Description
Object description
British petty officer served as ordnance artificer served aboard HMS Prince of Wales in GB coastal waters, North Atlantic and Far East, 1/1941-12/1941, including sinking off Malaya, 10/12/1941; served aboard HMS Bramham in Mediterranean and North Atlantic, 6/1942-3/1943; served aboard HMS Urania, 25th Destroyer Flotilla in GB coastal waters, Mediterranean and in English Channel during landings in Normandy, France, 11/1943-11/1944; served aboard HMS Urania, 25th Destroyer Flotilla, British Pacific Fleet in Indian Ocean and Pacific, 12/1944-8/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Plymouth, GB, 1920-1936: family; education. Aspects of enlistment and training as ordnance artificer with Royal Navy in GB, 1936-1940: reasons for enlistment in Royal Navy; training at ordnance artificer; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 9/1939; German Air Force raid on Plymouth, 1940. Recollections of operations as petty officer ordnance artificer aboard HMS Prince of Wales in GB coastal waters and North Atlantic, 1/1941-11/1941: standing by battleship in Birkenhead, 1/1941; character of accommodation on board, 1/1941; problems he faced in his job during working up period; pursuit of German battleship Bismarck in North Atlantic, 5/1941; closing up in turret P3; sight of HMS Hood sinking; dealing with shell from German battleship Prinz Eugen which came inboard.
REEL 2 Continues: in action against German battleship Bismarck; loss of his souvenir from shell; further details of sinking of HMS Hood; presence of Prime Minister Winston Churchill on board during signing of Atlantic Charter, Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, 8/1941; reaction to sight of President Franklin D Roosevelt in wheel chair; amusing story of Admiral Dudley Pound addressing the ship's crew about loss of HMS Hood; effect on morale of failure of give seamen information; reaction of seamen to officers' breach of security when their wives turned up on quayside at Greenock, GB, 11/1941; fatal accident in turret. Recollections of operations as petty officer ordnance artificer aboard HMS Prince of Wales, Force Z in Far East, 1941, including sinking off Malaya, 10/12/1941: atmosphere in Singapore, Malaya, 12/1941; Japanese Imperial Navy Air Service air raid on Singapore, Malaya, 8/12/1941.
REEL 3 Continues: briefing for crew for foray towards Kota Bharu, Malaya, 12/1941; spotting of ship by Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service reconnaissance aircraft; start of Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service attacks, 10/12/1941; effect of torpedo hit on ship, 10/12/1941; sound of men trapped in shell room; effect of bent propeller on damage to ship; impossibility of training turrets; Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service bombing of ship and opinion of its accuracy; sight of casualties on deck. Aspects of sinking of HMS Prince of Wales 10/12/1941: attempt to use lines from HMS Express to rescue crew; sight of Admiral Tom Philips making no attempt to escape; abandoning ship; sounds of ship breaking up; sight of ship sinking; period in sea; grabbing scrambling net on side of HMS Express; treatment of survivors on board HMS Express.
REEL 4 Continues: effect of meeting old classmate on board HMS Express; plight of wounded survivors on board HMS Express; recovery of Coaker's loss wallet by ship's postman during sinking; how his wallet was subsequently stolen in Singapore, Malaya; unmolested return aboard HMS Express to Singapore, Malaya; fate of ship's Royal Marines; three day allocation to HMS Isis in Singapore, Malaya. Aspects of voyage aboard SS Erinpura to from Singapore, Malaya to Columbo, Ceylon, 1/1942: his allocation for removal from Singapore, Malaya; nature of accommodation in hold of ship; clothing worn; character of voyage; removal of petty officer's tooth on board; hierarchy on board; arrival in Columbo, Ceylon. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Empress of Russia from Ceylon to GB via South Africa, 2/1942: embarkation on board troopship.
REEL 5 Continues: voyage from Columbo, Ceylon to Durban, South Africa; in tents at Clarewood Transit Camp, Natal, South Africa, 1/1942; voyage from South Africa to GB, 2/1942. Recollections of operations as petty officer ordnance artificer aboard HMS Bramham in Mediterranean and North Atlantic, 6/1942-3/1943: drafting to destroyer, 2/1942; how relatives had to endure waiting during war; attitude to joining small ship; move to Gibraltar for club run to Malta, 8/1942; Axis spying on naval activities in Gibraltar from La Linea de la Concepcion, Spain; disposition of Convoy WS 21 during Operation Pedestal, 8/1942; Axis air attacks on Operation Pedestal convoy, 8/1942; sinking of MV Deucalian under escort, 12/8/1942; amusing story of finding merchantman MV Dorset off Pantelleria Island, Italy and subsequent loss, 13/8/1942; lack of formality aboard ship in comparison with HMS Prince of Wales; obtaining supplies from tanker SS Ohio, 8/1942.
REEL 6 Continues: towing SS Ohio into Malta, 8/1942; reception in Valletta, Malta, 8/1942; starved condition of population and military personnel on Malta; ashore in Valletta, Malta; lack of Axis activity during return voyage to Gibraltar; return to Londonderry, Northern Ireland; detachment from convoy to escort tanker in North Atlantic; sight of collision between HMT Queen Mary and HMS Curacao, 2/10/1942; rescue of oil covered survivors from HMS Curacao, 9/1942; rescue of Captain Wilfred Boutwood of HMS Curacao, 2/10/1942; story of survivor of HMS Curacao who he served with on board HMS Urania in Pacific, 1945.
REEL 7 Continues: conditions of survivors from HMS Curacao; number of survivors picked up; leave after rescue of survivors; accidental loss of Short Sunderland to friendly fire during convoy, 10/1942; cancellation of proposed bombardment role at Algiers, French Algeria during Operation Torch, 11/1942; civic reception in Bougie, French Algeria, 11/1942; supplying British First Army under German Air Force attack on run between Algiers and Bône, French Algeria, 11/1942; death by friendly fire of ordnance artificer aboard HMS Bicester in Bougie Harbour, French Algeria; problems with Ordnance QF 2 Pounder Naval Guns aboard ship.
REEL 8 Continues: reasons why Oerlikon 20mm Cannon proved to be one of the best weapons; bombing of ship by German Air Force Junkers Ju 88s off Philippeville; damage to ship and casualties; method used to avoid air attack; reflections on shock under air attack; flexible construction of Hunt Class destroyers and how it affected resistance to impact of German bombs; prior recollection of attempt to sink SS Deucalian during Operation Pedestal, 12/8/1942; inspection of damage by Admiral Andrew Cunningham.
REEL 9 Continues: return to Gibraltar, 12/1942; condition of badly damaged HMS Sirius in Gibraltar, 12/1942; voyage from Gibraltar to GB, 1/1943; crew leave during repairs on River Tyne; hearing that ship was to transfer to Greek Royal Hellenic Navy as renamed Thermistoklis; standing by ship supervising work for Greek Royal Hellenic Navy; attitude of Greeks towards repairs; amusing story of problems of Greeks with English language. Recollections of operations as petty officer ordnance artificer aboard HMS Urania, 25th Destroyer Flotilla in GB coastal waters, Mediterranean and English Channel during landings in Normandy, France, 11/1943-11/1944: standing by at Barrow-in-Furness, GB, 1943-1944; sea trials off Isle of Man, 1/1944; working up at Scapa Flow, GB; move to Mediterranean to deal with Greek naval mutiny, 3/1944; other duties in Mediterranean; reasons for return to GB, 4/1944.
REEL 10 Continues: anchoring at Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, GB; atmosphere on bridge on eve of D-Day, 5/6/1944; under German fire off Arromanches-sur-Bains, Normandy, France D-Day, 6/6/1944; bombarding shore targets, 6/6/1944; sight of battles on Normandy coast, 6/6/1944; mining and sinking of Royal Norwegian ship HNoMS Svenner off Sword Beach, Normandy, 6/6/1944; German Air Force attack on headquarters ship, HMS Bulolo, 7/6/1944; patrolling west of Normandy beach-head to prevent E-boat attacks, summer 1944; sending boarding party on board German Navy hospital ship, Rostock off Brest, France and it's transfert to Plymouth, GB, 20/9/1944; amusing story of seaman who intended to impress boat load of Women's Royal Naval Service personnel at Plymouth; further details of the capture of German Navy hospital ship Rostock off Brest, France, 20/9/1944; Recollections of operations as petty officer ordnance artificer aboard HMS Urania, 25th Destroyer Flotilla, British Pacific Fleet in Indian Ocean and Pacific, 12/1944-8/1945: move to Trincomalee, Ceylon, 11/1944-12/1944; fate of Christmas turkeys aboard HMS Suffolk in transit from Fremantle, Australia to Trincomalee, Ceylon; Christmas celebrations, 25/12/1944: burning down of cinema by seamen annoyed by Errol Flynn's film 'Operation Burma' (1945), 1/1945.
REEL 11 Continues: attitude to operations against Balikpapan, Dutch East Indies; ashore in Fremantle, Australia, 1945; build up of British Pacific Fleet at Sydney, Australia, 1945; reasons for reading of Articles of War; assembling of Allied armada at Manus Island, Admiralty Islands; start of operations against Okinawa Island, Japan; sight of Kamikaze attack on HMS Indefatigable, 4/1945; organisation of fleet train; Japanese air attacks on British Pacific Fleet, VE Day, 8/5/1945; vulnerability of United States Navy aircraft carriers to Kamikaze attack; British casualties during Japanese Kamikaze attacks, 5/1945; information available to crew in contrast to earlier in war; ashore in Sydney, Australia; sight of United States Navy armada at Truk Atoll sailing for Japan, summer 1945.
REEL 12 Continues: system for rescue of shot down Allied pilots off Japan, 1945; burial of drowned pilot; dread of Fleet Air Arm aircrew of final assault of Japan, 8/1945; attitude to dropping of atomic bombs on Japan, 8/1945 ; bombardment of Japan by Allied battleships, 8/1945; reaction to receiving news on British Broadcasting Corporation of dropping of atomic bombs on Japan, 8/1945. Reflections on naval service: attitude to having served with Royal Navy during Second World War; question of accuracy of memory and dealing with traumatic situations; question of distortion of memory.
REEL 13 Continues: question of informants becoming emotionally upset in relating war memories.
