Foster, Kevin (Oral history)

British seaman served aboard HMS Blake, HMS Intrepid, HMS Newcastle and HMS Norfolk in GB coastal waters, Atlantic and Persian Gulf and on shore duties in GB, 1976-1982; served aboard HMS Cardiff during Falklands War, 1982; deserted from Royal Navy, 1983; legionnaire served with French Foreign Legion, 1983-1988 including with Headquarters in France, 2nd Régiment Étranger de Parachutistes in France, 13th Demi- Brigade de Légion Étrangère in Djibouti and 6th Régiment étranger de génie in Chad; served in Royal Engineers 1989-1994 in Northern Ireland and Germany

REEL 1 Aspects of period as seaman with Royal Navy in GB and Atlantic, 1975-1981: process of joining navy and family military background; pattern of training including reasons for recruits quickly leaving; posting to HMS Dryad for radar training; relationship with fellow recruits; details of work in stables; details of HMS Blake; story of being struck by tidal wave during exercise in Arctic including description of role as helicopter lookout; damage to ship; attempts to work with sonar; period in dry dock at Portsmouth; Christmas 1976; rations; details of leave and pay; details of HMS Intrepid; reasons for making a complaint including process of gaining a new posting and punishment received for complaining; period at HMS Excellent; accommodation; description of activities during fireman's strike, 1977, including training received. REEL 2 Continues: details of pay during strike; further details of complaint story and subsequent complaint; stories of dockyard workers and fire during voyage from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Portsmouth aboard HMS Newcastle; earlier experience of seasickness; activities in Portland and Fishguard; voyage to South America; story of missing ship in Recife; details of flight to London; arrest on arrival; description of period in Portsmouth detention quarters; release and short period aboard HMS Newcastle; attempt to join HMS Tartar; period working at Portsmouth detention quarters; posting to HMS Fife, 5/1979; activities in Southsea; radar course taken at HMS Dryad; joining of HMS Norfolk; details of Atlantic ship patrols including period onboard a German ship; change to role of ship; treatment of officer cadets. REEL 3 Continues: drafting to HMS Cardiff, 1/1982; activities in Persian Gulf and Mombasa; news of HMS Cardiff's sinking in Falklands; voyage to South Atlantic including preparations at Gibraltar and attitude of sailors to war service. Aspects of operations as seaman on HMS Cardiff during Falklands War, 1982: arrival in exclusion zone and story of firing missiles at a reconnaissance Boeing 747; details of helicopter dispatch service; story of hearing news of brothers ship, HMS Coventry, being sunk and wait to hear of his fate; injuries suffered by brother; story of sailor who survived HMS Coventry and HMS Sheffield; story of near escape from Exocet missile by HMS Avenger; posting to San Carlos; further activities of HMS Avenger; story of power failure during air raid; subsequent apology from chief petty officer and re-programming of computer systems; details of Lynx system; duties in operations room and at action stations; story of shooting down Westland Sea King helicopter carrying SAS troops; compensation given to families of victims; reactions of HMS Cardiff crew; story of aircraft destroyed with Sea Dart missiles; posting aboard captured Argentine ship the Islas Malvinas; make-up of crew; activities during posting; arrival in Stanley, 15/6/1982; scenes in Stanley; story of visit to pub; civilians killed near the town; signs of war; climate; booby traps in Stanley. REEL 4 Continues: activities of POWs; story of looting Argentine supplies; relationship with civilians; contact with POWs including story of seeing General Menendez; story of near miss from bag of amputated limbs; clothing worn; further details of contact with POWs; vandalism in Stanley; possibility of remaining on Falkland Islands; duties; story of unexploded bomb onboard The Black Pig; fate of The Tiger Bay; selling of Argentine items; return to HMS Cardiff and voyage to Britain; story of arrival in Portsmouth, 27/7/1982; leave; activities following return; details of return to Falkland Islands on patrol; background to desertion from Royal Navy, 10/1983; deserters previously returned by French Foreign Legion; details of journey to Paris; joining of French Foreign Legion. Aspects of period as legionnaire with French Foreign Legion in France, Djibouti and Chad, 1983-1988: initial duties in Paris; journey to Aubagne; confiscation of property; pattern of training; visit to bar at Christmas and punishment; British members of Legion. REEL 5 Continues: summary of service with French Foreign Legion; opinion of training; learning of French; relationship with French and comrades of other nationalities; background to joining paratroopers; results of training; relationship with German troops; discipline and punishments; details of bi-nom training including examinations; reception on arrival with 2nd Régiment Étranger de Parachutistes (Foreign Parachute Regt) in Calvi; fitness and parachute training; opinion of NCOs; fights while in Royal Navy; story of punishment following air-rifle shoot; name used while legionnaire; reaction of family to desertion; posting to 13th Demi-Brigade de Légion Étrangère (Foreign Legion Demi-Bde) in Djibouti; reception on arrival; impressions of Djibouti; posting to and make-up of 3rd Company; death of Italian NCO; details of rallies; leisure activities including organisation of regiment brothel. REEL 6 Continues: further details of brothel including costs and background of prostitutes; VD checks for troops and local women; border patrol duties; details of sabotage training; leave in Djibouti; leave taken illicitly in Britain; arrest by Royal Navy in Portsmouth, 1987, including period in cells and interview with Admiral; results of interview; reception on return to Foreign Legion; posting to 6th Régiment étranger de génie (Foreign Engineer Regt) in Chad; preceding period in Laudun-l'Ardoise and second leave in Britain including meeting of future wife; engineering course; details of minefield clearance work including story of accident suffered by Belgain legionnaire and contact with civilians; relationship with French. REEL 7 Continues: story of driving over anti-tank mine; exercises in France; final leave; demobilisation; details of pay; civilian work in Durham; decision to join British Army; process of joining-up including interview at Sutton Coldfield. Aspects of period as sapper with Royal Engineers in GB, Northern Ireland and Germany 1989-1994: posting at Gibraltar Barracks in Farnham; pattern of training including story of fellow ex-Foreign Legion recruits; background of and relationship with recruits; posting to Germany with 2/6th Engineer Regiment and marriage; learning of German; comparison of British Army and French Foreign Legion; relationship with civilians; posting to Maze Prison, Northern Ireland, with 2/5th Field Squadron; duties including escorting work; period in Belize as driver; reason for and process of redundancy application after return to Northern Ireland; final duties; help given to victims of bullying; fight with Italian NCO during time in Foreign Legion; tips for fighting; period with Territorial Army in Peterborough; final medical; civilian work and demobilisation; reflections on service in Royal Engineers and French Foreign Legion. REEL 8 Continues: impressions of Northern Ireland; opinions of British Army, French Foreign Legion and Royal Navy.