Irwin, Hugh Michael (Oral history)

British officer served aboard HMS Lowestoft in North Sea and North Atlantic, 2/1940-1/1941; served on shore duties with Bristol Channel Balloon Barrage in Barry, GB, 2/1941-1/1942; served aboard Q ship HMS Brutus n North Sea, 2/1942-7/1942; served aboard HMS Berwick, 1st Cruiser Sqdn in North Atlantic, 7/1942-9/1942; served as flotilla commander of support craft aboard HMS Ulster Monarch during Operation Torch landings at Arzew, French Algeria, 11/1942 and with 590th LCA Flotilla during landings on Sicily, Italy, 7/1943; served as flotilla commander of support craft aboard HMS Durban Castle during landings at Salerno, Italy, 9/1943; trained with X-craft of 12th Submarine Flotilla, HMS Varbel, Port Bannatyne, Isle of Bute, GB, 11/1943-3/1944; commanded 591st LCA (HR) Flotilla during Normandy Landings, D-Day, 6/6/1944; served aboard HMS Fencer in GB coastal waters and Far East, 1944-1946

REEL 1 Background in Newcastle upon Tyne, GB, 1920-1939: family's military service; education; employment in shipping industry in France and Sweden, 1937-1939; pro-German attitude of Swedish civilians. Recollections of period as midshipman with Tyne Division, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in Newcastle upon Tyne, GB, 3/1939-9/1939: reasons for joining; issue of uniform; basic seamanship skills; uses for Gun Room and Ward Room; nightly training routine; attitude towards naval discipline; organisation of Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve; anticipation of Second World War; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Aspects of period as midshipman at HMS King Alfred, Hove, GB, 9/1939-2/1940: character of training establishment. REEL 2 Continues: daily routine; seasickness during navigation training on Sir Thomas Sopwith's yacht; evening activities and memories of Peter Scott; evening out in London on passing out from course. Recollections of operations as officer aboard HMS Lowestoft in North Sea and North Atlantic, 2/1940-1/1941: reception on arrival as midshipman; training for duties as officer of the watch; work as ship's writer; character of east coast convoys in North Sea; incident of German E-boat attack on convoy; German Air Force attacks on east coast convoys; shooting down of German bomber whilst escorting Convoy FN 336 off Lowestoft, 18/11/1940; his action station in gunnery director; Junker's Ju 87 Stuka attack on convoy; relations with captain, Commander Arthur Knapp; reaction to being in action; North Atlantic convoy duties, 1940; German submarine wolf pack attack on Convoy HX 72, Atlantic, 9/1940. REEL 3 Continues: Commander Arthur Knapp's report on attack on Convoy HX 72, 9/1940; scattering of Convoy SC 2, 9/1940; opinion of Merchant Navy convoy discipline; threat of collisions during zig-zagging manoeuvres; conditions on board ship; mining of ship in Thames Estuary, 5/1/1941. Aspects of period as officer with Bristol Channel Balloon Barrage in Barry, GB, 2/1941-1/1942: duties as second in command of unit; role dealing with Flemish fishermen; memories of Q ship HMS Fidelity; work with charts. Aspects of operations as officer aboard HMS Brutus in North Sea, 2/1942-7/1942: drafting to ship; character of Q ship; plan to operate in northern Norwegian waters. REEL 4 Continues: character of abortive operation in North Sea; question of wearing British tin helmets during operation; proposed role of Norwegian commandos on board. Aspects of operations as officer aboard HMS Berwick, 1st Cruiser Sqdn in North Atlantic, 7/1942-9/1942: role of ship in North Atlantic; drafting to ship in Iceland; attitude to serving on board; character of Captain George Faulkner; arrival of United States Navy ships; degree of drinking aboard ship; relations with Icelanders; move to Devonport; drafting to Combined Operations. Aspects of period as flotilla commander of support craft with HMS Ulster Monarch in GB coastal waters, 1942: character of Landing Craft Support (Medium); role commanding support craft flotilla; organisation of landing flotilla; behaviour on meeting Generals Dwight D Eisenhower and Mark Clark; opinion of Colonel William Darby; duties as officer of watch; amphibious landing training. REEL 5 Continues: role of support craft during exercise; opinion of Landing Craft Support (Medium). Recollections of operations as flotilla commander of support craft with HMS Ulster Monarch during Operation Torch landings at Arzew, French Algeria, 11/1942: security threat in anchoring at Gibraltar; plan to land American troops at Arzew; near drowning accident during loading of landing craft; obtaining information from French captain during landings at Arzew; reasons for wearing American insignia; Vichy French opening fire on landing craft; receiving accidental fire from Canadian landing craft; question of subordinates role during landings at Arzew, 11/1942; casualties during operation; attitude of Vichy French towards British prisoners of war. REEL 6 Continues: collecting British prisoners of war in Oran, French Algeria and transporting them to Gibraltar; sinking of HMS Avenger by submarine U-155 off Gibraltar on return convoy to GB, 15/11/1942; attitude of his crew at missing operation at Arzew. Recollections of operations as flotilla commander of support craft with 590th LCA Flotilla during Operation Husky, the landings on Sicily, Italy, 7/1943: voyage from GB to Egypt via South Africa, early 1943; relations with captain; attitude of his Royal Marine crew; reasons for leaving HMS Ulster Monarch; picking up glider borne troops from sea; losing contact with flotilla; decision to attack Italian machine gun post in pillbox. REEL 7 Continues: silencing of machine gun post in pillbox; reaction to being in action; move to Malta then Oran, Algeria; role transporting Italian prisoners of war to GB; behaviour of dockyard workers. Recollections of operations as flotilla commander of support craft aboard HMS Durban Castle during landings at Salerno, Italy, 9/1943: story his Royal Marine crew requesting return to Eastney Barracks; embarking American troops for landings; reaction to Italian surrender, 8/9/1943; American method of using landing craft during amphibious assaults; situation on beach; attempts to rescue wounded on beach; engaging German positions; question of his craft's role during assault; reaction to being under German machine gun fire; results of firing smoke onto German machine gun position; sight of photo reconnaissance Supermarine Spitfire landing on beach; visit to view knocked out German machine gun position; German artillery hit on his landing craft; further German shelling of his landing craft; sight of USS Rowan being torpedoed by German E-boats, 11/9/1943. REEL 8 Continues: lack of air support during operation; funeral for dead naval rating on return to North Africa; recommendation of awards to two members of his crew; further attack on machine gun position; question of awards for operation; attitude towards Americans; question of security threat to Salerno operations and reasons for success of operation; organisation of beach after landings; reaction to Germans using delayed action mines in post office at Naples, Italy; return to GB with 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div, 11/1943. Aspects of training with X-craft attached to HMS Varbel, Port Bannatyne, Isle of Bute. GB, 11/1943-3/1944: question of volunteering for submarine service. REEL 9 Continues: background to drafting to X-craft training establishment at Hayling Island; exercise in Chichester Harbour; attitude to training with Davis Escape Equipment at HMS Dolphin, Gosport; story of being caught with more than his allocation of cigarettes; character of escape training in Scotland; fatal accident during training; purpose of his training; opinion of X-craft; effects of disciplinary action for smuggling cigarettes; role of X-craft during D-Day landings. REEL 10 Continues: Recollections of operations as commanding officer of 591st LCA (HR) Flotilla during Normandy landings, D-Day, 6/6/1944: background to drafting to unit; use of Spigot Mortar; role of unit during amphibious assault on D-Day, 6/6/1944; character of LCA(HR) craft; operating Spigot Mortar; degree of knowledge of LCA (HR) craft prior to D-Day; organisation of flotilla; delay in D-Day operation; character of English Channel crossing; reasons for losses of LCA (HR)s during crossing; refuelling from destroyer; morale of crew and personal morale; question of not being under German fire on approach to Gold Beach; loss of Australian Sub-Lieutenant Bruce Ashton and his crew aboard HMLCA (HR) 1106; sight of landing of first tanks; loss of tanks and destruction of German gun emplacements; sight of infantry landings; return to base at HMS Cricket, Hamble; question of awards after landings. REEL 11 Continues: taking photographs during Normandy Landings. Aspects of operations as officer aboard HMS Fencer in GB coastal waters and Pacific, 1944-1946: reaction to drafting to aircraft carrier, 9/1944; move to Australia; duties in Indian Ocean; behaviour of seamen in Pacific; navigating aircraft carrier from Australia to Cape Town, South Africa for repairs; reaction to end of Second World War, 8/1945; decision to stay in Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve after 1946. Memories of post-war service with Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.