Goldsworthy, Frank Edward (Oral history)

British seaman served as writer aboard HMS Prince of Wales during signing of Atlantic Charter at Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, 8/1941; officer served as watch keeping officer with Naval Intelligence in Gibraltar monitoring Axis operations in Mediterranean and Italy, 1942-1945; civilian naval correspondent with Daily Express reporting on Royal Navy Arctic trials, 1949, the escape of HMS Amethyst from China, 1949, the loss of submarines HMS Truculent and HMS Affray, 1950-1951, the Korean War, 1950, the disappearence of Lieutenant Commander Lionel 'Buster' Crabb, 1956, the Anglo-French landings at Suez, Egypt, 11/1956, the Iraqi Coup, 1958 and the First Cod War, 1958-1961

REEL 1 Aspects of period as journalist in GB, 1930s. Recollections of period as writer aboard HMS Prince of Wales during Operation Zebra, the signing of Atlantic Charter at Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, 8/1941: call-up for service with Royal Navy, 1941; voyage across Atlantic; memories of Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Franklin D Roosevelt; clerical work for head of Cabinet office, Sir Alexander Cadogan; presence of British journalists; sense of historic occasion; return voyage to GB. Recollections of period as watch keeping officer with Naval Intelligence in Gibraltar, 1942-1944: role monitoring shipping movements; success of human torpedoes of Italian Decima Flottiglia MAS in Mediterranean; Italian methods of attack; handling Italian frogmen of Italian Decima Flottiglia MAS who blew up British battleships HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Valiant in harbour at Alexandria, Egypt, 19/12/1941. REEL 2 Continues: work of Italian frogmen for Allies after Italian surrender, 9/1943; nature of work in Gibraltar; attacks by human torpedoes of Italian Decima Flottiglia MSA on Gibraltar harbour, 1941-1942; planned attacks by Italian Decima Flottiglia MAS on British battleship HMS Nelson and aircraft carriers, 9/1942; retrospective knowledge of Italian human torpedo operations; memories of Lieutenant Commander Lionel 'Buster' Crabb including theory of what happened to Crabb during his inspection of Soviet Navy cruiser Ordzhonikidze in Portsmouth harbour, GB, 1956. REEL 3 Continues: near breach of security regarding Operation Torch, 11/1942. Recollections of period as watch keeping officer with Naval Intelligence in Italy, 1944-1945: reopening of port of Leghorn; setting off of large German booby-trap; capture of frogmen of Italian Decima Flottiglia MSA (RSI) atttempting to plant Liimpet Mines and their identification at Leghorn, 1/1945; booby-trap device on Limpet Mine; apprehension of further attacks by frogmen of Italian Decima Flottiglia MSA (RSI); operation with Royal Navy Party Jig to reopen Genoa port, 4/1945; reception from villagers near Genoa; discovery of civic amenities still working in Genoa; belief Germans would use unfinished Italian aircraft carrier Aquila to block Genoa harbour; nature of Operation Toast, a plan to sink Aquila before it could be used as blockship. REEL 4 Continues: partial failure of plan; German garrison's wish to surrender to British rather than Italian Partisans, 4/1945; German surrender in Genoa, 4/1945; encounter with Italians who had been POWs of British; meeting with Italian who volunteered to fight Japanese and 'Spaniard' who worked for Germans breaking British codes. Recollections of period as naval correspondent with Daily Express during Royal Navy cold weather trials in Arctic, 2/1949: experience of jack-stay riding; clothing issued in Arctic; loss of pilot who ditched in Arctic Ocean; testing of survival suits in sea. REEL 5 Continues: Recollections of period as naval correspondent with Daily Express during escape of HMS Amethyst from River Yangtse, China, 1949: background to incident; HMS Amethyst escape; how Reuters got scoop about escape; his coverage of story in Hong Kong; problems of getting pictures back to GB; reception of ship in Hong Kong, 10/8/1949; getting pictures back to GB and how he got a photo scoop. REEL 6 Continues: reading crew member's diary of incident and limited reproduction of diary. Aspects of period as naval correspondent with Daily Express during loss of submarine HMS Truculent in Thames Estuary, GB, 1/1950: role reporting loss of submarine off Margate after collision. Recollections of period as naval correspondent with Daily Express in Korea, 1950: casualties amongst newsmen; life of naval ratings; Royal Navy's censorship of material; methods employed to evade censorship; insurance cover supplied to American troops; US Army's efforts to maintain morale; covering Inchon landings from HMS Jamaica, 15/9/1950-19/9/9/1950. REEL 7 Continues: North Koreans releasing mines into Inchon harbour; witnessing aftermath of North Korean air attack; witnessing HMS Jamaica's bombardment of Inchon, 9/1950; view of effects of bombardment of Inchon; signal exchange between USS Missouri and HMS Jamaica; raiding activities of 41 (Independent) Commando, Royal Marines behind North Korean lines, 1950; sight of aftermath of North Korean atrocity in Seoul, 1950; meeting with American captives who praised North Korean guards, Seoul, 1950; visit to hospital and sight of amputation of frost bitten gangrenous fingers; landings at Wonson, 10/1950. REEL 8 Continues: Aspects of period as naval correspondent with Daily Mail during loss of submarine HMS Affray in English Channel, 4/1951: discovery of lost submarine; breaking of story. Recollection of period as naval correspondent with Daily Express, 1951-1955: covering the testing of naval radar techniques during Operation Sealance; story illustrating problems of getting clearance for publication of naval intelligence; change in naval officers' sleeve insignia; reporting arrest of Lieutenant Commander Alastair Mars for refusing to obey naval orders, 5/1952; reporting on HMS Triumph's visit to Leningrad, Soviet Union, 1955. Recollections of period as naval correspondent with Daily Express reporting on disappearance of Lieutenant Commander Lionel 'Buster' Crabb in Portsmouth Harbour, GB, 4/1956: breaking of story; background to Crabb's espionage mission diving on Soviet Navy cruiser Ordzhonikidze; effect of breaking of story. REEL 9 Continues: question of Crabb's suitability for mission; abortive project to write book on the affair; opinion of Crabb's security consciousness; conclusions drawn from incident. Aspects of period as naval correspondent with Daily Express during landings at Suez, Egypt, 11/1956: reporting on Operation Musketeer; frustration of trying to cover operation. Recollections of period as naval correspondent with Daily Express covering First Cod War, 1958-1961: coverage of Royal Navy protection of British fishing trawlers; witnessing the taking on board frigate HMS Eastbourne of Icelandic party who had boarded a British fishing trawler. REEL 10 Continues: relations with Icelanders on board ship; application of 'Queensberry Rules' in dealing with Icelanders; results of First Cod War by 1960; question of why Iceland held initiative. Aspects of period as naval correspondent with Daily Express, 1958-1960: witnessing Britain's last battleship HMS Vanguard's voyage to breakers yard, GB, 1960; later voyage on nuclear submarine, HMS Revenge, 1972; reporting on Iraqi Coup, 1958 including how he got story of Nanny Hazeldine, nanny to one of King Feisal's relations.