Duddridge, Lewis: my Second World War Air Force training experience (March 14, 2014)
Interviewee: Duddridge, Lewis
Interviewer: Fast, Benjamin
ABSTRACT: Narrator: Duddridge, Lewis, 1918- Flight Lieutenant (RCAF) Title: My Second World War Air Force Training Experience Interviewer: Interviewed by Benjamin Fast. Extent: 1 sound recording (MP3 format) 1:59:05, 81.4 MB (file size) Interview Date and Location: 14 March 2014, Victoria, BC. Synopsis: The interview begins with the standard interview narratives and biographical information. F/Lt. Duddridge then goes on to tell his recollections of Hanley, Sask. before the war and his early interest in aviation. The interview includes frequent anecdotes about his brother who also served in the air force. The interview then moves on to describe the difficulty of finding employment in the late 1930’s before discussing enlistment experiences. F/Lt. Duddridge talks about how he overcame a lack of education to become a pilot before outlining his early training. He then talks about his brother’s experience and how they completed training together. The interview then moves on to discuss training with the BCATP and how that impacted becoming an instructor in the 1950’s. F/Lt. Duddridge further explains the training process including detailed descriptions of aircraft and the effect of witnessing accidents and fatalities. The interview then moves on to cover living conditions in training and comparisons to life today before describing interactions with civilians and new recruits. F/Lt. Duddridge then discusses motivation, life after training, and further reactions to death. The interview concludes with a discussion about the importance of sharing military stories and reactions to criticisms about government care of veterans. 0:00 – standard interview narratives 0:30 – biographical information 0:45 – recollections of Hanley, Saskatchewan during the Depression 3:35 – discusses early interest in aviation and military, anecdote about watching airplanes flying over Hanley 4:55 – anecdote about brother who enlisted later 5:57 – description of difficulty finding employment before enlisting 10:30 – anecdote about friends who enlisted at the same time 11:00 – enlistment experience and discussion of lack of education; upgrading classes 11:57 – discussion about night classes and the lack of organization in the RCAF 13:10 – accidental mechanic training in Ontario and his transfer to aircrew 14:17 – family reaction to enlistment was acceptance because of British background 17:10 – realization that brother was on the same ITS course in Saskatoon, talks about how the two went through training together 18:00 – talks about his brother’s excellence in life and comparisons to his own life 18:50 – anecdote about brother’s career as a pilot and the reasons for him becoming a fighter pilot 25:27 – discussion about relying on other when part of a bomber crew 26:30 – anecdote about having a brother in the RCAF, including interaction with family at the Wings Parade 27:00 – experience travelling to Europe aboard the Isle de France 28:50 – talks about the luck in avoiding deadly positions, includes description of other experiences with Coastal Command 29:54 – talks about reasons for enlisting and expectations for becoming a pilot 31:55 – description of first training experiences and the type of instruction involved 32:54 – further explanation of the order and type of training in the BCATP 34:35 – discusses the experience of the first solo flight and the pressure of washing out 38:10 – description of lesson plans used when he was an instructor in the 1950’s (the book could not be found at the time of the interview) 38:45 – discusses memory problems at the age of 96 39:25 – talks about becoming an instructor in 1951, training international NATO flyers in Calgary 41:05 – further explanation of the process of pilot training and graduating to advanced flight training on Cessna Cranes; discusses the usefulness of advanced training 42:40 – discusses the effect of the BCATP on Canada 43:50 – explains the pressure of washout on student pilots 47:29 – discusses the frequency of death and accidents in training and why this was important to prepare students for combat; also the impact of death on trainees 50:40 – anecdote about a “stupid death” in training and the importance of pushing the limit 53:55 – anecdote about certifying other pilots with difficulty flying and assisting with pilot selection 55:20 – discusses the difference between training during the war and today 55:50 – discusses how father’s teaching of common sense helped him in his training 58:55 – expectations of active service and the romance of combat 59:50 – theorizes that the desire to be a fighter pilot was pointless against the will of the air force and the luck of the draw 1:00:34 – compares training to combat reality, discusses lack of understanding of combat 1:02:11 – discusses living conditions while training and how the air force was an improvement from Depression life 1:04:11 – describes how discipline in the military was similar to discipline from parents 1:05:45 – no comparison to life today 1:10:35 – recollections of the Manning Depot at Brandon, MB 1:13:05 – theorizes about the future of warfare 1:13:50 – wants people to learn from the mistakes of the past, discusses his previously published books 1:14:47 – discusses life outside of training and the importance of sport and not remembering boredom 1:20:54 – recounts interactions with civilians while in training and the story of meeting his wife while in England 1:24:35 – talks about the pride of being in the military 1:25:12 – discusses the treatment of new recruits (“Sprogs”) 1:26:20 – talks about fellow Canadian trainees in the BCATP and the international group he trained in 1951 1:28:10 – discusses the friendships formed in training 1:29:37 – discusses the motivation for success in training and the opportunities provided by war 1:31:41 – recounts life after training 1:33:00 – theorizes how great intelligence could divert pilots to navigator training 1:34:04 – discusses how training prepared him for the realities of combat 1:35:35 – reactions to death and war 1:37:00 – recently-learned anecdote about Wellington crash 1:38:40 – tells anecdote of the first death he witnessed 1:41:30 – theorizes about the inevitability of death in war and civilian life 1:42:20 – discusses the difference between training and combat 1:44:00 – description of planes flew during the war 1:45:15 – talks about the draw of the military after the war 1:46:15 – discusses memory loss 1:46:40 – talks about the importance of sharing stories of military 1:47:35 – talks about the changing interest in learning about war 1:50:25 – responds to veteran complaints about governmental care 1:51:30 – discusses his pride for his country and the importance of having his story told 1:58:00 – Interview conclusion, standard interview narratives, and signing the military release form 1:59:05 – interview ends. Suggested Clips for Archive: 5:57-10:15 – description of difficulty finding employment before enlisting 18:50-26:00 – anecdote about brother’s career as a pilot and the reasons for him becoming a fighter pilot 31:55-37:50 – description of training experiences and coursework 41:05-44:05 – further explanation of the process of pilot training and graduating to advanced flight training on Cessna Cranes; discusses the usefulness of advanced training. Also discusses the importance of the BCATP on Canada 47:29-50:40 – discusses the frequency of death and accidents in training and why this was important to prepare students for combat; also the impact of death on trainees 1:20:54-1:24:30 – recounts interactions with civilians while in training and the story of meeting his wife while in England 1:35:35-1:37:00 – reactions to death and war 1:38:40-1:41:30 – anecdote of the first death he witnessed Subject Key Words: Royal Canadian Air Force, RCAF, Bomber, Pilot, Hanley, Training, Family, England, Saskatoon, NATO, Instructing, Accidents and Casualties, Europe, Romance, Sports, Brandon, Memory Loss, Death, Pride, Royal Canadian Legion, Coastal Command, Bomber Command, Wellington, Halifax, Anson, Cessna Crane, Miles Master, Spitfire, Great Depression, Unemployment, Motivation, Washout, Education, Enlistment Experiences.
Rank: Flight Lieutenant.
An interview/narrative of Flight Lieutenant Lewis Duddridge's training experiences with the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II. Interview took place on March 14, 2014.
- In Collection:
- 1 sound recording (MP3)
- 52.16045, -0.70312
- 48.4359, -123.35155
- Original sound recording (MP3) also available.
- Canadian Military Oral History Collection
- DL_800
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/military-oral-history-collection
- March 14, 2014
- Digital sound recording in .mp3 format at 95 kbps and 44 kHz. 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 2014. 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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