Description
Object description
British officer commanded HMS Lorna off Gibraltar, 1939-1940; commanded HMS Rhododendron, HMS Azalea, HMS Anemone and HMS Pink in Atlantic, 1940-1943; commanded HMS Tintagel Castle in GB coastal waters and Atlantic, 1944-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Tynemouth, 1917-1932: father's military service in First World War; family; education; reasons for joining Merchant Navy, 1932. Aspects of period as cadet with Merchant Navy, 1932-1938: reasons for studying hard; types of men employed by merchant service; living conditions on board; seamanship examination. Aspects of enlistment and training with Royal Navy in GB, 1938-1939: reasons for joining Royal Navy; opinion of training; living conditions in barracks; effect of naval training on outlook; sea training. Aspects of period as midshipman aboard with HMS Brilliant and HMS Winchelsea, 1939: duties on board; life aboard destroyers. Aspects of operations as commanding aboard HMS Lorna, 1939-1940: reaction to taking command of ship, 9/1940; composition of crew; living conditions; anti-contraband duties off Gibraltar; stopping of Italian merchant vessel carrying petrol and orders to bring it back to GB as prize ship. Aspects of operations as captain aboard HMS Rhododendron in Atlantic, 1940-1941: standing by ship in Belfast; rescuing crew of damaged ship.
REEL 2 Continues: role of rescue vessel with first convoy OB224, 21/11/1940; sinking of German U-boat 104; risk of picking up of survivors; mining of ship off Liverpool; reaction to commanding ship; conditions on board early corvettes; weather conditions in Atlantic; appointment of cook and ship's complement. Aspects of operations as captain aboard HMS Azalea in Atlantic, 1940-1941: taking command of ship; patrol duties off Iceland hunting for Bismarck; weather conditions and effects of operating in lack of daylight; clothing issued; icing of ship; state of crew's morale; relations between officers and men on board. Aspects of operations as captain of HMS Snowdrop and Anemone in Atlantic, 1941-1942: torpedoing of ship's in convoy in bad weather; narrow escape from torpedoing; problems with ship's engine; German U-boat tactics; reaction to sight of sinking merchant vessels; rescuing men from the water; his record during Atlantic convoys.
REEL 3 Continues: Recollections of operations commanding HMS Pink in Atlantic, 1943: composition of B7 Escort Group; level of training in B7 Escort Group; opinion of Commander Peter Gretton; reaction to Admiralty signal that convoys being escorted was surrounded by U-boats, 1943; number of U-boats sank by B7 Escort Group; introduction of new tactics, 1943; role of HMS Pink during Convoy ONS 5, 5/1943; problems caused by sinking U-boat; sinking damaged merchant vessel and opinion of crew; performance of B7 Escort Group during Convoys HX 231, ONS 5 and SC 130, 5/1943; reasons for withdrawal of German U-boats from Atlantic after convoys; experience of naval and merchant crews; daily routine at sea; role as captain of ship; actions on board ship on spotting U- boat.
REEL 4 Continues: role of captain in co-ordinating ships actions; decline in morale of U-boat crews after 5/1943; receiving congratulations letter from Winston Churchill and signal from Admiral Max Horton after Convoy SC 130; picking up crew of downed Liberator; conducting funeral at sea; state of ship after convoy escort duties; need to clean ship for inspection by Commander Peter Gretton; amount of fuel left on arrival at St Johns after Convoy 130. Aspects of operations as captain of Tintagel Castle, 2/1944: taking command of ship, 2/1944; threat from new types of U-boats in GB coastal waters; night time hunt for German U-boat 878 and its subsequent sinking, 4/1944; method used to protect convoy from collision with iceberg.
REEL 5 Continues: Reflections of service in Atlantic, 1940-1946: fate of HMS Pink after he left ship; comments of service in Atlantic; missing of German U-boat; attending investiture at Buckingham Palace on his award of the Distinguished Service Cross and two bars; demobilisation from Royal Navy, 1946; details of post-war career from 1946.