Interview with Arthur William Thompson

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Permitted use for these purposes:
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Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
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Description

Object description

British petty officer served aboard HMS Simit at Singapore, Malaya, 1/1942-2/1942; served aboard HMS Li Wo at Singapore, Malaya and Java Sea, 2/1942 including sinking in Bangka Strait, 14/2/1942; prisoner of war in Chung Wa School and Sungei Geron Camps, Palembang, Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, 2/1942-8/1945

Content description

REEL 1 Background in Andover, GB, 1911-1927: family; education. Recollections of service as seaman with Royal Navy, 1927-1941: reasons for joining Royal Navy, 1927; basic training at HMS Ganges, Shotley; service aboard HMS Emperor of India; dissatisfaction with wages; lack of effect of Invergordon Mutiny, 1931; opinion of service on China Station aboard HMS Witch; completing twelve year service, 1939; service aboard HMS Rodney, 1934-1937; voyage aboard HMS Iris from GB to Singapore, Malaya, 1941; memories of German Air Force attacks on Plymouth, 1940-1941. Recollections of operations as petty officer aboard HMS Simit III at Singapore, Malaya, 1/1942-2/1942: drafting to HMS Simit III; reasons for taking command of patrol launch; action against Japanese aircraft; anti-looting patrols. REEL 2 Continues: role of HMS Simit III; composition of crew. Recollections of operations as petty officer aboard HMS Li Wo in Bangka Strait, Java Sea, 2/1942 including sinking 14/2/1942: transfer from HMS Simit III to HMS Li Wo at Singapore, Malaya, 2/1942; attempts by Chief Petty Officer Charles 'Lofty' Rogers to keep Japanese aircraft away from ship; taking over gun; ramming of Imperial Japanese Navy troopship in Bangka Strait, Java Sea, 14/2/1942; how Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer was driven off by Royal Air Force Bristol Blenheim aircraft; sinking of HMS Li Wo by Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Yura. REEL 3 Continues: abandoning ship; reasons for Lieutenant Thomas Wilkinson attack Imperial Japanese Navy escorted convoy; swimming to Bangka Island, Dutch East Indies; attempt to drown himself. Aspects of period on Banka Island, Dutch East Indies, 2/1942: plan to escape from Bangka island; contact with civilians; living conditions; capture by Japanese forces. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Chung Wa School and Sungei Geron Camps, Palembang, Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, 2/1942-8/1945: parading of prisoners of war on Banka Island before move to Palembang; prisoners of war life. Aspects of service as seaman aboard HMS Simit and HMS Li Wo in Far East, 1/1942-2/1942: how he set Imperial Japanese Navy troopship on fire during Li Wo action; loss of HMS Li Wo. REEL 4 Continues: picking up Gurkha soldiers aboard patrol launch HMS Simit III during Malayan Campaign; failure of HMS Simit III to escape from Singapore, Malaya

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), Interwar (content), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
Wood, Conrad (Recorder)
Thompson, Arthur William (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 1999-10-07
Dimensions: whole: Duration 100, Number Of Items 4
Catalogue number: 19812

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Interview with Arthur William Thompson

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