Interview with Alexander Clark

British wireless operator served with Merchant Navy aboard SS City of Athens in North Atlantic, South Atlantic and Indian Ocean, 1/1940-4/1940; served aboard SS Baltrader in North Atlantic and North Sea, 5/1940-11/1940 including sinking by acoustic mine in Thames Estuary, 9/11/1940; served aboard SS Empire Diplomat in GB coastal waters and North Sea, 12/1940-12/1942; served aboard MV Athelregent in North Atlantic, 2/1943-4/1943; served aboard aboard SS City of Cape Town in North Atlantic, 4/1943-5/1943; served aboard SS Manchester Commerce in North Atlantic, 6/1943-7/1943; served aboard MV San Vulfrano in North Atlantic, 8/1943-6/1944; served aboard SS Empire Crest in GB and North Atlantic, 7/1944-4/1945; served aboard SS Fort Capot River, 2/5/1945- 21/8/1945; served aboard SS Samconstant in Mediterranean,1945

REEL 1 Background in Buckie, GB, 1920-1939: family; education; employment as drift fisherman, 1930s; effect of loss of Russian market on herring industry after 1917; comparison of different fisheries; job as cook; fish caught; competition between fishermen to get fish to market; contact with trawlers; degree of danger in drifting; women who gutted fish; training as wireless operator at Aberdeen Wireless College, Aberdeen, 1939; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Aspects of period as wireless operator with Merchant Navy aboard SS City of Athens in North Atlantic, South Atlantic and Indian Ocean, early 1940: joining ship in Glasgow, GB, 26/1/1940; leaving convoy in North Atlantic. REEL 2 Continues: live sheep that died of fright; contacts from hometown of Buckie, GB he had in each port; return from Ceylon to GB via English Channel; employment by Marconi Company. Recollections of period as wireless operator with Merchant Navy aboard SS Baltrader in North Atlantic and North Sea including sinking by acoustic mine in North Sea, 9/1/1940: joining ship, 29/5/1940; conditions on board; supplies loaded in Iberian Peninsula; Vichy French Air Force bombing of Gibraltar, 18/7/1940; German Air Force strafing attack on ship; sinking of ship by acoustic mine in North Sea at mouth of River Thames, 9/11/1940; handling of shipwrecked mariners. Aspects of period as wireless operator with Merchant Navy aboard SS Empire Diplomat in GB coastal waters and North Sea, 12/1940-12/1942: joining ship in Grangemouth, GB, 2/12/1940; sight of German Air Force bombing attacks on London, GB, 1940-1941; guns put on ship at Newcastle upon Tyne, GB; depot ship duties at Kyle of Lochalsh, GB, 1941-1942. Aspects of period as wireless operator with Merchant Navy aboard MV Athelregent in North Atlantic, 2/1943-4/1943: joining ship at Liverpool, GB, 9/2/1943; German submarine attack on convoy on route from Liverpool, GB to Curacoa; question of personal morale. REEL 3 Continues: strength of convoy escort in North Atlantic, 3/1943; wealth of bananas on return voyage, 4/1943. Aspects of period as wireless operator with Merchant Navy aboard SS City of Cape Town in North Atlantic, 4/1943-5/1943: joining ship at Birkenhead, GB, 20/4/1943; weather during crossing of North Atlantic; opinion of stay in New York, United States of America; question of being glad to get ashore. Aspects of period as wireless operator with Merchant Navy aboard SS Manchester Commerce in North Atlantic, 6/1943-7/1943: joining ship, 4/6/1943; journey to family wedding in Detroit, United States of America. Aspects of period as wireless operator with Merchant Navy aboard MV San Vulfrano in North Atlantic, 8/1943-6/1944: joining tanker at Ellesmere Port, GB, 24/8/1943; giving up smoking; visit to Belgian Congo; problems with Tumbo Fly. Aspects of period as wireless operator with Merchant Navy aboard SS Empire Crest in GB and North Atlantic, 7/1944-4/1945: standing by the building of the ship in Sunderland, GB, 7/1944-9/1944; use of anti-torpedo nets; later story of finding storaways on board SS Empire Bardolph, 10/1945. Aspects of period as wireless operator with Merchant Navy aboard SS Fort Capot River, 2/5/1945-21/8/1945: voyages from GB to Canada. REEL 4 Continues: friend he made in United States of America; later carrying of iron ore carried aboard SS Empire Bardolph, 1945. Aspects of period as wireless operator with Merchant Navy aboard SS Samconstant in Mediterranean, 1945: duties in Mediterranean; characteristics of Liberty Ships; occasion when steward deteriorated under influence of drink ashore. Aspects of service with Merchant Navy, 1940-1945: opinion of Merchant Navy captains; commandeering of merchant ships by Royal Navy; attitude towards serving in Merchant Navy; conversion to Christianity, 1944-1945.