Moorcroft, Lawrence Alfred (Oral history)

British boy seaman and seaman served aboard HMS Caradoc on China Station, 1932-1934; served aboard HMS Exeter in South Atlantic, 5/1938-2/1940 including Battle of River Plate, 12/1939; served aboard HMS Kenya, 10th Cruiser Sqdn in North Atlantic, 1940-1941; petty officer served aboard HMS Warwick, Caribbean Escort Force in West Indies, 5/1942-1/1943; served aboard HMS Urania, 25th Destroyer Flotilla in Mediterranean, English Channel and during Normandy Landings, 1/1944-10/1944; served aboard HMS Urania, 25th Destroyer Flotilla, British Pacific Fleet in Pacific, 12/1944-8/1945; served aboard HMS Verulam, 3rd Destroyer Flotilla in Mediterranean, 1947-1949; served aboard HMS Snipe, America and West Indies Station in South Atlantic, 1951-1953

REEL 1 Background in Birmingham in GB, 1915-1931: family; education; employment. Aspects of enlistment and training as boy seaman at HMS Ganges, Shotley, GB, 1931: pattern of training; lack of effect of Invergordon Mutiny. Aspects of period as boy seaman and seaman aboard HMS Caradoc on China Station, 1932-1934: at anchorage at Hankow; regattas at Wei-Hai-Wei; providing anti-pirate escorts on River Yangtse; skirmish with Chinese pirates; Chinese handling of junks; state of Chinese civilians living on River Yangtse; sight of dead bodies in river; foreign civilian presence in Hankow; ashore in Hankow; promotion to ordinary seaman, 1933; visits to Hong Kong and Kobe, Japan; contrast in manners between Chinese and Japanese civilians; how his instructor drew Moorcroft's attention to militarisation of children in Japan. Recollections of period as seaman aboard HMS Exeter in South Atlantic, 5/1938-2/1940: joining ship as leading seaman, 5/1938; aid given by crew during Chilean earthquake, 1/1939. REEL 2 Continues: damaged caused by earthquake in Concepcion, Chile, 1/1939; infestation of crab lice amongst crew after transporting refugees from Concepcion, Chile; story of how gunnery officer received nickname 'Clanking Irons' during sugar strike in Jamaica, 1938; patrolling in South Atlantic, 1939. Recollections of operations as seaman aboard HMS Exeter during Battle of the River Plate in South Atlantic, 12/1939: call to action stations in Y Turret, 13/12/1939; hearing shrapnel hitting funnels; arrival at his action station; sight of Admiral Graf Spee in distance; hits on the ship; loss of ship's power to Y Turret; wounding of Captain Frederick Bell; damage to ship; Captain Frederick Bell's order to ram Admiral Graf Spee; condition inside Y Turret; search for cup of tea after action; loss of petty officers during battle; damage to and casualties in A Turret; aiding casualties. REEL 3 Continues: aftermath of the battle and voyage to Falkland Islands; repair work at Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, 12/1939-1/1940; story of Marine Wilfred Russell wounded during battle who died at Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, 20/1/1940; personal morale during the battle; state of his mess after action; problems working ship after battle; news of Admiral Graf Spee's scuttling; escort back to GB and piping First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill aboard on arrival in Plymouth, GB, 15/2/1940; uses pipe. Aspects of operations as seaman aboard HMS Kenya, 10th Cruiser Sqdn in North Atlantic, 1940-1941: convoy escort duties and search for German commerce raiders; compassionate leave, 4/1941; comparison between HMS Exeter and HMS Kenya; character of Captain Michael Denny. Recollections of operations as petty officer aboard HMS Warwick, Caribbean Escort Force in West Indies, 5/1942-1/1943: character of destroyer; convoy work in West Indies. REEL 4 Continues: opinion of United States Navy organisation of convoys; boarding of Free Belgian Navy corvette after crew mutinied in New York, United States of America; attitude to serving aboard ship; ships' armament. Recollections of operations as petty officer aboard HMS Urania, 25th Destroyer Flotilla in English Channel, Mediterranean and during Normandy Landings, 1/1944-10/1944: drafting to destroyer, 1/1944; character of ship and its armament; convoy escort duties in Mediterranean and English Channel, 2/1944-5/1944; shooting down of German aircraft off Rhodes, Greece, 2/1944; briefing prior to D-Day landings, 6/1944; sight of naval armada on route to Normandy, France; bombardment off Gold Beach, Normandy, France, D-Day, 6/6/1944; loss of Allied ships, summer 1944; escorting German Navy hospital ship Rostock from Lorient, France to Plymouth, GB, 9/1944. Aspects of operations as petty officer aboard HMS Urania, 25th Destroyer Flotilla, British Pacific Fleet in Pacific, 12/1944-8/1945: escorting aircraft carrier HMS Victorious to Australia to join British Pacific Fleet. REEL 5 Continues: reception in Sydney, Australia; Kamikaze attacks on Allied ships in Pacific, 1945; bombardment of Japan, 3/8/1945; rescue of corpse of pilot from sea; reactions aboard ship to news of dropping of atomic bombs on Japan, 8/1945; victory parade in Sydney, Australia, 17/8/1945. Aspects of operations as petty officer aboard HMS Verulam, 3rd Destroyer Flotilla in Mediterranean, 1947-1949: background to drafting to destroyer; change from HA to LA gun operation on ship; interception of illegal immigrants on route to Palestine, 1947-1948; need for boarding parties to wear protection; modifications to ship to deal with illegal immigrants; guard duties in Trieste, Italy, 1948-1949. Aspects of period as petty officer aboard HMS Snipe, America and West Indies Station in South Atlantic, 1951-1953: dispute with Argentinians over territorial claim to Graham Land, Antarctica; removal of four Argentinians to Buenos Aires, Argentina.