Reynolds, Edward John (Oral history)

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Description

Object description

British boy seaman trained at HMS St Vincent, Gosport, GB, 1932-1934; served as boy signaller aboard HMS London, Mediterranean Fleet in Mediterranean, 1934-1936; served as signalman served aboard HMS Active, Mediterranean Fleet in Mediterranean, 1936; served aboard HMS Coventry, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters, 1936-1937; petty officer served as yeoman of signals aboard HMS Penelope, 2nd Cruiser Sqdn in Mediterranean and Norway, 9/1939-5/1940; served on shore duties with office of the Flag Officer, Glasgow, GB, 1940; served aboard HMS Pozarica in GB coastal waters, Arctic and Mediterranean, 12/1940-1/1943 including torpedoing off Bougie, French Algeria, 29/1/1942

Content description

REEL 1 Aspects of enlistment and training with as boy seaman at HMS St Vincent, Gosport, GB, 1932-1934: enlistment in Royal Navy, 1932; opinion of training at HMS St Vincent; daily routine; comparison of standard of living as boy seaman and at home; discipline; attitude to his training and of instructors to trainees; selection as boy signalman. Aspects of period as boy signaller aboard HMS London, Mediterranean Fleet in Mediterranean, 1934-1936: working up on HMS Durban in Gibraltar prior to drafting to ship; characteristics of ship; visit by Benito Mussolini to ship in Venice, Italy, 1935; daily routine for boy signallers; treatment received from yeoman of signals. REEL 2 Continues: loss of surgeon commander at Samos Island, Greece and show of force by Turks. Aspects of period as signalman aboard HMS Active, Mediterranean Fleet in Mediterranean, 1936: reasons for transfer to ship; story illustrating his overconfidence during manouvering of four destroyer flotillas in eastern Mediterranean; ashore in Haifa, Palestine; living conditions on board; carrying out dummy torpedo attacks. Aspects of period as signalman aboard HMS Coventry, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters, 1936-1937: characteristics of cruiser; promotion to leading signalman; opinion of anti-aircraft guns; draftings to HMS Ringdove and HMS Amazon, 1938. Aspects of operations as yeoman of signals aboard HMS Penelope in Mediterranean and Norway, 9/1939-5/1940: reaction to declaration of Second World War, 9/1939. REEL 3 Continues: prior recollection of reaction to Munich Crisis, 9/1938; contraband control duties in eastern Mediterranean, 9/1939-1/1940; inaccuracy of naval anti-aircraft fire; sailing for Norway, 4/1939; encounter of H class destroyers after First Battle of Narvik, Norway, 10/4/1940; running aground on rocks and collision with HMS Eskimo; repairing damage to ship in fjord; sheltering in fjord and visits ashore; nature of damage to HMS Eskimo; German Air Force raid on ships in fjord after HMS Effingham opened fire; casualties and return to GB, 16/5/1940; fate of HMS Eskimo. REEL 4 Continues: characteristics of HMS Penelope. Aspects of period on shore duties as petty officer to Flag Officer, Glasgow, GB, 1940: clash with Minister of Shipping; brief drafting to Free French Navy sloop Chevreuil. Aspects of operations as petty officer aboard HMS Pozarica in GB coastal waters and North Sea, 12/1940-5/1942: drafting to ship, 12/1940; character of ship; convoy duties; German aircraft attack during east coast convoy; mutual understanding with dockyard policeman in Chatham Dockyard. Recollections of operations as petty officer aboard HMS Pozarica during Convoy PQ 17 in Arctic, 6/1942-7/1942: composition of convoy, 6/1942; German Air Force attacks on convoy, 6/1942-7/1942; scattering of convoy, 7/1942; his captain's disobeying of scatter order; destruction of convoy HMS Lotus' picking up of survivors; reaching Novaya Zemlya Archipelago, Soviet Union. REEL 5 Continues: need to sail into White Sea; becoming trapped in pack ice; character of German Air Force attack on surviving ships in convoy; problems of getting into a Soviet port; conditions for Soviet civilians; suspicious nature of Soviets; failure of Soviet Union to offer adequate aid to convoys; food available in Soviet Union; presence of Godfrey Winn on board ship; return convoy to GB. REEL 6 Continues: Aspects of operations as petty officer aboard HMS Pozarica in Mediterranean, 1942-1943 including torpeoding off Bougie, French Algeria, 29/1/1943: voyage to Mediterranean for Operation Torch, late 1942; duties off North African coast; torpedoing of ship off Bougie, French Algeria, 29/1/1943; subsequent loss of ship in Bougie Harbour, French Algeria, 13/2/1943.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1945-1989 (production), Interwar (content), Interwar (association), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
Wood, Conrad (Recorder)
Reynolds, Edward John (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 1989-07-23
Dimensions: whole: Duration 180, Number Of Items 6
Catalogue number: 10779

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Reynolds, Edward John (Oral history)

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