Townley, William Arthur (Oral history)

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Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
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Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
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Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
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Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
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Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

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Description

Object description

British petty officer served aboard HMS Dauntless on China Station, 1936; served aboard HMS Penelope, Mediterranean Fleet in Mediterranean, 1936-1939; served aboard HMS Cairo in GB coastal waters, Norway, North Atlantic, Arctic and Mediterranean, 9/1939-8/1942 including sinking off Bizerta, Tunisia, 12/8/1942

Content description

REEL 1 Aspects of enlistment and training with Royal Navy in GB, 1935: background to enlistment; pattern of training including 'PO's morale course'; learning to swim. Aspects of period as petty officer aboard HMS Dauntless on China Station, 1936: drafting to ship; character of ship; impressions of Chinese life; post-war story of hiring Chinese labour to paint HMS Albion in Hong Kong, 1956. Recollections of period as petty officer aboard HMS Penelope in Mediterranean, 1936-1939: non-intervention patrols during Spanish Civil War; encounter with Spanish naval vessels; evacuation of refugees and members of International Brigades from Spain. REEL 2 Continues: curfew patrols in Haifa, Palestine, 1938; lack of hostility towards seaman ashore in Palestine; German plan to use blockships on Suez Canal during Munich Crisis, 9/1938; his leaving ship, 1939. Recollections of operations as petty officer aboard HMS Cairo in GB coastal waters, Norway, North Atlantic, Arctic and Mediterranean, 9/1939-8/1942 including sinking off Bizerta,Tunisia, 12/8/1942: duties of ship as anti-aircraft cruiser; anti-aircraft gun drill; his action station with damage control party; how damage to ship was repaired during Operation Harpoon convoy to Malta, 12/6/1942-15/6/1942; prior recollection of magnetic mine problem during east coast convoys of GB, late 1939; acting as anti-aircraft guard over mined HMS Nelson in Loch Ewe; German Air Force attack on ship off Bridlington, GB, 21/10/1939; escorting convoys to Norway, 4/1940. REEL 3 Continues: operating from Harstad, Norway, 4/1940; behaviour of German aircrew prisoners of war on board at Narvik, Norway; attitude towards Germans and war; worn gun linings; under German Air Force attack; escorting HMS Eskimo back to GB; attitude to Atlantic convoy duties; reaction to sinking of HMS Hood, 24/5/1941; hunt for German battleship Bismarck, 5/1941; escorting first of Lend Lease convoys, 1941; German use of Focke-Wulf FW 200 Condors in North Atlantic; anti-aircraft role during Atlantic convoys; transporting gold from Soviet Union, 2/1942; precautions against conditions in Arctic; treatment of civilians in Murmansk, Soviet Union. REEL 4 Continues: duties escorting aircraft carriers in Mediterranean, 4/1942; engaging Italian warships during Operation Harpoon, 12/6/1942-15/6/1942; damage repair during Operation Harpoon; description of term 'club run'; loss of HMS Eagle during Operation Pedestal, 11/8/1940; Axis attacks on convoy; torpedoing of cruiser by Italian submarine, Axum off Bizerta,Tunisia, 12/8/1942; abandoning ship, 12/8/1942; reaction to loss of ship.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1945-1989 (production), Interwar (content), Interwar (association), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
Wood, Conrad (Recorder)
Townley, William Arthur (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 1989-06-29
Dimensions: whole: Duration 120, Number Of Items 4
Catalogue number: 10744

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Townley, William Arthur (Oral history)

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