Pulford, William John (Oral history)

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Description

Object description

British seaman served aboard HMS Dorsetshire on China Station, 1934-1937; served with Torpedo School, HMS Defiance, Devonport, GB, 1939; served as torpedoman aboard HMS Hardy, 2nd Destroyer Flotilla in GB coastal waters and Norway, 1/1940-4/1940 including sinking in Ofotfjord, Norway, 10/4/1940; served aboard HMS Pytchley, 21st Destroyer Flotilla in North Sea, 10/1940-6/1941; petty officer served on shore duties with HMS Sphinx, Alexandria, Egypt, 1942; served with 15th Motor Torpedo Boat Flotilla in Mediterranean, 1942; served aboard HMS Pakenham, 12th Destroyer Flotilla in Mediterranean, 11/1942-4/1943 including scuttling off Sicily, Italy, 16/4/1943

Content description

REEL 1 Background in Liverpool, GB, 1915-1933: family; education. Aspects of enlistment and training as seaman at HMS Drake, Devonport in GB, 1933-1934: basic training; daily routine; discipline and instructors. Aspects of period as seaman aboard HMS Dorsetshire on China Station, 1934-1937: character of cruiser; role of ships on China Station; intervention during Chinese naval mutiny, summer 1935; contact with Imperial Japanese Navy; relations with civilians in Yokohama, Japan; ashore in Shanghai, China; encounter with Spanish ship near Gibraltar during return voyage to GB, 1937. Aspects of period on torpedo course at Torpedo School, HMS Defiance, Devonport, GB, 1939: reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; work with torpedoes; role of torpedomen. Recollections of operations as torpedoman aboard HMS Hardy, 2nd Destoryer Flotilla in GB coastal waters and Norway, 1/1940-4/1940: drafting to ship, 1/1940; strictness of Captain Bernard Warburton-Lee. REEL 2 Continues: duties on board; intercepting German iron ore ships in Norwegian territorial waters; effects of poor weather conditions during engagement with German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, 9/4/1940; attempts to obtain information from Norwegian pilot station at mouth of Ofotfjord; move into Ofotfjord leading to Narvik harbour; start of First Battle of Narvik, 10/4/1940; engaging German destroyers; cancellation of plans to send landing party into Narvik; hits on ship and subsequent damage; preparations for abandoning ship. REEL 3 Continues: Aspects of sinking of HMS Hardy and period ashore in Norway, 4/1940: abandoning ship once aground in Ofotfjord, 10/4/1940; attempt of survivors to gain beach under fire from Germans on shore; reception from Norwegian civilians on shore; torpedo officer's return to grounded ship to destroy valuable items and rescue Captain Bernard Warburton-Lee's body; sharing out of ship's money; trek to Ballangen; behaviour of Norwegian civilians towards survivors on route to Ballangen; personal appearance; White Ensign he took from HMS Hardy; relations with civilians at Ballangen. REEL 4 Continues: reaction to sight of British warships, 13/4/1940; passage of German motorised convoy through Ballangen; German search for survivors; arrival of landing party from HMS Ivanhoe, 13/4/1940; embarkation aboard HMS Ivanhoe, 13/4/1940; transfer to HMS Hero, 14/4/1940; duties guarding German Navy prisoners of war on voyage back to GB aboard HMT Franconia; reception in Devonport; identification of HMS Hardy survivors from newsreel; decorations for ship's crew. REEL 5 Continues: Recollections of operations as torpedoman aboard HMS Pytchley, 21st Destroyer Flotilla in North Sea, 10/1940-6/1941: drafting to ship; character of Hunt Class destroyers; working up ship; conduct of North Sea convoys; character of German E-boat attacks; defences against German E-boats; occasion when German E-boat was hit by shell; Coastal Forces protection of convoys; German Air Force attacks; attitude of Royal Navy to Royal Air Force protection; nature of east coast convoys and German attacks; role as junior ship in convoy; mining of ship, 21/6/1941; turning ship around for convoy work. REEL 6 Continues: incidents during North Sea convoys. Aspects of period as petty officer on shore duties with HMS Sphinx, Alexandria, Egypt, 1942: voyage to from GB to Egypt via South Africa; proposed demolition role with Hornblower unit in Alexandria; acquiring explosives and escape boat. Aspects of operations as petty officer with 15th Motor Torpedo Boat Flotilla in Mediterranean, 1942: drafting to HMS Mosquito, Alexandria, Egypt; losses during raid on Tobruk, Libya, late 1942. Recollections of operations as petty officer aboard HMS Pakenham, 12th Destroyer Flotilla in Mediterranean, 11/1942-4/1943: destroyer raids on Axis supply lines; taking supplies to Malta; scuttling of HMS Pakenham off Sicily. 16/4/1943. REEL 7 Continues: success against Axis North African convoys; rescue of British prisoners of war from sinking Italian submarine Navalo, 14/1/1943; explanation of term 'club run'; suspicion of German hospital ships; work fitting torpedoes to Vickers Wellington bombers after sinking of ship in North Africa, spring 1943.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1945-1989 (production), Second World War (content), Interwar (association), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
Wood, Conrad (Recorder)
Pulford, William John (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 1989-02-08
Dimensions: whole: Duration 210, Number Of Items 7
Catalogue number: 10610

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Pulford, William John (Oral history)

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