Interview with Benjamin John Fuller

British seaman served aboard HMS Cornwall, Eastern Fleet in Indian Ocean, 1941-1942 including sinking, 5/4/1942

REEL 1 Background in Barnet, GB, 1920-1939: family; education; employment; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Aspects of period as civilian in Barnet, GB, 1939-1940: Air Raid Precautions work with Barnet District Gas and Water Company; membership of Barnet Local Defence Volunteers; dealing with German Air Force incendiary bombs; memories of handling sheep, 3/9/1939. Aspects of enlistment and training with Royal Navy in GB, 1940: fate of friends who wanted to join Royal Navy Supply and Secretariat Branch, 2/1940; character of medical inspection; allocation of branches; basic training at HMS Royal Army, Skegness, late 1940. Aspects of voyage aboard HMS Canton and HMS Phoebe from GB to in Durban, South Africa, 1941: embarking on board HMS Canton; HMS Canton's mistakenly firing on British submarine; transfer to HMS Phoebe at Freetown, Sierra Leone; reception in South Africa prior to joining ship. Recollections of operations with HMS Cornwall, Eastern Fleet in Indian Ocean, 1941-1942: escorting convoys between Durban, South Africa and Aden, Aden Protectorate; encounter with and sinking of German auxiliary cruiser, Pinguin (HSK-5), 8/5/1941. REEL 2 Continues: action station, 8/5/1941; rescue of German crew and British prisoners of war from German auxiliary cruiser Pinguin (HSK-5); handling of survivors in Seycelles; repair of damage to ship; reception in Durban, South Africa after sinking of German auxiliary cruiser Pinguin (HSK-5); convoy protection duties; preparation for operations in Addu Atoll, 9/1941; escorting HMT Queen Mary and HMT Queen Elizabeth during Convoy WS12ZA, 12/1941-1/1942; attitude to spending so much time at sea, 1941-1942; presence of South African crew members; problems of obtaining entertainment for crew; relations between crew and United States Navy sailors in Fremantle, Australia; exercises with Eastern Fleet. REEL 3 Continues: Recollections of sinking of HMS Cornwall, Force A, Eastern Fleet in Indian Ocean, 8/5/1942: reaction to hearing Easter Sunday service over tannoy at action station; sinking of ship by Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service aircraft; escape from X turret magazine to quarter deck; reasons why he couldn't board his escape whaler; thwarting of attempt to avoid oil in sea; use of motor-boat to take wounded; description of Carley Float; suffering from sunburn; physical condition on rescue by HMS Enterprise; transfer of survivors to HMS Ramillies at Addu Atoll; conditions in Mombasa, Kenya; period at Clarewood Camp, Durban; disbursing of money to survivors; issue of South African uniforms to survivors. REEL 4 Continues: Aspects of period as seaman on shore duties with Royal Navy in Kenya and GB, 1942-1945: shore duties in Mombasa, Kenya, 1942-1943; voyage aboard HMS Resolution from Kenya to GB, 12/943; fate of HMS Resolution after 1943; problems of reporting to HMNB Chatham after German Air Force raid on London, GB, 1/1944; drafting to Combined Operations base in Scotland, 2/1944; condition of Royal Navy administration in Inverness, GB, 1944; duties in HMNB Rosyth, 1944-1945; attitude to having served with Royal Navy in Second World War.