Angelbeck, John Reginald (Oral history)

British officer served aboard HMT Northern Pride, HMT Northern Gem and HMT Northern Wave in GB coastal waters and Norway, 1940; officer served aboard and commanded HMT Vizalma in North Atlantic and Arctic, 1940-1943; served as staff officer aboard HMS Western Isles, Tobermory, GB, 1944

REEL 1 Background in West Kirby and Crewe, GB, 1917-1939: family; education; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Aspects of enlistment and training as officer with Royal Navy in GB, 1939-1940: recruitment to Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve at Oxford University, 10/1939; training at HMS King Alfred, Hove and Cardington; asdic training at HMS Osprey, Portland; initial allocation to Tribal Class destroyer later swapped with friend. Aspects of operations as officer aboard HMT Northern Pride in GB coastal waters, 1940: joining anti-submarine warfare trawler in Aberdeen; origins of German built trawlers; character of captain Lieutenant Commander Dermod Jewitt; comradeship among trawler crews; move to Scapa Flow, 3/1940. Aspects of operations as officer aboard HMT Northern Gem in Norway, 5/1940: joining ship for Norwegian campaign; clash with captain Chief Skipper Laurie Scarlett at Harstad; fate of trawler during campaign. Aspects of operations as officer aboard HMT Northern Wave in Norway, 5/1940-6/1940: decision to evacuate Norway. REEL 2 Continues: loading vehicles onto trawler; recreational activities in Harstad prior to evacuation, 6/1940. Aspects of operations as officer aboard HMT Vizalma in North Atlantic, 1940-1941: joining ship as first lieutenant in Londonderry, Northern Ireland; role escorting Atlantic convoys; senior officers' elementary knowledge of navigation and methods employed on board to find location; his accommodation on board. Recollections of operations commanding HMT Vizalma in North Atlantic and Arctic, 1941-1943: promotion to command anti-submarine warfare trawler; trawler's armament and depth charges; participaton in Convoy PQ 15 in Arctic, 26/4/1942-5/5/1942; presence of Soviet icebreaker Krassin in convoy; rescue of crew and British mission including Sir John Lawrence after sinking of SS Jutland by U-251, 3/5/1942; relations with Soviets in Murmansk, Soviet Union; participation in Convoy JW 51B, 22/12/1942-3/1/1943; need to chip ice of ship. REEL 3 Continues: sight of minesweeper HMS Bramble being sunk by German cruiser Lutzow during Battle of Barents Sea, 31/12/1942; Soviet separation of British survivors from Royal Navy personnel; rations available in Murmansk, Soviet Union; problems of coal supplied by Soviets; examples of Soviets foraging for food; socialising with People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs (NKVD) agent Alexander Alexandrovich on board trawler; degree of threat from Soviet guards; selling chocolate bars to Soviet civilians; skiing with female Soviet Navy personnel; contrast in Russian attitude to security during visit to Kronstadt, Russian Federation in 1993 as compared with Murmansk, Soviet Union, 1942; lack of appreciation of Allied effort by Soviets; state of bombed Murmansk, Soviet Union, 1942; dilapidated state of Kronstadt and St Petersburg, Russian Federation during visit, 1993; docking methods employed at Murmansk, Soviet Union, 1942; ashore in Iceland. REEL 4 Continues: bartering alcohol for food with US ships in Iceland; escorting RAF officer arrested for selling government property from Iceland to GB; contrast between Icelandic men and women; belief that Axis used a tanker to conduct covert operations in Algeciras Bay, Spain; plan to exploit visit to Azores to profit from absence of pineapples in London and subsequent results. Aspects of period as staff officer with command ship HMS Western Isles at Tobermory, GB, 1944: transfer to staff job; story of seaman stranded on buoy at Tobermory; character of Vice Admiral Gilbert 'Monkey' Stephenson.