Amyes, George Alfred (Oral history)

British air mechanic served with Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1939-1940; served aboard HMS Argos in Atlantic and HMS Eagle in Mediterranean, 1940-1942; petty officer served in GB, US and Malta, 1943-1945

REEL 1 Background in Hull, 1920-1939: family; education; trip in trawler St Irene, 1934; superstitiousness of fishermen; ablutions aboard trawlers; employment in grocery trade, 1934- 1939. Enlistment and training with Royal Navy and Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1939-1941: preference for naval service; volunteering for minimum service; knitting out at Devonport; basic training with Fleet Air Arm at HMS Medina; shooting of gunnery instructor by sentry; coping with winter conditions at HMS Medina, winter, 1939-1940; training as air mechanic at HMS Kestrel; crash landing of Fairey Swordfish at HMS Kestrel; types of aircraft worked on at HMS Condor; training on Fairey Albacore. REEL 2 Continues: occasion when target yacht was sunk by dummy torpedo; contracting cerebro-spinal meningitis epidemic at HMS Condor; recruit who shot himself after catching VD from local vicar's daughter. Recollections of period as air mechanic aboard HMS Argos in Atlantic, 1940-1941: role as aircraft handler; nickname of ship; canteen messing on board. Period on shore duties in Egypt, 1941: transfer to Egypt; homosexual prostitution incident; fraternisation with African labourers; conditions aboard Ile De France during voyage from Egypt to Malta, 1941. Recollections of operations as air mechanic aboard HMS Eagle in Mediterranean, 1942: amusing story of drafting to ship; refitting of ship for convoy defence; lack of security about voyage; joining Convoy WS 16 carrying Supermarine Spitfires; character of Malta convoys, 3/1942. REEL 3 Continues: state of ship at Gibraltar; working on fighters at Gibraltar, 3/1942-4/1942; increase in size of convoy escort because of presence of USS Wasp; character of Operation Harpoon. Recollections of sinking of HMS Eagle during Operation Pedestal in Mediterranean, 8/1942: importance of Operation Pedestal; sinking by U 73; abandoning ship; period in sea and rescue by tug 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 Argos in Gibraltar and return to GB; his post-war meeting with U 73 torpedoman who sank HMS Eagle. REEL 4 Continues: Period as petty officer with Fleet Air Arm in GB and US, 1942- 1944: injuries he received in aircraft accident at HMS Kestrel; voyage from GB to US aboard Queen Mary; accommodation in New York; forming new squadron at US Navy Station, Louiston; work on Grumman Avengers; US personnel's attitude to waste; commanding officer's practical joke with Supermarine Spitfire; US caterers 'scam' aboard Queen Mary; relations with US civilians; return to GB aboard Queen Elizabeth. Period as petty officer in Malta, 1943-1945: posting to Kalafrana; trips to North Africa and around Mount Etna. REEL 5 Continues: waste at Kalafrana as base closed down; amusing story of party given to Maltese civilians at HMS Falcon at Hal Far; accommodation in Fort San Angelo; return to GB to go on reserve. Story of Wrens bathing in Great Bitter Lakes in Egypt, 1941. Reaction to loss of HMS Curacoa in collision with Queen Mary.