Davenport, Frederick Roger (Oral history)

British civilian in Peckham, GB, 1939-1941; served as writer aboard HMS Dunottar Castle in Atlantic, 1941; served aboard HMS Eagle in Atlantic and Mediterranean, 1941-1942 including sinking 8/1942; officer served aboard HMS Sirius in Mediterranean, 1944-1945

REEL 1 Background in Peckham and Ilford, GB, 1921- 1939: family; education. Aspects of period as civilian in Ilford, GB, 1939-1941: reasons for choice of Royal Navy, 1941; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 1939; first raid on London Docks, 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 Winston Churchill; sense of national unity. Aspects of training as writer with Royal Navy at Chatham, GB, 1941: suffering from cold; boat pulling in River Medway; writer's training; accommodation at Borstall Fort during bombing of Chatham early 1941. Aspects of operations as writer aboard HMS Dunottar Castle in Atlantic, 1941: voyage from Belfast to Freetown, 7/1941-8/1941; German Air Force attacks on convoy; living conditions on board. REEL 2 Continues: living conditions. Recollections of operations as writer aboard HMS Eagle in Atlantic and Mediterranean, 1941- 1942 : transfer to aircraft carrier in Freetown, 8/1941; character of ship; search from Admiral Hipper in South Atlantic; refitting in Liverpool, 12/1941; joining Force H in Gibraltar, 1/1942; rivalry between ships crews ashore in Gibraltar; carrier's duties flying off Supermarine Spitfires for Malta and subsequent lack of publicity; action station in B magazine; start of Operation Pedestal, 8/1942; importance of operation. Aspects of sinking of HMS Eagle in Mediterranean, 8/1942: torpedoing of carrier whilst he was showering; abandoning ship; feeling in sea as depth charges exploded; attempt of survivors to board 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 and HMS Malcolm; HMS Malcolm's escorting HMS Wolverine back to Gibraltar after she was damaged ramming Italian submarine; reaction of survivors to leaking of news of loss of HMS Eagle; handling of survivors in Gibraltar; return to GB aboard HMS Nelson, autumn 1942. Recollections of operations as officer aboard HMS Sirius in Mediterranean, 1944-1945: commissioning prior to joining ship at Sheerness, GB 6/1944; duties during Operation Anvil, 8/1944; living conditions on board; duties in Mediterranean, 1944-1945; ELAS's forcing of citizens to demonstrate against landing of Gurkhas at Mytilene, Greece, 1945; attitude of Greek civilians towards ELAS in Mytilene, 1945; relations with Greek civilians.