Description
Object description
British wirelss engineer served aboard HMS Tyne in Far East, 1944-1946
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Charlton and Brockley, London, 1924-194: social circumstances; education; outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; evacuation of school and decision not to be evacuated; continuation of education at Clerks College, 12/1939-1/1941; absence of air raid shelter; blackout; effects of German air raids, 9/194012/1940; duties as messenger with Citizens Advice Bureau; continuation of German air raids, 1941-1942.
REEL 2 Continues: work as messenger and clerk with insurance firm, 1941; work as temporary clerk with Inland Revenue, 1941-1943; background to volunteering under Y Scheme to join Royal Navy, 10/1942; call up, 2/1943. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine with HMS Collingwood Shore Station, Fareham, 4/1943-6/1943: prior train journey; organisation of camp; kitting out; hut accommodation; food rations; PT; climbing rigging; seamanship training; drill; relationship with recruits; visits to Fareham; relationship with instructors; question of losing status as potential officer; application for training as radar and wireless mechanic.
REEL 3 Continues: acceptance for radar operator course; question of homesickness. Period at HMS Valkyrie Shore Station at Douglas, Isle of Man, 6/1943-7/1943: billets; reapplication for training as radar and wireless mechanic. Period on radar mechanics course at Rutherford College, Newcastle upon Tyne, 7/1943-11/1943: origins of trainees; billets; instructors; theoretical and practical wireless training; assessment; radar training. Period on radar and planned position indication sets course at HMS Valkyrie Shore at Douglas, Isle of Man, 11/1943-1/1944. Qualification as leading radar mechanic at HMS Mercury Signal School, Hazelmere, 1/1944-4/1944. Period at Chatham Barracks, 4/1944-6/1944: role in port wireless office; barrack joining routine.
REEL 4 Continues: hostel billets; home ports system. Period with 'Party Funshore', Combined Operations Unit, HMS Collingwood Shore Station, 6/1944-10/1944: intended role of unit operating wireless equipment in vans; lack of briefing; weapons training; reactions to khaki uniform; request to return to general service. Recollections of period as leading wireless mechanic aboard HMS Tyne, 11/1944-1/1946: nature of ship as destroyer depot ship; first impressions on joining ship at Glasgow; nature of artisans messdeck and hammocks; importance of cleanliness and commanders inspection rounds; action stations in emergency wireless office below decks; role in wireless workshop repairing equipment and nature of faults; general messing and food.
REEL 5 Continues: voyage in convoy ton Trincomalee, Ceylon, 11/1944-12/1944; acclimatisation to climate; visits ashore and story of nearly drowning whilst sea bathing; role as depot ship; briefing speech from Lord Louis Mountbatten; role as part of 'fleet train' to maintain Pacific Fleet at sea; 'crossing the line' ceremony and storm during voyage to Sydney, Australia, 1/1945; voyage to Manes, Admiralty Islands. 1/1945; status of Pacific Fleet; listening to US radio; return to Sydney; relationship with Australian civilians.
REEL 6 Continues: voyage to Leyte Gulf, Philippines; isolated nature of anchorage and question of shore leave; move to Marshall Islands, ca 7/1945; situation; role as radio mechanic; reactions to first use of atomic bomb and VJ Day, 8/1945; return to Sydney, 8/1945; detachment to istall wireless equipment aboard HMS Quickmatch; relationship with Australian civilians; open day aboard ship; view of return of Australian POWs; voyage to Tokyo, Japan; detachment to British Embassy, Tokyo, 12/1945; scale of bomb damage to Tokyo; relationship with Japanese civilians and question of black market activities.
REEL 7 Continues: rejoining ship; question of demobilisation. Aspects of voyage back to GB, 1/1946-3/1946: visit to Shanghai, China; visit to Hiroshima. Demobilisation, 3/1946. Post-war career: initial confusion; taking economics degree and career in insurance business; effects of war service; question of importance of Pacific Fleet.