Private Papers of R W Hill

Detailed and informative memoir (81pp ts), written early 1990s (?), covering his experiences as a schoolboy evacuated from London to Chelmsford after the outbreak of the Second World War, return to London in August 1940 and life there during the `Blitz', leaving school and first employment before joining the Royal Navy Signals Branch in late 1942, training in HMS IMPREGNABLE at Plymouth and postings to nearby Longroom Signal Station and Glenholt Signal School before joining the destroyer HMS WATCHMAN on Atlantic and (briefly) Arctic convoy escorts until June 1944, then on convoy escorts across the Channel following the Normandy landings until the end of 1944, and final postings to C-in-C British Pacific Fleet, Sydney, and HMS TAMAR, Hong Kong, until early 1946; photocopies (circa 300pp ms) of the letters he wrote home as an evacuee, September 1939 - February 1941; photocopies (circa 250pp ms) of letters home from HMS WATCHMAN, October 1943 - September 1944; several poems and short stories (21pp ts) relating to his naval service; and a photograph of Hill in naval uniform.

Cataloguer SWW

Catalogue date 1997-04