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Offensive Strike

Heroes Remember

Offensive Strike

Transcript
The squadrons were rotated frequently, you'd be at a base only four or six weeks and you'd be rotated to relieve the ones that were in action. We went down to a place called Martlesham Heath on our first move from Digby, staged through our satellite base, but then we ended up at a place called Martlesham Heath and my biggest memory there was, well we were doing patrol work, mainly, offensive patrol. This one day they had a at least eight or ten squadrons accumulate around this base, there were eighty some odd airplanes ringing the airfield, and the idea was to really show power in an offensive strike. And I still remember this day, it was in August, it was a dusty air field, (inaudible) runways and control towers and there were Pole squadrons and Czech squadrons and three or four RAF squadrons and so on, we were all ring the field. They took that whole works off in about twenty minutes. One squadron go this way, one would go this way, one would go this way after, one this way, and they made this big sweep with these airplanes, and the dust, and that dusty airfield, was something to behold with all of these airplanes. And I don't think it's settled yet actually.
Description

Mr. Snell talks about being rotated onto a base after Digby and recalls an offensive strike that occurred there.

John “Jock” Snell

John Snell was born in Calgary, in April 1920. He was the middle child of three, having an older sister and a younger brother. Mr. Snell's family lived through the depression where they survived on $85.00 a month, which had to support their family of five. After struggling as a farmer Snell's father took a job as a milkman. Mr. Snell remembers helping his father on the milk route on Saturday's so his father could join his friends in a game of cricket. Mr. Snell dropped out of school only months before finishing and pursued a career as a radio repair technician, which little to his knowledge would pave the way for his career as an instrument mechanic in the air force. He quickly rose through the ranks of the air force and at the age of twenty he became a commanding officer in charge of over thirty five men. Mr. Snell retired from the air force in December 1969, with just over 30 years of service.

Meta Data
Medium:
Video
Owner:
Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:
1:40
Person Interviewed:
John “Jock” Snell
War, Conflict or Mission:
Second World War
Branch:
Air Force
Rank:
Flight Sergeant
Occupation:
Instrument Mechanic

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