Smerdon, Gordon Samuel John (Oral history)

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Use this audio under Non-Commercial licence

Embed this sound recording for online use under the IWM Non-Commercial Licence
By embedding this audio file you agree to the terms and conditions of the IWM Non-Commercial Licence, including your use of the attribution statement specified by IWM. For this item, that is:

© IWM

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

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Use this audio under Non-Commercial licence

Embed this sound recording for online use under the IWM Non-Commercial Licence
By embedding this audio file you agree to the terms and conditions of the IWM Non-Commercial Licence, including your use of the attribution statement specified by IWM. For this item, that is:

© IWM

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.

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Description

Object description

British boy seaman served aboard HMS Courageous, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters and Western Approaches, North Atlantic, 9/1939 including torpedoing and sinking in Western Approaches, 17/9/1939; served aboard HMS Rodney, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters and Norway, 1/1940-5/1940

Content description

REEL 1 Background in Devonport, GB, 1922-1933: family; education. Aspects of training as boy seaman with Royal Navy in GB, 1933-1939: education at Greenwich School at Royal Naval College, Greenwich, 1933; transfer to Royal Naval Hospital School at Holbrook, 1933; training at HMS Impregnable; reasons for transfer to HMS St Vincent at Gosport. Aspects of operations as boy seaman aboard HMS Courageous, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters, 9/1939: drafting to aircraft carrier; action station on 4.7 Inch Naval Gun; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; patrols in Western Approaches. Recollections of sinking of HMS Courageous, Home Fleet in Western Approaches, North Atlantic, 17/9/1939: torpedoing of ship by German submarine U-29; abandoning ship; clinging to an oar; behaviour of men in ship when it was torpedoed. REEL 2 Continues: failure to release Carley Floats; reaction to having to go it sea; period in sea; sight of ship sinking; rescue by HMS Impulsive; treatment aboard HMS Impulsive; question of lack of lifebelts aboard HMS Courageous; return to Devonport, GB, 18/9/1939; return to mother's home, 18/9/1939; kitting out as survivor. Recollections of operations as boy seaman aboard HMS Rodney, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters and Norway, 1/1940-5/1940: drafting to battleship, 1/1940; reaction to his action station being in magazine room and subsequent move to shell room; work in shell room; German Air Force bomb which hit ship; firing of 16 Inch Naval Guns. REEL 3 Continues: Recollections of medical complaints leading to discharge from Royal Navy, 1941: breathing problems an thrombosis; operations he had for tubercolosis; question of complaint being related to period in sea after sinking of HMS Courageous; symptoms of his leg complaint; invaliding out of Royal Navy and details of pension; opinion of treatment by Royal Navy; memories of German Air Force bombing of Devonport, 1941.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
Wood, Conrad (Recorder)
Smerdon, Gordon Samuel John (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 1997-03-06
Dimensions: whole: Duration 90, Number Of Items 3
Catalogue number: 17313

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Smerdon, Gordon Samuel John (Oral history)

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