Description
Object description
British boy seaman with Royal Navy, 1907-1911; seaman gunner served aboard HMS Dreadnought, HMS Eclipse and HMS Cochrane in GB coastal waters, 1911-1914; served aboard HMS Bramble on China station, 1914-1915; served aboard HMS Triumph in Dardanelles, 1915; served aboard submarines E21 and K5 in Mediterranean and GB coastal waters, 1915-1918
Content description
REEL 1: Family background and story of joining Royal Navy in Devonport, 1907. Aspects of training as boy seaman on HMS Impregnable and HMS Euryalus in GB, 1907-1911: memories of other cadets; food and accommodation; opinion of conditions on Impregnable; daily routine; washing; kit bag; description of ship; uniform; memories of going over the mast; drafted to training ship HMS Euryalus in Portsmouth, 1908; problem of contracting scarlet fever; description of sea training aboard Euryalus in Mediterranean. Aspects of period as seaman aboard HMS Dreadnought, HMS Eclipse and HMS Cochrane in GB coastal waters, 1911-1914: description of HMS Dreadnought; diddy box; No 5 uniform; daily routine; washing deck; living conditions; description of coaling ship; story of death of seaman aboard Dreadnought; posted to Whale Island for gunnery training; qualified as seaman gunner, 1911; pay; drafted to cruiser HMS Eclipse; messing arrangements and living conditions.
REEL 2 Continues: memories of bosun; description of Eclipse and guns; coaling ship; washing facilities; drafted to HMS Cochrane; coaling ship; qualified as gun layer; posted to HMS Bramble on China station, 1914. Aspects of period as seaman gunner aboard HMS Bramble on China station, 1914-1915: story of voyage to China; opinion of messing arrangements; opinion of living conditions aboard HMS Bramble on China station; based in Shanghai; role of HMS Bramble. Aspects of operations as seaman gunner aboard HMS Triumph in Dardanelles, 1915: duties as gun layer; living conditions aboard ship; story of HMS Triumph being torpedoed and sunk, 25/May/1915; abandoned ship and swam to destroyer; sailed to Malta and returned to GB; volunteered for submarine service, 1915. Aspects of operations as leading seaman aboard submarines E21 and K5 in Mediterranean and GB coastal waters, 1915-1918: submarine training aboard Dolphin; drafted to E21 in Mediterranean; story of E21 tipping over while submerging.
REEL 3 Continues: further comments on E21 tipping over; sailed to Malta for repairs; summary of operations in Mediterranean and Adriatic Sea; average l8 hours a day under water; slept on torpedo tubes; water supplies; problem of rats and lack of washing facilities; posted to K5; description of conditions. Summary of post-war service with Royal Navy: period aboard HMS Columbine; X1 experimental submarine; period aboard HMS Renown. Aspects of service with Royal Navy in GB, 1939-1945.
REEL 4 Continues: Further memories of period aboard HMS Bramble on China station and aboard HMS Cochrane.