Description
Object description
British petty officer served as ordnance artificer aboard HMS Repulse, Force Z in Far East, 11/1941-12/1941 including sinking off Malaya, 10/12/1941
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Derby, GB, 1909-1938: family; education; employment; decision to enlist in Royal Navy after trip to Germany, 1938. Aspects of training with Royal Navy in GB, 1938-1939: basic training; training as ordnance artificer at HMS Pembroke, Chatham. Recollections of operations as petty officer ordnance artificer aboard HMS Repulse, Force Z in the Far East, 11/1941-12/1941: ship's armament; quality of food and accommodation; status of petty officers; relations between officers and ratings; role of ordnance artificers; working routine; conditions for ratings and officers; crowded conditions in mess; presence of cockroaches and rats on board; lack of anti-aircraft armament; voyage from GB to Singapore, Malaya, 25/10/1941-2/12/1941.
REEL 2 Continues: sight of the Lady in White at Durban, South Africa; reaction to knowledge that destination was Singapore; question of ship's anti-aircraft capabilities; arrival in Singapore; aborted voyage to Australia and reasons for return to Singapore; initial sight of Japanese aircraft; monitoring of ship by Japanese submarine on voyage up the Malayan coast. Recollections of sinking of HMS Repulse off Malaya, 10/12/1941: sight of Japanese air formation from action station; Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service bomb attacks on ship; effects of bombing; state of guns; machine gunning of ship by Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service aircraft; attempt to clear jammed guns; torpedoing of ship; abandoning ship; period in water after abandoning ship.
REEL 3 Continues: singing during period in water; threat of sharks in water; rescue by destroyer HMS Electra; death of survivors; reaction to sight of ship sinking; time spent in water; treatment of survivors aboard HMS Electra; arrival in Singapore; treatment of survivors in Singapore; delay in telegram sent to parents. Aspects of period on shore duties in Singapore and return to GB, 1941-1942: ineffectiveness of BL 15 Inch Mk1 Naval Guns in Singapore; assembling Bofors Guns; orders to leave Singapore; return to GB via Ceylon and South Africa; psychological effects of sinking during return voyage. Reflections on operations as petty officer ordnance artificer aboard HMS Repulse, Force Z in Far East, 12/1941 including sinking off Malaya, 10/12/1941: question of suitability of sending HMS Repulse to Far East with threat of air attack; eating ship's biscuits; length of action prior to sinking.
REEL 4 Continues: morale on board ship prior to sinking; contrast between anti-aircraft guns aboard HMS Illustrious and those aboard HMS Repulse; effects of lack of anti-aircraft gun ammunition; question of not firing BL15 Inch Naval Guns at attacking Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service torpedo bombers; casualties amongst ordnance personnel; ineffectiveness of armour plating on ships; use of auxiliary lighting during action; familiarisation with escape route and swimming practice; firing of anti-aircraft guns; reasons for not inflating life belt when jumping into water; attitude of crews to being sent to Far East without latest anti-aircraft guns; attempts of ship to avoid bombing attacks; problems of shooting down aircraft with anti-aircraft guns on heavy mountings.
REEL 5 Continues: lack of air cover; opinion of Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service; attitude towards Japanese; psychological and physical effects of sinking; pattern of service from 1942; nature of Kamikaze attacks on HMS Illustrious in Pacific, 1945; question of amount of training received by gun crews aboard HMS Repulse, 1941. Attitude towards leaving Royal Navy, 1952.
