Interview with Victor Charles Buffery

British telegraphist trained with HMS Vernon II, Brighton and Royal Navy Wireless Telegraphy School, Eastbourne in GB, 2/1943-9/1943; served on shore duties at Royal Naval Barracks, HMS Pembroke, Chatham and with Royal Navy Signal School Cookham Camp, GB, 9/1943-2/1944; served aboard HMS Bullen in GB coastal waters, English Channel and North Atlantic, 3/1944-12/1944 including sinking off Cape Wrath, GB, 6/12/1944; served with Royal Navy Signal School Cookham Camp, GB, 1/1945-6/1945; served aboard HMS Manxman in Far East, 6/1945-8/1945

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Paddington, London, Ilford, Winscombe and Bath, GB, 1924-1942: family; social circumstances; education; recreational activities; studying motor engineering at Regent's Park Polytechnic in London, 1939; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; use of Anderson Shelter; disruption of education and question of evacuation; employment with engineering firm, 9/1939-11/1939; resumption of education at Regent's Park Polytechnic at Winscombe, 11/1939-3/1942; maritime interests; work on cable and bulkhead fittings as drawing office assistant with Admiralty, Bath, 3/1942-12/1942; background to application for Fleet Air Arm and acceptance for Royal Navy despite Reserved Occupation status; training with Army Cadet Corps at Regent's Park Polytechnic, Winscombe; service with 6th (Bath Admiralty) Battalion, Somerset Home Guard, 1942. REEL 2 Continues: Recollections of basic training as seaman at HMS Royal Arthur, Skegness, GB, 12/1942-2/1943: reception and kitting out; chalet accommodation; physical training; rations; drill; rejection for commission and selection for special telegraphist training. Aspects of training as telegraphist at HMS Vernon II, Brighton, GB, 2/1943-5/1943: Morse Code training; seafront parades; German Air Force attack; relations with Other Ranks; opinion of instructors; recreational visits to Brighton. Aspects of training as telegraphist at Royal Navy Wireless Telegraphy School, Eastbourne, GB, 5/1943-9/1943: nature of German Morse Code; comparison of British five letter groups and plain language transmission; receiving German Morse Code; identification of German Navy submarine messages. REEL 3 Continues: procedure on receiving signals from German submarine including use of direction finding Goniometer and communicating wireless frequency to neighbouring ships; learning Japanese Morse Code and special form used for messages; German Air Force attacks. Aspects of period on shore duties at Royal Naval Barracks, HMS Pembroke, Chatham and at Royal Navy Signal School Cookham Camp, GB, 9/1943-2/1944: use of tunnel air raid shelters; training at Royal Navy Signal School Cookham Camp; cancellation of draft to Iceland; fire watching and general duties; draft procedure. Recollections of operations as telegraphist aboard HMS Bullen, B6 and 19th Escort Groups in GB coastal waters, English Channel and North Atlantic, 3/1944-12/1944: journey out to join frigate at Pollock Dock, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 3/1944; reaction to predominance of midshipmen on board; communications messdeck and personnel; ship's welded construction; laundry; washing clothes; messing system and rations. REEL 4 Continues: watch system; duties as navigator's yeoman including updating charts, adjusting ship's clocks and collecting orders ashore; duties as High Frequency Direction Finding (HFDF) operator in chartroom monitoring German wireless transmission; chartroom equipment including automatic plot and layout table; operation of Plessey FH4X Direction Finding Set; monitoring German radio traffic; headphones; question of psychological strain; routine ship's duties; relationship with other seaman; opinion of Chief Petty Officer Annis, Chief Yeoman Alfred Dunn, Lieutenant John Winstanley and Lieutenant Commander Anthony Parish; ship's morale. REEL 5 Continues: escorting Convoy ON 228 across North Atlantic to St John's, Newfoundland, 3/1944-4/1944, including initial reaction to sea service, seasickness, presence of escort carriers, convoy discipline and escorting stragglers; visits ashore in Liverpool; escorting troopship to Iceland; move to Plymouth and escorting tug to cassion floating free, 4/6/1944; escorting HMS Rodney to shore bombardment position in English Channel off Brest, France, D-Day, 6/6/1944; anti-submarine sweeps, 6/1944; rolling and seasickness; escorting ship to Iceland, 6/1944; anti-submarine sweeps, 7/1944; escorting convoy to Gibraltar, 8/1944-9/1944; joining 19th Escort Group, 9/1944; radio silence; German submarine signals; High Frequency Direction Finding (HFDF) and compass calibration, 11/1944. REEL 6 Continues: cleaning binnacle cap as navigator's yeoman; trials with captured German submarine equipped with snorkel; drifting of captured submarine. Recollections of torpedoing and sinking of HMS Bullen, 19th Escort Group by German submarine U-775 off Cape Wrath, GB, 6/12/1944: escorting convoy; explosion whilst on duty on Plessey FH4X Direction Finding Set; damage limitation; rigging jury wireless aerial; order to abandon ship; launch of Carley Float; entering water; oil problem; boarding Carley Float and cutting free from ship; exercises to keep warm; sight of ship; uniform and lifebelt; sight of ship sinking; personal morale; rescue and treatment aboard HMS Hesperus; landing and hospitalisation in Aberdeen; effects of oil; survivors' leave; reporting to Chatham Barracks. REEL 7 Continues: Aspects of period as telegraphist at Royal Navy Signal School Cookham Camp, GB, 1/1945-6/1945. VE Day celebrations in London, 8/5/1945; voyage aboard HMS Apollo to Malta, 6/1945. Aspects of period as telegraphist aboard HMS Manxman in Far East, 6/1945-8/1945: absence of role as High Frequency Direction Finding (HFDF) operator; transportation of mines; surrender of Japan, 8/1945. Aspects of period as telegraphist on shore duties with Royal Navy in Australia, 8/1945-4/1946: duties with signal stations in Melbourne and Sydney, 8/1945-4/1946; return voyage aboard aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable from Australia to GB, 4/1946-5/1946; demobilisation, 6/1946. Post-war life and employment: decision not to return to work as draftsman with Admiralty; employment as telegraphist with Cable and Wireless; effects of war service; membership of Telegraphist (S) Association; membership of HMS Bullen Association, 1989-1998.