Clift, Maurice William Mynard (Oral history)

British seaman served as electrical artificer aboard HMS Exeter in South Atlantic, 1938-1940; petty officer served on special service duties attached to 5th French Army on Maginot Line in France, 1940; served aboard HMS Prince of Wales in GB coastal waters, Atlantic and Far East, 1940-1941 including sinking off Malaya, 10/ 12/1941; served on shore duties in Singapore, Malaya and in Java, Dutch East Indies, 1941-1942; escaped from Singapore, Malaya to Columbo, Ceylon via Java, Dutch East Indies, 2/1942

REEL 1 Background in Plymouth, GB, 1914-1936: family; education; employment as apprentice in naval dockyard; background to enlistment in Royal Navy as electrical artificer, 1936. Recollections of operations as electrical artificer aboard HMS Exeter in South Atlantic, 1938-1940: duties on board; patrolling off Brazilian coast, 1938; return to South American coast, 1939; sighting of Admiral Graf Spee, 13/12/1939; start of Battle of the River Plate with Admiral Graf Spee's first salvo; effect of impact of Graf Spee's shells; damage to ship and repair work; plan to ram Admiral Graf Spee. REEL 2 Continues: attempts to reach switchboard in darkness; orders for ship to disengage; duties of sailmaker aboard; effect of inebriation of sailmaker in ships' manoeuvring; his repair work; question of training received by hostilities only personnel; burial of dead at sea; ministering to needs of burnt casualty; reaction to death of shipmates; a marine who remained cheerful despite loss of his hands but later died on Falkland Islands; attitude towards Falkland Islanders; disguising damage to ship for return to GB. Recollections of period as petty officer on special service duties attached to 5th French Army on Maginot Line in France, 3/1940-6/1940: posting to France. REEL 3 Continues: journey to France; purpose of special service assignment; method of producing tea on train; reception on arrival on Maginot Line; contingency plans for escape to Switzerland; recreational activities; setting of timing devices on mines; how mines worked in River Rhine; an amusing test of mines; clash with army officer over saluting; memories of commanding officer. REEL 4 Continues: amusing story about late arrival of mail; strafing by German Air Force reconnaissance aircraft; method of laying mines; escape from Maginot Line, 6/1940; disposal of mines in River Meuse; narrow escape from detection on Maginot Line; encounter with ants nest. Recollections of operations as engine room artificer aboard HMS Prince of Wales in GB coastal waters and Atlantic, 1940-1941: duties standing by ship in Birkenhead, 1940; belief in unsinkability of ship; damage to forward transmission station during pursuit of Bismarck, 5/1941; hearing of sinking of HMS Hood; orders to shadow Bismarck; casualties; his rewiring work. REEL 5 Continues: repair work carried out; memories of Prime Minister Winston Churchill on board during signing of Atlantic Charter, 8/1941; story of discovering mysterious compass fault. Recollections of operations as petty officer engine room artificer aboard HMS Prince of Wales in Far East, 1941 including sinking off Malaya, 10/12/1941: arrival in Singapore, Malaya; transfer to new duties; misidentification of gaggle of geese for aircraft; electrical problems on board after Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service attacks; battening down of men below decks. REEL 6 Continues: ventilation problems; disappearance of petty officer in command; attempt to abandon ship; confusion on board; rescue of wounded shipmate Fred King; loading wounded onto Carley Float; abandoning ship on chair; return to ship; jumping onto HMS Express; first aid treatment for Fred King aboard HMS Express; passivity of Japanese; issue of rum. Recollections of period on shore duties in Singapore, Malaya and Java, Dutch East Indies, 1941-1942: disembarkation; treatment of survivors; discovery of his facial wounds. REEL 7 Continues: assignment to mission to Surabaya, Java in Dutch East Indies; purpose of the assignment to assess Dutch naval vessel HNLMS Sumatra; quality of hospitality of Dutch Navy; celebrations of success of Dutch submarine crew; bar brawl between Dutch and American seamen; return to Singapore; accommodation at RAF camp; plan to drop depth charges from air; obtaining supplies from HMS Terror; Japanese shelling of Causeway. Aspects of escape from Singapore, Malaya to Colombo, Ceylon via Java, Dutch East Indies, 2/1942: evacuation of personnel from island; how he arranged for his name to be on evacuation list; evacuation on Australian vessel to Batavia, Java. REEL 8 Continues: problems getting aboard troop ship for evacuation to Ceylon; embarkation on troopship; problems he had on arrival in Columbo, Ceylon; appointment as drafting officer in Columbo, Ceylon. Aspects of operations as petty officer aboard HMS Prince of Wales in Far East, 1941: question of inadequate level of training amonst crew; crew's opinion of Admiral Tom Philips; opinion of inadequacies of ship's design.