The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Billie Collings talks about: his enlisting in the RAAF; flying training and his being posted to No.77 Squadron, Iwakuni, Japan.; the inadequacies of flying training at the time; Air Force attitude towards College graduates in the fifties; living conditions at Kimpo, Korea, from which No. 77 Squadron operated; flying frequency and types of missions; flying Meteors at low level; pilot fatalities; pilot rescues; pilot seniority; flying in a formation of sixteen aircraft and the tribulations of being Tail-End Charlie; a forced landing; his Mention in Dispatches; Meteor armaments; recreation at Kimpo and in officers' messes, generally; aerial attacks on Kimpo; relations with the Americans and civilian Koreans; escape and evasion training; the end of his tour in Korea; a comparison of casualty rates between the services; his home coming and posting to Williamstown; his experiences as an Operational Training Unit (OTU) instructor and at Central Flying School (CFS); his views on the phasing out of GCA (Ground Controlled Approach) in the RAAF, an the value of operational experience.
Part 1 of Air Vice Marshal Billie Hicks Collings AO AFC (Rtd) as a pilot No 77 Fighter Squadron RAAF, Korea 1953-1954, interviewed by Dr Chris Clark
Part 2 of Air Vice Marshal Billie Hicks Collings AO AFC (Rtd) as a pilot No 77 Fighter Squadron RAAF, Korea 1953-1954, interviewed by Dr Chris Clark
Part 3 of Air Vice Marshal Billie Hicks Collings AO AFC (Rtd) as a pilot No 77 Fighter Squadron RAAF, Korea 1953-1954, interviewed by Dr Chris Clark
Air Vice Marshal Simmonds talks about the lack of relevance of basic flying training to combat mission flying in Korea; being posted to 78 Wing, RAAF Base Williamtown after graduation from Point Cook;
Hurst speaks of his enlistment in the RAAF and experience of the Second World War in the South West Pacific Area; post- Second World War RAAF service including de Havilland Vampire jet-conversion trai
Jake Newham talks about his early working life and his difficult path to being accepted for RAAF flying training; his training prior to being posted to Iwakuni, Japan for his conversion on to Meteors;
Cresswell speaks of his academic and military background including Second World War service in the South West Pacific area primarily as a fighter pilot; his role as Commanding Officer No 21 (Citizens
Victor Baker talks about his postings prior to No. 77 Squadron; the juxtaposition of Australian and Turkish graves at Pusan, Korea; an encounter with confederate state Americans at Taegu; tales of his
Guthrie speaks of his service background and experience, as well as training; his posting as a warrant officer in No 77 Fighter Squadron RAAF and its operational role in Korea; the circumstances of hi