McGeoch, Ian Lachlan Mackay (Oral history)

British officer served aboard submarines HMS Clyde, HMS H43 and HMS Triumph in Atlantic and GB coastal waters, 9/1939-8/1940; commanded submarines HMS H43 and HMS H34 in GB coastal waters, 12/1940-3/1941; served with 10th Submarine Flotilla on Malta, 5/1941-7/1941 including patro commanding submarine HMS Ursula, 24/5/1941-6/6/1941; commanded submarine HMS Splendid in Atlantic and Mediterranean, 8/1942-4/1943 including sinking off Italy, 21/4/1943; POW in Campo PG 66, Capua and PG 5, Gavi, Italy, 4/1943-9/1943; escaped to GB via Switzerland, France and Spain, 9/1943-4/1944

REEL 1 Background in Helensburgh, GB, 1914-1931: family; education; reasons for joining Royal Navy, 1931. Aspects of period as officer with submarine HMS Clyde in Atlantic, 9/1939-1/1940: attractions of Submarine Service; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; patrols in South Atlantic; Christmas in Dakar, French West Africa, 25/12/1939. Aspects of operations as first lieutenant aboard submarines HMS H43 and HMS Triumph in GB coastal waters, 1940: landing agents from HMS H43 in Guernsey, Channel Islands, 9/7/1940; brief period aboard HMS Triumph, 7/1940-8/1940; drafting to Commanding Officer's Qualifying Course, 8/1940-11/1940. REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of period as commander of submarines HMS H43 and HMS H34 in GB coastal waters, 12/1940-3/1941: joining HMS H43, 17/12/1940; pessimistic attitude of submarine commander he relieved; repair work in Belfast, North Ireland, 12/1940; appointment to HMS H34, 3/1941; east coast patrols; voyage in fog to Tobermory. Aspects of passage from GB to Malta aboard submarine HMS Urge, 14/4/1941-6/5/1941: safe haven system; sinking of Italian tanker Franco Martelli off Gironde, France, 18/4/1941. Aspects of period as officer with 10th Submarine Flotilla on Malta, 4/1941-7/1941: arrival in Malta; brother officers; role as spare officer; commanding submarine HMS Ursula during 20th war patrol off North Africa, 24/5/1941-6/6/1941; bouts of illness, 6/1941; return to GB, 1941. REEL 3 Continues: prior recollection of German Air Force attacks on Chatham Dockyard, GB, 9/1942. Recollections of operations as commander of submarine HMS Splendid in Atlantic and Mediterranean, 8/1942-4/1943: equipment; reduction of size of silhouette of submarine; dispensing with bridge steering; encounter with neutral Panamian vessel SS Gaizka in Bay of Biscay, 13/10/1942; hunt for German raider near Ferral, Spain, 10/1942; arrival in Gibraltar, 16/10/1942; patrolling of Toulon France, 11/1942; capture of secret books from Italian anti-submarine schooner V277 San Paolo off Gorgona, Italy, 16/11/1942; abortive attack on U-593 off La Spezia, 16/11/1942; need to ignore second U-boat, 16/11/1942; failure of attack on Italian submarine Aradam, off Naples, Italy, 20/11/1942; torpedoing of Italian destroyer Velite off Ischia Island, Italy, 21/11/1942. REEL 4 Continues: sinking of Italian vessel, Favorita, 23/11/1942; 4th war patrol off Sicily, 8/12/1942-24/12/1942; attack on Axis convoy on route to North Africa, 14/12/1942; sinking of Italian destroyer Aviere off Tunisia, 17/12/1942; comparison between British and German methods of torpedo attacks; ashore in Algiers, Algeria, 12/1942; landing Special Operations Executive agents during Operation Converse on Sardinia, 9/1/1943; attack on Italian merchant vessel Commercio off Sardinia, 19/1/1943; attack on convoy off Naples, 15/1/1943. REEL 5 Continues: comparison between surface and dived attacks; attacks on convoys off Sicily during 5th war patrol, 3/1943; further attacks off during 6th war patrol off Sicily, 3/1943; detection of protective temperature sea layers; sinking Italian tanker Giorgio off Sicily during 7th war patrol, 21/3/1943; story of Maltese storeman's idea of what constituted an emergency. Aspects operations commanding HMS Spendid during 8th war patrol in Mediterranean, 4/1943 including sinking off Italy, 21/4/1943: question of strain on his reactions; attack on submarine by German destroyer, Hermes, 21/4/1943. REEL 6 Continues: damage to submarine during depth charging; his decision to abandon ship; wounding in eye by machine gun fire; crew's capture by German destroyer Hermes; reaction to sinking of submarine; treatment by German captors. Recollections of period as POW in Campo PG 66, Capua and Campo PG 5, Gavi, Italy, 4/1943-9/1943: interrogation in transit camp Campo PG 66, Capua; contacting families; hospitalisation for eye wound; construction of escape tunnel; removal northwards; escape from hospital train, 7/1943. REEL 7 Continues: concealment near airfield; trek through Italy; capture by Italian carabinieri; move to Rome; escape attempt in Rome; thwarting of stooge during solitary confinement in Rome; move to Campo PG 5, Gavi, 8/1943; gaining information from escaped POWs; decision to repatriate him for wounds; news of Italian collapse, 9/1943. Recollections of escape from Italy to GB via Switzerland, France and Spain, 9/1943-4/1944: escape from hospital; decision to head to Switzerland; aid from Italian peasant; character of journey northwards; crossing into Switzerland. REEL 8 Continues: move to Bern. Switzerland; eye treatment in Geneva, Switzerland; work for British Consulate in Geneva, Switzerland; plans to escape across France; social contacts in Geneva, Switzerland; crossing into France, 3/1944; journey to Lyons, France; refuge with French Resistance in Lyons, France; apocryphal story of forced labour evaders period as ape substitute; in hiding with cinema distributors. REEL 9 Continues: arrangement for new cover story; journey from Lyons to Toulouse, France; plans to cross Pyrenees Mountains; crossing Pyrenees Mountains; arrival and arrest in Spain; interrogation by German; treatment in Figueras Prison, Spain; release and return to GB via Gibraltar aboard HMS Centurion, 4/1944.