Alder, George Thomas Cook (Oral history)

British petty officer served aboard HMS Exeter in South Atlantic, 1939-1940; survived sinking of SS Eumaeus in North Atlantic, 14/1/1941; served aboard HMS Kandahar, 14th Destroyer Flotilla in Mediterranean, 1941; served aboard HMS Medway in Mediterranean, 1942 including sinking off Alexandria, Egypt, 30/6/1942

REEL 1 Aspects of period as petty officer aboard HMS Exeter in South Atlantic, 8/1939-12/1939: drafting to ship, 8/1939; duties as petty officer torpedoman; ship's duties patrolling off South American coast, autumn 1939; reception of British seaman in Montevideo, Uruguay; his action station. Recollections of operations as petty officer aboard HMS Exeter during Battle of River Plate in South Atlantic, 12/1939: interception of Admiral Graf Spee; call to action stations; preparing torpedo tubes; effects of German shells; wounding. REEL 2 Continues: continuing presence of shrapnel in his body; reaction to sight of casualties; damage to ship; his estimate of the action on the morale of Admiral Graf Spee's crew; breaking off of action and voyage to Falkland Islands; treatment during hospitalisation in Falkland Islands; decision to return to GB aboard HMS Exeter, 1/1940; opinion of treatment received on Falkland Islands; reception on arrival in GB. Aspects of sinking of SS Eumaeus in North Atlantic, 14/1/1941: taking passage in ship; sinking of ship by Italian submarine Comandante Cappellini off Freetown, Sierra Leone; period in sea; rescue by trawlers; continuing voyage to Mombasa, Kenya to join HMS Kandahar. REEL 3 Continues: post-war invitation to attend reunion of crew of Italian submarine. Aspects of operations as petty officer aboard HMS Kandahar, 14th Destroyer Flotilla in Mediterranean, 1941: role of ship during evacuation of Greece, 4/1941; state of evacuated troops; Royal Navy losses during evacuation of Crete, 5/1941; hospitalisation in Alexandria, Egypt for psychological problems after evacuation of Greece. Aspects of operations as petty officer aboard HMS Medway in Mediterranean, 1942 including sinking off Alexandria, Egypt, 30/6/1942: drafting to submarine depot ship in Alexandria, Egypt; work servicing ships supplying Tobruk, Libya; torpedo work on board; torpedoing of ship by German submarine U-372 off Alexandria, Egypt, 30/6/1942; escape from sinking ship; physical condition on being rescued by HMS Hero. Effects of service with Royal Navy during Second World War.