Porter, Colin Stanley (Oral history)

British seaman served aboard LCI 97 in Atlantic and Mediterranean, 1943-1945

REEL 1 Background in Wisbech, GB, 1924-1939: family; education; employment. Aspects of enlistment and training as seaman with Royal Navy in GB, 1942: reasons for volunteering for Royal Navy; previous training as wireless operator with Air Training Corps; basic training at HMS Ganges, Shtoley; duties aboard armed motor launch on East Coast convoys in North Sea, 1942; voyage aboard RMS Queen Elizabeth from GB to New York, US, 9/1942. Recollections of period as seaman aboard LCI 97 in US, North Atlantic and Mediterranean, 10/1942-5/1945: period ashore in New York; collecting ship from Quincy, US; sight of damaged RMS Queen Mary; relations with American civilians; trail convoy of LCIs across North Atlantic, 12/1942; on board facilities for crew; arrival in Gibraltar; basing of ship in Djelli, Algeria, early 1943. REEL 2 Continues: becoming signalman; German Air Force attacks on Djelli, Algeria; voyages from Djelli including rescuing US personnel; reasons why craft missed capture of Pantellaria Island, Italy, 6/1943; voyage to Pantellaria Island, Italy; landings against little opposition on Sicily, Italy, 7/1943; suffering from sunstroke, Tripoli, Libya; role of Landing Craft (Heavy); role of LCI 97 during landings at Anzio, Italy, 1/1944; German Air Force and artillery attacks during landings at Anzio, Italy; move up western coast of Italy; transfer to Adriatic Sea; role of ship on Dalmatian coast, Yugoslavia; opinion of Yugoslavian Partisans; visits to Naples and eruption of Mount Vesuvius, Italy, 3/1944. REEL 3 Continues: sight of surrendered Italian warships in Mediterranean;. later service with Royal Navy in GB, 1945-1946; attitude of having served in Second World War; comradeship amongst landing craft crews.