Interview with Adrian Ernest Sweet

British boy seaman served aboard HMS Capetown, 5th Light Cruiser Sqdn on China Station, 1934-1936; seaman served aboard HMS Brazen, 4th Destroyer Flotilla, Mediterranean Fleet in Mediterranean 1936-1937; served aboard HMS Cornwall, 2nd Cruiser Sqdn, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters, 1937-1938; served as telegraphist air gunner with 819 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in GB and aboard HMS Illustrious in North Atlantic, 1/1940-7/1940; served with 827 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in GB, 9/1940-7/1941, aboard aboard HMS Victorious off Norway, 7/1941-8/1941 and aboard HMS Indomitable in Indian Ocean and Mediterranean, 5/1942-8/1942; served with Air Operations aboard HMS Formidable in Pacific, 4/1945-5/1945; civilian worked for British European Airways during Berlin Airlift in Germany, 1948-1949

REEL 1 Background in Martock, GB and Guernsey, Channel Islands, 1917-1928: family; interests. Aspects of period as schoolchild with Greenwich Royal Hospital School, Greenwich, London, GB, 1928-1933: nature of education. Aspects of period of training as boy seaman at HMS St Vincent, Gosport, GB, 1933-1934: level of discipline. Aspects of period as boy seaman aboard HMS Capetown, 5th Light Cruiser Sqdn on China Station, 1934-1936: joining cruiser at Devonport, GB, 1934; nature of boys mess deck; suffering from seasickness on voyage from GB to China Station; treatment of boy seamen aboard; discipline aboard; voyage to China Station; nature of discipline in Hong Kong, 1934; attitude to visiting Wei Hai Wei, China; messing system aboard; lack of entertainment for ship's crew; voyages on River Yangtse, China; poverty witnessed in China, 1934-1936. REEL 2 Continues: living conditions of Chinese civilians; sight of Chinese execution squads and beggars on River Yangtse, China; tactics employed by Chinese labourers; duties aboard ship; Christmas on board at Hankow, China, 25/12/1934; move to Shanghai, China, 1935; opinion of life ashore in Shanghai, China; return to GB, 1936; punishment for being Absent Without Official Leave (AWOL) in Shanghai, China; embarking Emperor Haile Selassie in Jaffa, Palestine on return voyage. Aspects of period as seaman aboard HMS Brazen, 4th Destroyer Flotilla, Mediterranean Fleet in Mediterranean, 1936-1937: joining destroyer at Plymouth; role duties on board; destroyer's duties; accident that occurred to ship whilst towing HMS Basilisk back to Gibraltar, 1936; being guests of French Foreign Legion in Oran, French Algeria; different types of Royal Navy officers; damage to ship on voyage to Marseille, France; transporting Spanish refugees, 1936; stationing of ship in river and patrolling off coast of Spain, 1937; assistance given to merchant Captain David 'Potato' Jones; observation by German Navy heavy cruiser Admiral Graf Spee in Bay of Biscay. REEL 3 Continues: opinion of service on board. Aspects of period as seaman aboard HMS Cornwall, 2nd Cruiser Sqdn, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters, 1937-1938: training as submarine detector with HMS Osprey, Portland prior to drafting to cruiser, 1937; opinion of service on board; use of antiquated submarine detection equipment; role as coxswain of speedboat, 1938; diversion of ship to Scapa Flow during Munich Crisis, 9/1938; reaction to allocation of action station in cordite room of Y turret, 1938; desire to join Fleet Air Arm, 1938. Aspects of training as telegraphist air gunner with Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1939: reaction to being earmarked as telegraphist air gunner at Royal Navy Signals School, Portsmouth; training at RAF Worthy Down, 7/1939-8/1939; drogue-towing work from HMS Peregrine, RNAS Ford, 12/1939. Recollections of period as telegraphist air gunner with 819 Sqdn Fleet Air Arm in GB and aboard HMS Illustrious in North Atlantic, 1/1940-7/1940: drafting to squadron 1/1940; move to RAF West Freugh, 3/1940; death of fellow squadron member in accident; return to Royal Naval Air Station, Ford; joining HMS Illustrious, 6/1940. REEL 4 Continues: exercises off Bermuda, 7/1940-8/1940; Captain Denis Boyd's warning to crew of aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, 7/1940; crash landing of Blackburn Skuas on HMS Illustrious's flight deck; rough passage of HMS Illustrious in North Atlantic; anxiety about German occupation of Guernsey, Channel Islands and fate of his family; becoming surplus to requirements as number of Fairey Swordfish in squadron reduced, 7/1940; gunnery training with RAF Eastleigh, 8/1940. Recollections of operations as telegraphist air gunner with 827 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in GB, 9/1940-7/1941: joining squadron at HMS Heron, Royal Naval Air Station, Yeovilton, 9/1940; inadequate equipment and lack of training; German Air Force attack in which his brother Lawrence Sweet was killed, Yeovil, 8/10/1940; move of unit to HMS Jackdaw, Royal Naval Air Station Crail, 12/1940; living conditions at HMS Jackdaw, Royal Naval Air Station, Crail, 12/1940. REEL 5 Continues: duties at HMS Jackdaw, Royal Naval Air Station, Crail, 1940-1941; awaiting carrier HMS Victorious; squadron role aiding Coastal Command, RAF escorting convoys and anti-submarine work; basing of unit in Stornoway, 3/1941-5/1941; move to RAF Thorney Island, 5/1941; role guarding against German Navy warships using English Channel; sorties to coast of France, 5/1941; move of unit to RAF St Eval, 11/5/1941; German Air Force saturation bombing of RAF St Eval, 11/5/1941-12/5/1941; mine laying off Brest, France, 5/1941; evasion of anti-aircraft fire from Brest, France; fitting of Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) gear at HMS Merlin, Royal Naval Air Station Donibristle; move of squadron to HMS Sparrowhawk, Royal Naval Air Station Halston, 1/7/1941. Aspects of operations with 827 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Victorious off Norway, 7/1941-8/1941: embarkation aboard aircraft carrier HMS Victorious on which his father Leading Seaman Ernest Sweet was also serving, 2/7/1941; account of raid on Kirkenes, Norway, 7/1941 including preparations for raid, execution of raid, 30/7/1941, opinion of preparations for raid. REEL 6 Continues: escape from fjord under German Air Force attack, failure to pick up shot down air crew in dinghy, fate of those involved in raid, contrast between Fleet Air Arm and Royal Air Force, comradeship among air crews, reaction to sending of two Fairey Fulmars for further raid on Kirkenes, 31/7/1941 and failure to use Hawker Hurricanes to protect raiding aircraft. Aspects of operations with 827 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Indomitable in Indian Ocean and Mediterranean, 5/1942-8/1942: participation in invasion of French Madagascar, 5/1942; German Air Force attacks on HMS Indomitable during Operation Pedestal in Mediterranean, 8/1942. Aspects of operations with Air Operations team aboard HMS Formidable, British Pacific Fleet in Pacific, 4/1945-8/1945: Japanese Kamikaze attacks on aircraft carrier, 5/1945. REEL 7 Continues: efficiency of Allied navies operating in Pacific, 1945; damage to ship during Japanese Kamikaze attacks. Reflections on service with Fleet Air Arm: question of greater comfort provided in Royal Air Force stations in contrast to Royal Naval Air Stations; attitude to service with Fleet Air Arm; leaving Royal Navy, 1947. Aspects of period with British European Airways during Berlin Airlift, Germany, 1948-1949: work flying as aircrew in Douglas Dakota on scheduled flights into RAF Gatow and Tempelhof Airfield; being 'buzzed' by Soviet Air Force pilots. Memories of Canadian Fleet Air Arm pilot Robert 'Hammy' Gray awarded last Victoria Cross of Second World War for action over Onagawa Bay, Japan, 8/8/1945.