Walters, Leonard Vivian (Oral history)

British boy seaman and seaman served aboard HMS Rodney in GB coastal waters and North Atlantic, 1938-1942; served aboard HMS Quail, 3rd Destroyer Flotilla in Mediterranean, 6/1943-11/1943 including mining off Bari, Italy, 15/11/1943; petty officer served aboard HMS Postillion, 6th Minesweeping Flotilla in English Channel and during Normandy landings, 2/1944-9/1944; served aboard HMS Cockade, 8th Destroyer Sqdn in Far East and off Malaya, 1955-1957

REEL 1 Background in Tredegar, GB, 1921-1937: family; education; employment. Aspects of enlistment and training as boy seaman at HMS St Vincent, Gosport, GB, 1937-1938: enlistment as boy seaman, 1937; opinion of training at HMS St Vincent; prospects for boy seamen in Royal Navy, 1938; story of later promotion to leading seaman; training on board HMS Cornwall. Recollections of operations as boy seaman and seaman aboard HMS Rodney, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters and North Atlantic, 1938-1942: duties on board battleship; how submarine officers found it difficult to adjust to service aboard big ships; relations between officers and ratings; punishment for returning late from leave; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; preparations for war, 9/1939; his action station on 6 Inch Gun, 1939; action station operating 16 Inch Guns in A Turret during pursuit of Bismarck in North Atlantic, 5/1941. REEL 2 Continues: damage to ship when broadside fired; duties with Home Fleet in GB coastal waters, 1940-1941; request from Captain Frederick Dalrymple-Hamilton for small group of crew to take part in special mission, 2/1941; transfer to HMS Princess Beatrix; role acting as bodyguard to Lieutenant Peter Wells-Cole during Operation Claymore, the Lofotens Islands Raid, Norway, 22/2/1941; achievements of Lofotens Islands Raid, 22/2/1941; return to ship; pursuit of Bismarck, 5/1941; ship's narrow escape from bomb hit on ship off Norway; firing of guns during Bismarck action, 5/1941; background to leaving ship, 10/1942. REEL 3 Continues: Aspects of operations as seaman aboard HMS Quail, 3rd Destroyer Flotilla in Mediterranean, 5/1943-11/1943: joining ship at Scapa Flow, GB, 5/1943; patrol duties in Adriatic Sea, 10/1943-11/1943; mining of ship off Bari, Italy, 15/11/1943; injuries sustained during mining; promotion to petty officer. Aspects of operations as petty officer aboard HMS Postillion, 6th Minesweeping Flotilla in English Channel and during Normandy Landings, 2/1944-9/1944: joining ship, 2/1944; working up as minesweeper; duties during Normandy Landings, 6/1944; accidental sinking of two minesweepers HMS Britomart and HMS Hussar by Hawker Typhoons off Le Havre, France, 27/8/1944; degree of danger during minesweeping duties; clash with gunnery officer on board. Aspects of operations as petty officer aboard HMS Cockade, 8th Destroyer Sqdn in Far East and off Malaya, 1955-1957: flight to Singapore in Douglas Dakota, early 1955; incident where he answered officer back; duties shelling jungle, 1957.