Watkins, Edgar Walter Charles (Oral history)

British apprentice officer served with Merchant Navy aboard SS Malakhand in Indian Ocean, North and South Atlantic, 1939; served aboard SS Mandasor in North Sea, North and South Atlantic and Indian Ocean, 1940-1941 including sinking by German auxiliary cruiser Atlantis (HSK-2) in Indian Ocean, 23/1/1941; prisoner of war aboard German auxiliary cruiser Atlantis (HSK-2) and MS Tannanfels in Indian Ocean, North and South Atlantic and Stalag X-B, Sandbostel and Marlag und Milag Nord, Westertimke, Germany, 1/1941-4/1945

REEL 1 Aspects of period as apprentice officer with Merchant Navy aboard SS Malakhand in Indian Ocean, North and South Atlantic, 1939: pre-war service with Merchant Navy; quality of Maldive Island lascars amongst crew; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; painting of ship in war colours; fitting of QF 4 Inch Naval Gun in Calcutta, India; escort in Western Approaches. Recollections of period as apprentice officer with Merchant Navy aboard SS Mandasor in North Sea, North and South Atlantic and Indian Ocean, 1940-1941: degaussing of ship at Portland, GB, 4/1940; German Air Force bomber attack on ship off Flamborough Head during east coast convoy, 1940; conduct of convoy in North Atlantic, 10/1940; German submarine attack on convoy; method of keeping position in convoy in fog; alarms during voyage to Calcutta, India; Christmas celebrations in Darjeeling, India, 25/12/1940. Recollections of sinking of SS Mandasor by German auxiliary cruiser Atlantis (HSK-2) in Indian Ocean, 24/1/1941: sight of suspicious ship north of French Madagascar. REEL 2 Continues: attack on ship by German seaplane; shelling of ship by Atlantis (HSK-2); abandoning ship; radio operators' sending off of distress message. Aspects of period as prisoner of war aboard German auxiliary cruiser Atlantis (HSK-2) and MS Tannanfels in Indian Ocean, North and South Atlantic, 1/1941-3/1941: description of Atlantis (HSK 2); treatment of wounded crew of SS Mandasor; accommodation on board; successes of Atlantis (HSK 2) against Allied shipping; transfer to MS Tannanfels; information requested by German captors; arrangements for securing of prisoners of war; impossibility of staging mutiny aboard MS Tannanfels; disembarkation in Bordeaux, France, 3/1941. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Stalag X-B, Sandbostel and Marlag und Milag Nord, Westertimke, Germany, 4/1941-4/1945: transfer by train from France to Germany; transfer from Stalag X-B, Sandbostel to naval control at Marlag und Milag Nord, Westimke, 2/1942; opinion of treatment by Germans; food received as prisoner of war. REEL 3 Continues: liberation by Guards Armoured Div, 4/1945; attempts of Germans to recruit to British Free Corps and opinion of volunteers who accepted.