Crawley, William (Oral history)

British boy seaman trained at HMS Ganges, Shotley, GB, 1930-1931; boy seaman and seaman served aboard HMS Durban on South America Station, 1931-1933; deserter from HMS Glorious in Mediterranean, 1935; seaman served with Merchant Navy aboard SS Mabriton in North Atlantic, 9/1940 including sinking 25/9/1940; served aboard SS Harlesden in North Sea, 1940-1941; served aboard SS Thomas Holt in North Atlantic, 1941; served aboard MV British Pride in Arctic, 10/1941-3/1942; served aboard SS Consuelo in Indian Ocean, 1942; served aboard SS Castalia in Indian Ocean and Mediterranean, 1943-1944

REEL 1 Background in Kingston upon Hull, GB, 1915-1930: family; education. Aspects of period as boy seaman at HMS Ganges, Shotley, GB, 1930-1931: climbing the mast; receiving corporal punishment for running away; opinion of training. Aspects of period as boy seaman and seaman aboard HMS Durban on South America Station, 1931-1933: drafting to ship; question of promotion; complaint to Commander-in-Chief over promotion. Aspects of desertion from HMS Glorious in Mediterranean, 1935: reasons for deserting; living with help of Arabs in Alexandria Docks, Egypt; stowing away on board SS Efthalia Mari; arrival in Rotherhithe, GB. REEL 2 Continues: assuming false identity to go deep-sea trawling from Kingston upon Hull, 1935-1936. Aspects of period as seaman with Merchant Navy, 1936-1939: joining Merchant Navy as fireman; owning up as Royal Navy deserter aboard SS Elizabeth Massey on declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Aspects of period as seaman with Merchant Navy aboard SS Mabriton in North Atlantic, 9/1940 including sinking 25/9/1940: joining ship; character of ship; sinking by submarine U-32 during Convoy OB 216 in North Atlantic, 25/9/1940; period in open boat; collision of open boat with HMS Rochester and rescue; treatment aboard HMS Rochester. Aspects of period as seaman with Merchant Navy aboard SS Harlesden in North Sea, 1940-1941: bomb damage to ship on East Coast convoy; loss of man overboard in rough weather off Skerry Voe, Shetland Islands. REEL 3 Continues: nature of East Coast convoys. Aspects of period as seaman with Merchant Navy aboard SS Thomas Holt in North Atlantic, 1941: convoy duties from GB to Freetown, Sierra Leone; picking up survivors torpedoed ship; problems handling surf at Accra, Gold Coast. Aspects of period as seaman with Merchant Navy aboard MV British Pride in Arctic, 10/1941-3/1942: transfer to tanker work, 10/1941; sinking of HMS Matabele by submarine U-454 during Convoy PQ 8, 17/1/1942; ashore in Murmansk, Soviet Union; facilities for unloading oil at Murmansk, Soviet Union. Aspects of period as seaman with Merchant Navy aboard SS Consuelo in North and South Atlantic and Indian Ocean, 1942: joining ship in Liverpool; sinking of SS Port Hunter by U-582 south west of Madeira in North Atlantic, 12/7/1942; threat from Japanese submarines in Indian Ocean. Aspects of period as seaman with Merchant Navy aboard SS Castalia in Indian Ocean and Mediterranean, 1943-1944: threat of German radio controlled bombs in Mediterranean. REEL 4 Continues: service on board ship. Story of loss of SS Clearpool on Skitter Sands off Kingston upon Hull, GB, 4/6/1944. Failed attempt to obtain pardon for desertion from Royal Navy.