Cannon, Patrick John (Oral history)

British boy seaman trained at HMS Ganges, Shotley, GB, 1938-1939; served aboard HMS Courageous in GB coastal waters and North Atlantic, 8/1939-9/1939 including sinking in Western Approaches, 17/9/1939; seaman served aboard HMS Dorsetshire in North and South Atlantic and Indian Ocean, 6/1940-4/1942 including sinking in Indian Ocean, 5/4/1942; served aboard HMS Gambia, 4th Cruiser Sqdn, Eastern Fleet in Indian Ocean, 11/1942-5/1943

REEL 1 Recollections of period as boy seaman at HMS Ganges, Shotley, GB, 1938-1939: reasons for volunteering for Royal Navy, 1938; reception on arrival; method of swimming instruction; climbing the mast; his achievements at HMS Ganges; flogging for smoking; character of 'Shotley Routine' punishment; opinion of instruction; relaxation of naval discipline during Second World War; what pay was spent on; how he was caught skylarking; lighting cigarettes from electricity mains; sea training after leaving HMS Ganges. Recollections of operations as boy seaman aboard HMS Courageous, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters and North Atlantic, 8/1939-9/1939 including sinking in Western Approaches, 17/9/1939: his role as captain's messenger; use of boy seamen as ballast for Fairey Swordfish; King George VI's inspection at Weymouth. REEL 2 Continues: leaving Plymouth, 3/9/1939; percentage of reservists on board; announcement of declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; loss of half of destroyer escort, 17/9/1939; torpedoing of ship by submarine U-29, 17/9/1939; lack of personal lifebelt issue; problem of releasing Carley Floats; his abandoning ship, 17/9/1939; period in sea and his temptation to stop struggling; his rescue by HMS Dido; transfer to HMS Inglefield; rum issue to survivors; race between HMS Inglefield and HMS Kelly into Plymouth harbour; reception of survivors in Plymouth, 17/9/1939. Aspects of shore duties as boy seaman in GB, 9/1939-6/1940: preparing to deal with potential threat of German paratroopers at Wembury; disquiet about state of guns on board HMS Hood. REEL 3 Continues: Recollections of operations as seaman aboard HMS Dorsetshire in North and South Atlantic and Indian Ocean, 6/1940-5/1941: drafting to cruiser, 6/1940; special affinity for ship; character of Captain Benjamin Martin; reasons why Captain Benjamin Martin kept ship at sea for long periods; escorting convoy from Australia to GB, 1940; attack on German submarine by ship's aircraft off Gibraltar; resupplying in Freetown, Sierra Leone; initial spotting of French battleship Richelieu, 6/1940; hazards of intercepting battleship Richelieu; attacks on battleship Richelieu in Dakar, French West Africa, 7/7/1940; collision between HMS Hermes and HMS Corfu off West Africa, 7/1940; capture of Italian papers during boarding of neutral Portuguese merchantman in South Atlantic; crash of Supermarine Walrus aircraft in Seychelles; bombardment of Dante in Italian Somaliland, 18/11/1940; confusion between whales and submarines; rescue of survivors from SS Oakdene, 6/5/1941; capture of Vichy French merchant vessel SS Mendoza, 18/1/1941. REEL 4 Continues: how official report on capture of Vichy French merchant vessel SS Mendoza differed from reality; hospitality of civilians in South Africa; suicide of petty officer on board, 15/1/1941; second suicide of leading seaman, 2/1941. Recollections of operations as seaman aboard HMS Dorsetshire during pursuit of German battleship Bismarck in North Atlantic, 5/1941: Captain Bernard Martin's abandoning of Convoy SL 74, 26/5/1941; accidental shelling of ship by HMS Cossack, 27/5/1941; initial sight of Bismarck, 27/5/1941; ship's attack on Bismarck, 27/5/1941 including use of torpedoes; sight of sinking of Bismarck, 27/5/1941; attempts to rescue German survivors in sea, 27/5/1941; treatment of Bismarck's survivors on board; burial of German casualty at sea; return to GB, 5/1941; story of Captain Bernard Martin's dismissal of river pilot in from his bridge, River Tyne, GB, 29/5/1941. Aspects of operations as seaman aboard HMS Dorsetshire in North and South Atlantic and Indian Ocean, 6/1941-4/1942: change in command to Captain Augustus Agar VC, 8/1941; forcing scuttling of German supply ship Python in South Atlantic, 1/12/1941. REEL 5 Continues: pest infestation of ship after resupply in Bombay, India, 12/1941; background to his promotion; reasons for his refusal of offer of promotion to petty officer; rescue of Convoy SJ 1 off Surabaya, Java, Dutch East Indies, 2/1942. Recollections of sinking of HMS Dorsetshire, Eastern Fleet in Indian Ocean, 5/4/1942: leaving Columbo, Ceylon, 4/4/1942; Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service attacks on ship, 5/4/1942; casualties on board; manning anti-aircraft gun; abandoning ship, 5/4/1942; period in sea after sinking. REEL 6 Continues: fear of sharks; foolish report about sinking written after event; method of surviving in sea; sighting of survivors by British aircraft; machine gunning of survivors by Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service aircraft; arrival of rescue ships; rescue by HMS Paladin; treatment of survivors on board HMS Paladin and transfer to Adu Atoll; transfer of survivors to Mombasa and Nyali, Kenya; refusal of naval authorities to send clothing and supplies to Nyali, Kenya; shop lifting expedition for supplies in Mombasa, Kenya; kindness of civilians to survivors in Durban, South Africa; contracting malaria during voyage to Durban, South Africa; outcome of threatened mutiny. REEL 7 Continues: hosptialisation in South Africa; shipmate's loss of gangrenous leg; recuperation in South Africa. Aspects of voyage aboard HMS Barrymore from South Africa to Seychelles, 1942: impressions of coal burning boom defence vessel; character of stokers; typhoon on route; laying boom defences; character of Captain Percival Rawle. Recollections of operations a seaman aboard HMS Gambia, 4th Cruiser Sqdn, Eastern Fleet in Indian Ocean, 11/1942-5/1943: drafting to ship, 11/1942; warning against anti-British feelings in Fremantle, Australia, 2/1943; reception from Australians in Fremantle, 2/1943. REEL 8 Continues: method of making friends in Australia; role of religion amongst seaman during life threatening situations; visit to Bathurst, Australia on route to GB, 28/5/1943. Reflections on service with Royal Navy, 1939-1943: abortive attempt to join Submarine Service and transfer to Torpedo School, HMS Defiance, 1943; comparison between Captains Augustus Agar and Bernard Martin; memories of dog 'Able Seaman Nuisance' in Simonstown, South Africa; ricksaw racing in Durban, South Africa; memories of Perla Gibson 'The Lady in White' at Durban, South Africa; attitude of refugees from Singapore, Malaya to helping in serviceman canteens in Cape Town, South Africa; ashore in South Africa; behaviour of Australian Army troops in Cape Town, South Africa.