Description
Object description
British boy seaman trained aboard HMS Arethusa and at HMS Ganges, Shotley in GB, 1911-1912; served aboard HMS Berwick in GB coastal waters and on voyage to Spain, 1912-1913; boy seaman and seaman served aboard HMS Antrim in Mediterranean and GB coastal waters, 1914-1917; served aboard HMS Garry in GB coastal waters, 1917-1919; served aboard HMS Birmingham, HMS Cleopatra and HMS Benbow in GB coastal waters, 1920-1925; petty officer served aboard submarines L71, HMS Oberon and HMS Proteus in GB coastal waters and on China Station, 1926-1936
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Virginia Water and London, GB, 1896-1911: family situation; sewing gas mantles; education; employment in shops and as chemist errand boy; reasons for enlisting in Royal Navy.
REEL 2 Continues: Recollections of training as boy seaman aboard training ship, HMS Arethusa in GB coastal waters, 11/1911-3/1912: enlistment procedure, 22/11/1911; reception on arrival aboard training ship; stowing hammocks; scrubbing decks; polishing brass work.
REEL 3 Continues: cooks of the mess; cleaning mess; seamanship training; hornpipe dancing; recreational activities; washing clothes; cleaning ship on Saturday morning; Sunday morning church services; discipline.
REEL 4 Continues: offences for which caning was administered. Recollections of training as boy seaman at training ship, HMS Ganges, Shotley in GB , 3/1912-9/1912: arrival at training establishment; issue of clothing and equipment; adaptations and maintenance of uniform.
REEL 5 Continues: official attitude to 'tiddly work' adaptations to clothing; gunnery course and strictness of gunnery officer's punishments; discipline at HMS Ganges; memories of cleaning brass and polishing steelwork as boy seaman aboard HMS Berwick, 1912-1913.
REEL 6 Continues: Recollections of training period as boy seaman aboard HMS Berwick, 9/1912-2/1913: start of training aboard ship; procedure for coaling ship; seperate messing arrangements for boy seamen; relations with fellow boy seamen, petty officers and officers; storing hammocks; washing facilities; messing system and duties of cook of the week; cleaning ship; seamanship classes; QF 3 Inch Naval Gun training; electrical training; swimming tests at HMS Ganges.
REEL 7 Continues: suffering from seasickness; voyage to Spain; ashore in Spain; daily routine; recreational activities; weekend routine; leave on leaving ship; second drafting to HMS Berwick, 2/1912 and subsequent collision with ship. Aspects of period as boy seaman aboard HMS Antrim in GB coastal waters and Mediterranean, 1913-1914: attitude to drafting; training arrangements for boy seamen; relations with seaman; sporting activities; length of service aboard ship; action station as loader in A Turret; trips to Mediterranean with 3rd Cruiser Sqdn.
REEL 8 Continues: Recollections of period as ordinary seaman aboard HMS Antrim in GB coastal waters, 1914-1917: attending Spithead Review, 1914; Admiral Sir Charles Madden's address on outbreak of war, 8/1914; preparations for war; lack of practice firing of BL 6 and BL 7.5 Inch Naval Guns; relations with seamen in mess; messing arrangements including meals prepared; duties as cook of the week; story of being drunk on eighteenth birthday; attitude towards drunkeness; visit to Norway; patrolling in North Sea; duties as lookout; watch system operated.
REEL 9 Continues: bugle call for action stations; German submarine torpedo attack on ship, 9/1914; coaling ship and attitude to oil fuelled destroyers; attitude to serving aboard HMS Antrim; daily wartime routine and watch system; patrol area and duration of patrols; provisioning ship at Scapa Flow; ashore in Kirkwall including buying sweets; behaviour of naval police; recreational activities; information available; move to Rosyth, 1916; hearing of sinking of HMS Hampshire and loss of Lord Kitchener, 5/6/1916; duties with funeral parties; attitude to loss of Lord Kitchener; attitude to prospect of being torpedoed; duties and leave whilst ship in dock.
REEL 10 Continues: attitude of civilians to his wartime naval service; story of being on leave during Battle of Jutland; effect of constant patrolling on ship's morale; boredom; memories of Commander Kennedy; relations with divisional officers; opinion of ship's captains; lack of contact with Admiral; seasickness and effects of rough seas on meal times; attitude to leaving ship, 5/1917; lack of contact with shipmates on leaving ship; attending gunnery course at Gunnery School, Chatham after leaving ship. Recollections of period as able seaman aboard HMS Garry in GB coastal waters, 1917-1919: background to drafting to ship in Belfast, 8/1917; character of ship and crew; organisation of watch keeping; voyage from Belfast to Immingham to join 7th Destroyer Flotilla; relations with officers.
REEL 11 Continues: operating on convoy escort duties from Immingham; convoy destinations; method of convoy moving at night; torpedoing of ships in convoy; daily routine during convoy escort including his action station on QF 12 Pounder Naval Gun; messing arrangements; watch system; lookout duties; method of keeping station; depth charging and ramming of German submarine, UB-110 after its attack on convoy; picking up of German survivors; reasons for being towed from Newcastle to Immingham; duties whilst ship was in dock after ramming; reaction to end of the war, 11/1918.
REEL 12 Continues: Aspects of period as able seaman aboard HMS Birmingham in GB coastal waters, 1920-1921: background to drafting to ship, 1/1920; duties on board ship; return to GB. Aspects of period as leading seaman aboard HMS Cleopatra in GB coastal waters, 1921-1922: drafting to ship; guard duties in Dublin. Aspects of period as leading seaman aboard HMS Benbow in GB coastal waters, 1923-1925: drafting to ship; duties looking after foretop; arrival at Portsmouth and promotion to petty officer; reaction to working in gun turrets; atmosphere when guns fired. Memories of period as petty officer of canteen at Royal Naval Barracks, Chatham, GB, 1925-1926. Aspects of period as petty officer aboard submarine HMS L71 in GB coastal waters, 1926-1927: character of submarine; blowing out of tanks; duties as second coxain.
REEL 13 Continues: technique for steering submarine; reasons for not practising crash diving; sleeping arrangements; attitude to serving in submarines. Aspects of period as petty officer aboard submarines HMS Oberon and HMS Proteus in GB coastal waters and on China Station, 1927-1936: drafting to HMS Oberon; move to China Station with HMS Proteus; effects on quality of air of prolonged diving; collision with submarine HMS Pandora; damage to HMS Proteus; pay for submarine service; problems with submarine electrics on China Station; ashore in China. Memories of service as petty officer during Second World War. Attitude to having served with Royal Navy.