Davenport, Frederick Roger (Oral history)

British civilian in Ilford, London, GB, 1939-1941; seaman served as writer aboard HMS Dunnottar Castle, Freetown Escort Force in North Atlantic, 8/1941-9/1941; served aboard HMS Eagle in Atlantic and Mediterranean, 9/1941-8/1942 including sinking in Mediterranean, 11/8/1942; officer served aboard HMS Sirius, 15th Cruiser Sqdn in Mediterranean, 6/1944-5/1945

REEL 1 Background in Peckham and Ilford, London, GB, 1921-1939: family; education. Aspects of period as civilian in Ilford, London, GB, 1939-1941: reasons for choice of Royal Navy, 1941; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; first raid on London Docks, 7/9/1940; taking shelter from bomb in Ilford; public air raid shelters and use of own Anderson Shelter; attitude towards German Air Force crews; public morale; belief in Allied victory; opinion of Prime Minister Winston Churchill; sense of national unity. Aspects of training as writer with Royal Navy at HM Naval Base Chatham, GB, 1941: suffering from cold; boat pulling in River Medway; writer's training; accommodation at Fort Borstal during bombing of Chatham early 1941. Aspects of operations as writer aboard armed merchant cruiser HMS Dunnottar Castle, Freetown Escort Force in North Atlantic, 8/1941-8/1941: voyage from Belfast, Northern Ireland to Freetown, Sierra Leone, 13/8/1941-1/9/1941; German Air Force attacks on Convoy OS 3; living conditions on board. REEL 2 Continues: further details of living conditions. Recollections of operations as writer aboard HMS Eagle in Atlantic and Mediterranean, 9/1941-8/1942: transfer to aircraft carrier in Freetown, Sierra Leone, 8/1941; character of ship; search from cruiser Admiral Hipper in South Atlantic; refitting in Liverpool, GB, 12/1941-1/1942; joining Force H in Gibraltar, 23/2/1942; rivalry between ships' crews ashore in Gibraltar; carrier's duties flying off Supermarine Spitfires for Malta and subsequent lack of publicity, 7/3/1942; action station in B Magazine; start of Operation Pedestal, 3/8/1942; importance of Operation Pedestal. Aspects of sinking of HMS Eagle during Operation Pedestal in Mediterranean, 11/8/1942: torpedoing of carrier by submarine U-73 whilst he was showering; abandoning ship; sensation in sea as depth charges exploded; attempt of survivors to board destroyer HMS Lookout; boarding tug HMS Jaunty; treatment of survivors aboard HMS Jaunty. REEL 3 Continues: reaction to period in sea; his condition during transfer from HMS Jaunty to HMS Malcolm; HMS Malcolm's role escorting HMS Wolverine back to Gibraltar after she was damaged ramming Italian submarine Dagabur, 12/8/1942; reaction of survivors to leaking of news of loss of HMS Eagle; handling of survivors in Gibraltar; return to GB aboard HMS Nelson, 8/1942. Recollections of operations as officer aboard HMS Sirius, 15th Cruiser Sqdn in Mediterranean, 6/1944-5/1945: commissioning prior to joining ship at Sheerness, GB, 6/1944; duties during Operation Anvil off southern France, 8/1944; living conditions on board; duties in Mediterranean, 1944-1945; Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS)'s forcing of citizens to demonstrate against landing of Gurkhas at Mytilene, Greece, 1945; attitude of Greek civilians towards Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS) in Mytilene, Greece, 1945; relations with Greek civilians.