description
Object description
New Zealand officer served with Royal Navy in North Atlantic and Mediterranean, 1941-1942; served with Submarine Service in North Atlantic, 1942-1944
Content description
REEL 1 Background in New Zealand, 1918-1940: family; family's seafaring background; effects of depression; reaction to threat of war; naval cadet system; opinion of GB; family's Scottish roots. Recruitment and training with Royal Navy in New Zealand and GB, 1940-4/1941: enlistment from university under navy's Scheme B; father's insistence on Tait completing second year at university; story of deaths of friends; story of brother Gordon becoming a second sea lord; secrecy about enlistment because of reserved occupation; voyage to GB via Panama Canal and North Atlantic in an unescorted ship; arrival in Scotland; training on HMS Ganges; story of Newfoundlanders lack of fear climbing masts; sport activities; opinion of chief petty officers; move to Chatham; accommodation in tunnels; relationship with British sailors. Recollections of service in North Atlantic and Mediterranean, 1942-1944: joining cruiser HMS Arathusa, 4/1941; story of division of training contingent and death of six of them on a destroyer that night; duties as ordinary seaman in shell room; aspects of screening operations to locate Bismarck between Iceland and Scapa Flow, 5/1941; story of having to change into clean underwear for action stations; story relating to some of HMS Hood's company.
REEL 2 Continues: reaction to death in service; aspects of convoy to Malta, 7/1941; move to HMS King Alfred, Brighton and commission as sub lieutenant; story of those who failed selection board; joining HMS Arthurial ; administration duties; move to Gibraltar; patrolling Spanish coast; aspects of Operation Harpoon engagement of Italian Fleet; aspects of Operation Pedestal a convoy to Malta; story of boarding an Italian submarine the 'Cabalto'; reaction to sinking of aircraft carrier HMS Eagle; return to Portsmouth. Recollection of period in submarines in North Atlantic, 1942-1944: volunteering for submarine service; joining P5555 'State Express'; story relating to foundation of Penguin books; move to Shetland, summer 1943; situation of submarine losses, 1943; patrolling for Tirpitz.
REEL 3 Continues: promotion to lieutenant; North Cape patrols onboard HMS Varangia; promotion to first lieutenant. Return to New Zealand and demobilisation, 1945: background to return to university and career. Opinion of GB, Commonwealth and royalty.
