Bayly, Patrick Uniacke (Oral history)

British officer served aboard HMS Cicala on China Station, 6/1938-8/1939; served aboard HMS Durban, 9th Cruiser Sqdn in Far East, 11/1939-7/1941; served with Naval Beach Commando School, HMS Armadillo, Glenfinnart and No 1 Combined Training Centre, HMS Quebec, Inverary in GB, 4/1942-6/1943; served as beachmaster with M Royal Naval Commando, Combined Operations at Porto Paulo, Sicily, Salerno and on River Volturno, Italy, 7/1943-11/1943; served aboard HMS Mauritius, 15th Cruiser Sqdn in GB coastal waters, Mediterranean, Normandy Landings and North Sea, 1/1944-1/1945 and during Corfu Channel Incident, 10/1946; commanded HMS Alacrity during Korean War, 1951-1952

REEL 1 Recollections of period as first lieutenant aboard river gunboat HMS Cicala on China Station, 6/1938-8/1939: Chinese crew; anti-piracy patrols towards Wuchow; Japanese treatment of Chinese civilians; confrontation with Japanese warship and bombers, late 1938; making drawings of Japanese fighters with long range fuel tanks for British Intelligence. Aspects of period as gunnery officer aboard HMS Durban, 9th Cruiser Sqdn in Far East, 11/1939-7/1941: joining ship in Hong Kong, 11/1939; attempt to counter German commerce raider's activities in Indian Ocean, 3/1940; taking note to captain of Japanese sloop demanding release of British merchant ship, off China, 8/1940. REEL 2 Continues: voyage from Singapore, Malaya to GB via Vancouver, Canada, summer 1941. Aspects of period on draft in United States of America, 8/1941-9/1941: story of how he nearly missed train from New York to Philadelphia; joining HMS Resolution in Philadelphia, 1941; reaction to junior US Navy officers' failure to absorb lessons of war, 9/1941. Recollections of period as officer with Naval Beach Commando School, HMS Armadillo, Glenfinnart and No 1 Combined Training Centre, HMS Quebec, Inveraray in GB, 4/1942-6/1943: orders to join Combined Operations; role of naval beach parties; brigade landing exercise on coast near Troon; role training naval beach officers; role of beach officers; naming base HMS Armadillo; orders to move to North Africa, 6/1943; renaming beach parties as beach commandos after Operation Jubilee, 8/1942; preparations for landings in Sicily, Italy. REEL 3 Continues: Aspects of operations as beachmaster with M Royal Naval Commando, Combined Operations at Porto Palo, Sicily, Italy, 7/1943: role as principal beachmaster during landings at Porto Palo, 7/1943; use of Italian prisoners of war for labour and completion of landings ahead of schedule at Porto Palo. Aspects of operations as beachmaster with M Royal Naval Commando, Combined Operations during landings at Salerno, Italy, 9/1943: short period in hospitalisation after accident in Tunisia, 8/1943; initial landings at Salerno, 9/1943; disguised German 88mm Guns on beach; contrast between Salerno and Nettuno landings; sight of German Fritz X radio controlled anti-ship glide bomb hitting United States Navy cruiser USS Savannah off Salerno, 11/9/1943; beachmaster work. Aspects of operations as beachmaster with M Royal Naval Commando in Italy, 9/1943-11/1943 role in charge unloading stores in Bay of Naples; assisting British Army troops to bypass German positions. REEL 4 Continues: River Volturno landings, 10/1943 including bypassing of German positions, use of assault boats to cross river and landings on north side of mouth of river, 13/10/1943; accidents occurring to landing craft on voyage back to GB, late 1943. Recollections of operations with HMS Mauritius, 15th Cruiser Sqdn in GB coastal waters, Mediterranean, Normandy Landings and North Sea, 1/1944-1/1945: joining cruiser, 1/1944; story of mutiny by crew who thought they were going to Gibraltar rather then Liverpool, GB and consequent loss of anchor; bombardment of Anzio, Italy, 30/1/1944. REEL 5 Continues: close support work off Normandy, France, D-Day, 6/6/1944; sight of gliders of 6th Airlanding Bde, 6th Airborne Div landing in Normandy, France on afternoon of D-Day, 6/6/1944; viewpoint as anti-aircraft officer on D-Day, 6/6/1944; ship's role in raiding work on west coast of France, 7/1944-8/1944; operation off Norwegian coast. Recollections of operations as captain of HMS Alacrity off North Korea, 1951-1952: order to take command of ship; role bombarding east and west coasts of North Korea; hits from shore based anti-tank gun off east coast of North Korea; taking command of HMS Constance. Recollections of operations as officer aboard HMS Mauritius during Corfu Channel Incident, 10/1946: shots from Albania whist negotiating northern Corfu Channel, 1946; loss of HMS Saumarez and HMS Volage to mines, 22/10/1946. REEL 6 Continues: opinion of origins of incident. Question of value of luck during career.