Amyes, George Alfred (Oral history)

British naval airman trained as air mechanic with Fleet Air Arm at HMS Kestrel, Royal Naval Air Station Worthy Down and HMS Condor, Royal Naval Air Station Arbroath, GB, 1939-1940; served as aircraft handler aboard HMS Argus in North Atlantic, 1940-1941; served aboard HMS Eagle in Mediterranean, 2/1942-8/1942 including sinking 11/8/1942; petty officer served with Fleet Air Arm in GB, US and Malta, 1942-1946

REEL 1 Background in Kingston upon Hull, GB, 1920-1939: family; education; fishing trip in trawler St Irene, 1934; superstitiousness of fishermen; ablutions aboard trawlers; employment in grocery trade, 1934-1939. Aspects of enlistment and training as aircraft mechanic with Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1939-1941: preference for naval service; volunteering for minimum service; knitting out at Devonport; basic training at HMS Medina, Ryde, Isle of Wight; incident of shooting of gunnery instructor by sentry; coping with winter conditions at HMS Medina, Ryde, Isle of Wight winter 1939-1940; training as air mechanic at HMS Kestrel, Royal Naval Air Station Worthy Down; crash landing of Fairey Swordfish at HMS Kestrel, Royal Naval Air Station Worthy Down; types of aircraft worked on at HMS Condor, Royal Naval Air Station Arbroath; training on Fairey Albacore. REEL 2 Continues: occasion when target yacht was sunk by dummy torpedo; contracting cerebro-spinal meningitis during epidemic at HMS Condor, Royal Naval Air Station Arbroath; recruit who shot himself after catching venereal disease (VD) from local clergyman's daughter. Recollections of period as aircraft handler with Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Argus in North Atlantic, 1940-1941: role as aircraft handler; nickname of ship; canteen messing on board. Aspects of period on shore duties with Fleet Air Arm in Egypt, 1941: transfer to Egypt; homosexual prostitution incident; fraternisation with African labourers; conditions aboard SS Ile De France during voyage from Egypt to Malta, 1941. Recollections of operations as air mechanic aboard HMS Eagle in Mediterranean, 2/1942-8/1942: amusing story of drafting to aircraft carrier; refitting of ship for convoy defence duties; lack of security about voyage; joining Convoy WS 16 carrying Supermarine Spitfires for Malta; character of Malta convoys, 3/1942. REEL 3 Continues: state of aircraft carrier at Gibraltar; working on maintenance of fighter aircraft at Gibraltar, 3/1942-4/1942; increase in size of convoy escort with presence of USS Wasp; character of Operation Harpoon, 12/6/1942-15/6/1942. Aspects of sinking of HMS Eagle during Operation Pedestal in Mediterranean, 11/8/1942: importance of Operation Pedestal; sinking of aircraft carrier by German submarine U-73; abandoning ship; period in sea and rescue by tug HMRT Jaunty; transfer to HMS Malcolm; what he was doing when torpedo struck ship; return to Gibraltar with HMS Malcolm in company of damaged HMS Wolverine; drafting to HMS Argus in Gibraltar and return to GB; post-war meeting with torpedoman from submarine U-73 who sank HMS Eagle. REEL 4 Continues: Aspects of period as petty officer with Fleet Air Arm in GB and US, 1942-1944: injuries he received in aircraft accident at HMS Kestrel, Royal Naval Air Station Worthy Down; voyage from GB to US aboard HMT Queen Mary; accommodation in New York, US; forming new squadron at United States Navy Naval Air Station, Lewiston, US; work on Grumman Avenger; American personnel's attitude to waste; commanding officer's practical joke with Supermarine Spitfire; nature of American caterers' 'scam' aboard HMT Queen Mary; relations with American civilians; return to GB aboard HMT Queen Elizabeth. Aspects of period as petty officer with Fleet Air Army on Malta, 1944-1946: posting to RAF Kalafrana; trips to North Africa and around Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy. REEL 5 Continues: waste at RAF Kalafrana when station closed down, 1946; amusing story of party given to Maltese civilians at HMS Falcon, Royal Naval Air Station, Hal Far; accommodation in Fort San Angelo; return to GB to go onto Reserve; prior recollection of Women's Royal Naval Service personnel bathing in Great Bitter Lake, Egypt, 1941; reaction to loss of HMS Curacoa in collision with HMT Queen Mary in North Atlantic, 2/10/1942.