Private Papers of J H Beazley

Ts transcript (23pp) of a diary recording his experiences September - December 1939, initially as a passenger in the SS HUNTSMAN intercepted by the German pocket battleship GRAF SPEE in the Atlantic in mid October. The seizure of the vessel is described, also its sinking later after he was transferred to the German auxiliary vessel ALTMARK where poor conditions are detailed. He is transferred with senior officer prisoners to the GRAF SPEE in late November and describes their plight during the battle of the River Plate on 13 December, their arrival in Montevideo and release ashore. With contemporary Uruguayan and British newspaper extracts, photographs and maps, also a duplicated ts note (1p) declaring the SS HUNTSMAN a German prize.

Catalogue date 1984-04-16

Cataloguer CH