Hutchison, Frederick George (Oral history)

British boy seaman trained at HMS Ganges, Shotley, GB, 1937-1938; seaman served as diver aboard HMS Resolution, 3rd Battle Sqdn in North Atlantic, Norway and Mediterranean, 9/1939-4/1941; served aboard HMS Totland, 42nd Escort Group in North Atlantic, 5/1941-7/1942; served aboard HMS Phoebe, 7th Cruiser Sqdn in Mediterranean and South Atlantic, 7/1942-12/1942; served on base diver duties in Scotland, GB, 1943; served aboard HMS Warspite in GB coastal waters, English Channel during landings in Normandy, France and at Walcheren Island, Netherlands, 5/1944-11/1944; served wreck disposal duties in Thames Estuary, GB, 1944-1945; served aboard HMS Beauly Firth in Far East, 1945; served as chief diver aboard HMS Belfast off North and South Korea, 1952-1953

REEL 1 Aspects of period training as boy seaman at HMS Ganges, Shotley, GB, 1937-1938: opinion of training; character of discipline; reasons for choosing Seaman Branch; drafting to HMS Ramilles. Recollections of operations as seaman and diver aboard HMS Resolution, 3rd Battle Sqdn in North Atlantic, Norway and Mediterranean, 9/1939-4/1941: preparation of ship for war, 9/1939; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; incident of gas mask filled with cockroaches; transporting gold bullion from Portland, GB to Halifax, Canada, 7/10/1939-16/10/1939; landing French troops at Narvik, Norway, 13/5/1940; German attacks on ship in Ofotfjord, Norway, 5/1940; action station as fuse setter on QF 4 Inch Naval Gun; possibility of misfires and accidents; dispersal of Royal Marine band by German bomber; damage to other Royal Navy ships; behaviour of German prisoners of war on board; attack on Vichy French Fleet at Mers-el-Kebir, French Algeria, 3/7/1940; torpedoing of ship by Vichy French submarine Bévéziers off Dakar, French West Africa, 23/9/1940; becoming ship's diver, 1940. REEL 2 Continues: character of diving work at Gibraltar, 1/1941-2/1941; voyage to United States of America, 4/1941. Aspects of period as seaman aboard HMS Totland, 42nd Escort Group in North Atlantic, 5/1941-7/1942: convoy escort duties; effect of depth charging on ship's fuses; firing guns be use of car battery; success of convoys escorted; accommodation aboard. Memories of period as base diver in Scotland, 1943. Recollections of operations as seaman diver aboard HMS Phoebe, 7th Cruiser Sqdn in Mediterranean and South Atlantic, 7/1942-10/1942: character of anti-aircraft cruiser; sight of HMS Rodney using 16 Inch Naval Guns in anti-aircraft role during Operation Pedestal, 8/1942; loss of HMS Eagle during Operation Pedestal, 11/8/1942; importance of Operation Pedestal, 8/1942; dog who looked after drunken seamen at Simonstown, South Africa, 9/1942; action station in gun turret; torpedoing of ship by German submarine U-161 off Pointe Noire, Belgian Congo, 23/10/1942. REEL 3 Continues: being blown over side of ship by torpedo and rescue, 23/10/1942; hospitialisation after torpedoing of cruiser. Aspects of period as diver aboard HMS Beauly Firth in Far East, 1945: role of ship as aircraft engine repair ship; liberation of Singapore, Malaya; incident of being shipwrecked at Bundaberg, Australia. Aspects of operations as diver aboard HMS Warspite in GB coastal waters and during landings in Normandy, France and Walcheren Island, Netherlands, 5/1944-11/1944: sight of D-Day landings, Normandy, France, 6/6/1944; attack by German torpedo boats, 6/6/1944; replacement of guns at HMNB Rosyth, GB, 14/6/1944-11/8/1944; sight of casualties during bombardment of Walcheren Island, Netherlands, 1/11/1944; mining of ship off Harwich, 13/6/1944. Memories of wreck disposal work in Thames Estuary, 1944-1945. Recollections of operations as chief diver aboard HMS Belfast during Korean War, 1952-1953: role of ship bombarding coast; diving work clearing propeller of Canadian destroyer; shell hit on ship; story of recovering Royal Air Force navigator's body from crashed Bristol Brigand in swamp in Singapore, Federation of Malaya, 1952; extremes of climate off North and South Korea. REEL 4 Continues: living conditions aboard; damage to ship during typhoon; attitude to serving aboard ship.