Description
Object description
British seaman served with 132nd Landing Craft Flotilla in GB and Mediterranean, 12/1942-8/1943; served with 13th Landing Barge Vehicle Flotilla in GB coastal waters and Normandy Landings, 11/1943-9/1944
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Glastonbury, GB, 1924-1942: family; education; employment in tannery factory; attitude to outbreak of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Aspects of enlistment and training as seaman with Royal Navy in GB, 1942: reasons for volunteering for Royal Navy; enlistment at Bristol; basic training at HMS Raleigh and HMS Drake; daily routine; drill and weapons training; training at Hayling Island including semaphore; small arms training; initial experience of landing craft; participation in Royal Marine training course at Inverary and opinion of instructors; recreational activities; opinion of rations; accommodation in camps in Plymouth area. Recollections of operations as seaman with 132nd Landing Craft Flotilla in GB and Mediterranean, 12/1942-9/1943: joining RFA Ennerdale for passage to Mediterranean; description of Landing Ship (Gantry) RFA Ennerdale.
REEL 2 Continues: role of RFA Ennerdale; memory of ship's surgeon; religious services; opinion of officers; attitude to naval discipline; shore leave in Cape Town, South Africa and Suez, Egypt; description of landing craft carried by RFA Ennerdale including smoke and problem of fumes; composition of crew; story of recieving poor rations; fitting out of landing craft; landings on Sicily, Italy, 7/1943; fate of airborne troops during landings on Sicily, Italy, 7/1943.
REEL 3 Continues: sight of glider crashing into cliffs; German air attacks on landing craft; sinking of hospital ship HMHS Talamba, 10/7/1943; description of landing craft and crew; attempt to fire fight fire on neighbouring Landing Craft Tank (LCT); stories illustrating use of smoke floats; duties in Augusta Harbour, Sicily; return to GB, 9/1943; second hand stories relating to airborne landings on Sicily, Italy; German Air Force tactics over landings beaches on Sicily, Italy; in holding camp at Westcliff-on-Sea, GB. Recollections of operations as seaman with 13th Landing Barge Vehicle Flotilla in GB coastal waters and Normandy Landings, 11/1943-9/1944: move to Yarmouth, Isle of Wight; description of Thames lighters and conversion into landing barges; problems encountered during training; opinion of accommodation.
REEL 4 Continues: awareness of upcoming invasion of Europe; memories of Lieutenant Dod Orsborne; story of near encounter with minesweepers; conversion work on landing barge at Wootton Creek, Isle of Wight; story of shipmate killed during landings on D-Day, 6/6/1944; sailing as reserve crew from Tilbury, GB to Juno Beach, Normandy, 6/6/1944-7/6/1944; problem with German artillery on arrival at Juno Beach, Normandy, France, 7/6/1944; role of landing barges and duties transporting supplies and equipment onto beach; story of German POW and morale of captured Germans; opinion of importance of landing barges; German Air Force attack; rumour of French female snipers in Normandy, France; amusing story of acquiring tins of milk.
REEL 5 Continues: Aspects of period as seaman on general duties with Royal Navy in GB, 9/1944-5/1945: home leave and further training at HMS Raleigh and HMS Drake, 9/1944; amusing story of guard of honour; duties bringing HMS Resolution and HMS Malaya into Plymouth, GB; duties transporting tanks and equipment by ferry from Tilbury to Ostend and Antwerp in Belgium; story of collision at Tilbury, GB; memories of VE Day, 8/5/1945; amusing story of aircraft carrier.
REEL 6 Continues: general duties in GB including shuttle service in Plymouth Sound; story of drunken rating; demobilisation and return to civilian life; attitude towards naval service; attitude towards father; employment; acquiring souvenir of machine gun belts; value of naval training in later life.