Addyman, Alistair George (Oral history)

British seaman served electrical artificer aboard HMS Exeter in South Atlantic, 1935-1940 including Battle of River Plate, 12/1939

REEL 1 Background in Plymouth, GB, 1914-1935: family; education. Aspects of period as electrical artificer aboard HMS Exeter in South Atlantic, 1935-1939: drafting to ship; character of ship; presence of vermin on board; reaction to Munich Crisis in South Atlantic, 9/1938; leave in GB, 8/1939; orders to return to ship, early 9/1939; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 9/1939. Recollections of operations as electrical artificer aboard HMS Exeter in South Atlantic, 1939-1940 including Battle of River Plate, 12/1939: role as electrical artificer; patrolling for German raiders in South Atlantic and Indian Ocean; effects on sleep of being at constant action stations; reaction to prospect of engaging Graf Spee; damage to the compartment he was in from shellfire during Battle of River Plate; loss of his savings and effects of shell damage in compartment. REEL 2 Continues: role in organising damage control party; use of emergency electrical ring main; opinion of chief electrical artificer; shell damage to bulk head door; damage from armoured piercing shells; discovery of dead seamen in transmitter station; loss of ship's compasses; damage to ship's wiring; question of opposing the heavy cruiser Admiral Graf Spee in a cruiser; sight of wounded on waste deck; damage to ship's guns and role of remaining guns of Y Turret; burial of dead at sea; navigating to Falkland Islands in damaged ship; sleeping on steel bench; lack of panic during battle; importance of training during damage control actions; steering of ship during battle; opinion of skill in navigating ship to the Falkland Islands. REEL 3 Continues: weather conditions during action; accuracy of German gunnery; feelings during and after the battle; repairs to ship in the Falkland Islands; state of ship on leaving Falkland Islands and voyage to GB; reception from Force H and in Freetown; William Joyce's claim to sink ship in Western Approaches; reception at Plymouth and at family home; story of chief electrical artificer who was captured by Japanese when ship was sunk, 1942; reaction to scuttling of Admiral Graf Spee.