mp3 format at 64 kbps and 22 kHz. Digitized by AN, 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

•  https://doi.org/10.58066/y9a4-xb04

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