Geriaviator, many thanks for the link to the IWM recording of Sqn Ldr Parkhouse, telling his story as transcribed by you. What comes across most is the incredible modesty of this man. He is for ever describing other cadets, fellow officers, etc, with brief anecdotes of their deeds, their famous fathers or families, with his own story being one of downwind approaches, difficulties with instrument flying, and so on. The truth is he was one of a very select band of pre-war Cranwell Cadets, even gaining a scholarship there. Only occasionally do we get an insight into the self motivation and inner drive that lay behind his apparent self effacement. Everyone else throws away their slide rules on graduation, but not he! In fact he still has his to this day! That was the real man, very aware of his humble background with an anathema for waste, and a determination to succeed at his chosen career. Perhaps this also explains his feelings of failure, blaming himself for being shot down on his second daylight raid flying a Fairey Battle in the AASF. I suspect few others who suffered that fate in that one sided battle blamed themselves. Perhaps his real angst is the fact that he survived and so many of his colleagues did not. A well known syndrome, I believe.
PS, I intend to follow your written account before his spoken one; so holding at reel 3 for now.
PPS. Danny, if you click on Geriaviator's link, you should be taken to a page on the IWM site with a black square facing you. That black square should change to a grey one with a loud speaker icon in the centre. If you click on the red square on that with your mouse/ pad you should see the a whirring icon and then hear the sound track of Reel 1. Reel two, etc, can be selected in turn.
Last edited by Chugalug2; 19th Dec 2016 at 21:07.
Reason: PPS