Description
Object description
British stoker trained with Stokers and Engine Room Artificers School, HMS Vivid II, Devonport, GB, 1910-1911; served aboard HMS Hannibal and HMS Colossus, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters, 1911-1914; served aboard HMS Colossus, 1st Battle Sqdn, Grand Fleet in GB coastal waters and North Sea, 1914-1918
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Devonport, GB, 1894-1910: newspaper round; employment with corn and forage merchant; family circumstances. Aspects of enlistment as stoker in Royal Navy, GB, 1910: prior education; question of educational classes in Royal Navy.
REEL 2 Continues: subsequent role as assistant schoolmaster giving literacy and numeracy classes. Recollections of training as stoker with Stokers and Engine Room Artificers School, HMS Vivid II, Devonport, GB, 1910-1911: recruitment situation; accommodation in Royal Naval Barracks, Devonport; cooks of mess and rations; reaction to subsequent introduction of general messing, 1922; kit; rifle training; lectures aboard HMS Phaeton.
REEL 3 Continues: role of cook of mess; boiler training aboard HMS Andromeda and HMS Amphitrite including organisation of stokers, instructions from engine room via Kilroy Clock, specialist tools, ash ejectors and expellers, method of cleaning boilers and use of coal skids; coaling ship including methods employed and accidents.
REEL 4 Continues: coaling ship including comparison of coaling from collier and dockside, subsequent cleaning ship and role of stokers levelling bunkers; difficulty in coaling HMS Hannibal in comparison to HMS Colossus; coaling destroyers; fearnaught uniform worn; effects of introduction of oil fuel; qualification as 2nd Class Stoker; courses in evaporators, generators and hydraulics; status of stokers in comparison to seamen; status of engineer officers; restrictions on stokers being on upper deck. Recollections of period as stoker aboard HMS Hannibal and HMS Colossus, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters, 1911-1914: story illustrating inflexible discipline.
REEL 5 Continues: 'spit and polish'; length of notice required to raise steam; question of influences on crew morale; commissioning and acceptance sea trials aboard HMS Colossus; sporting activities; naval regattas including selection of cutter crew, training, nature of race day and different classes of races.
REEL 6 Continues: visitors to ship and visits ashore whilst 'showing the flag' on south coast of England. Aspects of periods ashore in Royal Naval Barracks, Devonport, GB, 1910-1932: question of trouble and recreational activities during visits to Devonport; visits to Aggie Weston's Royal Sailors Rest Home; routine duties; discipline; inspection prior to being allowed to leave barracks.
REEL 7 Continues: Recollections of period as stoker aboard HMS Colossus, 1st Battle Sqdn, Grand Fleet, 1914-1918: preparations for mobilisation and move to Scapa Flow, 7/1914; anti submarine booms across entrances to Scapa Flow; aftermath of explosion of HMS Natal in Cromarty Firth, 30/12/1915; wartime changes in watch system; importance of keeping steam up in all boilers; question of 'spit and polish'; chipping off paint as fire precaution; increase in ship's complement; different origins of ratings; opinion of conscripts and Hostilities Only (HO) ratings. Recollections of operations as stoker aboard HMS Colossus, 1st Battle Sqdn, Grand Fleet during Battle of Jutland, North Sea, 31/5/1916-1/5/1916: fire resulting from hit from 11 Inch shell; duties with fire parties repairing burst water main and using hoses.
REEL 8 Continues: subsequent visit to HMS Tiger and sight of damage; opinion of fleet tactics. Reflections on service with Royal Navy, 1910-1932: effects of marriage on naval service; story of meeting future wife; improvements in pay and conditions, 1920; question of maintaining relationship with children; increased parental role of mother.