Band, Albert Charles (Oral history)

British seaman served aboard HMS Hood and HMS Coventry, Mediterranean Fleet in Mediterranean, 5/1937-9/1939; served aboard submarine HMS H50 in North Sea, 7/1940-10/1940; served aboard submarine HMS Umpire, 3rd Submarine Flotilla in GB coastal waters and North Sea, 3/1941-7/1941 including sinking after collision off Blakeney in North Sea, 19/7/1941; served aboard submarine HMS Regent in North Atlantic, 1/1942-10/1942; served aboard submarine HMS Sceptre, 3rd Submarine Flotilla in GB coastal waters and North Sea, 4/1943-10/1943

REEL 1 Background in Wokingham, GB, 1919-1936: family; education. Aspects of period of training as seaman at Royal Naval Barracks, HMS Victory, Portsmouth and HMS Excellent, Gunnery School, Whale Island, GB, 1936: pattern of training; discipline. Aspects of period as seaman aboard HMS Hood, Mediterranean Fleet in Mediterranean, 1936-1937: joining battlecruiser at Portsmouth, 5/1937; reputation of ship; his duties on board; Mediterranean cruise, 1937; duties protecting shipping entering Bilbao, Spain from Spanish Nationalist blockade; exercises participated in; high level of gunnery and readiness, 1937-1938; reasons for leaving ship, 3/1938. Aspects of period as seaman with HMS Coventry, Mediterranean Fleet in Mediterranean, 3/1938-9/1939: joining ship as switchboard watchkeeper, 8/1938; gunnery practice using De Havilland DH.82B Queen Bee radio controlled aircraft, 1938; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of period of submarine training at HMS Dolphin, Gosport, GB, 3/1940-7/1940: reaction to training in Submarine Escape Training Tank; reasons for failures on course. Aspects of operations as seaman aboard submarine HMS H50, 3rd Submarine Flotilla in GB coastal waters and North Sea, 7/1940-10/1940: joining submarine at Harwich, 7/1940; reconnaissance duties off coast of Netherlands, 7/1940-9/1940; effect of Royal Air Force bombing on submarine lying on sea bed; characteristics of H boats; memories of Tom King; skills needed by submarine captains; effect of loss of submarine HMS H49, 18/10/1940; German use of magnetic mines off Dutch coast; keeness for promotion. Aspects of period as seaman aboard submarine HMS Umpire, 3rd Submarine Flotilla in GB coastal waters and North Sea, 3/1941-7/1941 including sinking after collision off Blakeney in North Sea, 19/7/1941: joining submarine at Chatham, 3/1941; quality and experience of crew. REEL 3 Continues: engine trouble during convoy escort duties in North Sea; accidental ramming by armed trawler Peter Hendriks off Blakeney in North Sea, 19/7/1941; events on seabed; escape using Davis Escape Equipement; rescue by motor launch, 20/7/1941; Admiralty court of enquiry over loss of submarine; psychological effects of loss of HMS Umpire. Aspects of period as seaman aboard submarine HMS Regent in North Atlantic, 1/1942-10/1942: joining submarine, 1/1/1942; reputation of submarine; start of voyage from Portsmouth, GB to Philadelphia, United States of America for refit, 16/1/1942; repair to storm damage at Ponta Delgada in Azores, 27/1/1942-1/2/1942; fraternisation with German internees at Ponta Delgada in Azores; attempt to resume voyage to United States of America, 1/2/1942-2/2/1942; accidental torpedo attack on submarine by British submarine HMS Clyde off Azores, 2/2/1942. REEL 4 Continues: sea trials at Bermuda, 9/1942-10/1942; health problems in Bermuda and return for hospitalisation in GB, 1/1943. Aspects of operations as seaman aboard submarine HMS Sceptre, 3rd Submarine Flotilla in GB coastal waters and North Sea, 4/1943-10/1943: joining submarine, 4/1943; 1st War Patrol off Norway, 20/7/1943-5/8/1943; depth charging by Royal Air Force Coastal Command aircraft in Scapa Flow, 6/1943; move to Devonport Dockyard for repairs, 18/6/1943; confrontation between submarine's crew and Coastal Command, RAF aircrew at Plymouth, 6/1943; towing midget submarine HMS X10 for attack on battleship Tirpitz to Norway, 12/9/1943-20/9/1943; state of crew of HMS X10 after passage in North Sea; result of X-craft attack on German battleship Tirpitz, 9/1943. Story of voyage aboard submarine HMS Oryx, 1953.