Richardson, Delton 1982-10-04
Delton Richardson, retired Air Force officer, discusses his flight training and experience during World War II.
General Interview Information
Interviewee Name: Delton, Richardson
Additional Parties Recorded: None
Date: October 04, 1982
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Interviewer: Mark Wells
Length: 1 hour
Abstract
Tape 1, Side 1: Born: 1920, Hall County, Texas,
Moved to Lubbock (1926),
Interested in aviation,
Draft,
Requirements for cadet training,
Night School to prepare for test,
Entered Air Force, March 1942,
Early Training,
Pre-flight,
Primary training—PT-19,
Basic training—BT-13,
Advanced training—AT-17,
Multi-engine training,
Lubbock during war years,
Size,
Commerce,
Patriotic fervor,
Community support of military,
Advance training at Lubbock Army Flying School,
Basic instrument training,
Radio contact training,
Description of AT-9,
Class size,
Wash-out rate,
Military environment,
Navigation training,
Entertainment,
Cadet Club, Hilton Hotel,
Augustus F. Reese,
Richardson’s impressions,
Graduation from advanced training (March 1943),
On to Instructor’s School,
Reassigned to Reese Air Force Base as an instructor,
Assigned to Tarrant Army Air Field,
Advanced class for B-24 transition,
Instructor at Tarrant,
Advantages of instructorship,
Particulars of instruction,
Division of students,
Schedules,
Instrument instruction,
Radio instruction,
Assigned to India (1945),
Flew C-109 and C-54,
Primarily transporting aviation fuel.
Tape 1, Side 2: India (continued),
Theatre patch,
Flying the C-109,
Crews,
"Flying the Hump",
Problems,
Losses,
Japanese aircraft attacks,
Icing conditions,
Bases in India,
Allied forces stationed there,
Aircraft stationed there,
Leaving India,
Marriage, May 1943,
Son born while at Carswell Air Force Base,
Remained in service after war,
Ferry squadron out of Dallas B-29 ground school,
Shipped to Topeka, Kansas,
Ferrying command,
Left service,
Began at Tech (1947),
Graduated (May 1950),
Managed medical clinic in Midland, Texas,
Recalled for Korean War,
Accounting and Finance Officer,
Changes in Reese from 1943 to Korean War,
B-25 Training,
Buildings,
Size of operation,
Changes in Lubbock after World War II,
Texas Tech,
B-47 Program,
Richardson retired (August 1970).
Range Dates: 1926-1970
Bulk Dates: 1942-1946
Access Information
Original Recording Format:
Recording Format Notes:
Transcript:
Thank you for your interest in this oral history interview. Our oral history collection is available to patrons in the Southwest Collection's Reading Room, located on the campus of Texas Tech University. For reading room hours, visit our website. Please contact Reference Staff at least one week prior to your visit to ensure the oral history you are interested in will be available. Due to copyright issues, duplications of our oral histories can only be made for family members. If an oral history transcript has been made available online, the link will be provided on this page. More information on accessing our oral histories is located here. Preferred citation style can be found here.
