Interview with James William Pratt

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Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
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Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
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Embed this sound recording for online use under the IWM Non-Commercial Licence
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Sound: © IWM

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.

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Description

Object description

British civilian rating served with Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) aboard HMS Gloucester in Indian Ocean and Mediterranean, 1939-1941; served as canteen manager with Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) aboard HMS Barham in Mediterranean, 1941 including sinking, 11/1941 and on shore duties in Kenya, 1942-1943; served aboard HMS Virago in Arctic, English Channel during landings in Normandy, France and Indian Ocean, 1943-1945

Content description

REEL 1 Background in Harwich and Horden, GB, 1939-1938: family; education. Recollections of period as civilian rating with Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) on board HMS Gloucester in Indian Ocean and Mediterranean, 1938-1941: background to enlistment as rating with Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI); how Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) personnel joined Royal Navy on declaration of of Second World War, 3/9/1939; joining cruiser at Trincomalee, Ceylon, 1939; Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) role; move to Mediterranean; three month period ashore in Athens, Greece after missing ship at Piraeus, Greece. Recollections of operations as assistant manager with Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) on board HMS Barham in Mediterranean, 1941: joining battleship at Alexandria, Egypt; method of procuring supplies; action station; escape from sinking ship and rescue by HMS Hotspur, 11/1941. REEL 2 Continues: number of survivors; treatment of survivors aboard HMS Hotspur. Aspects of period as canteen manager Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) on shore duties in Mombasa, Kenya, 1942-1943: managing barrack canteens; types of beer drunk by sailors; period of recuperation after sinking of HMS Barham in Durban, South Africa. Recollections of operations as canteen manager Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) aboard HMS Virago in Arctic, English Channel during landings in Normandy, France and Indian Ocean, 1943-1945: in action against German battleship Scharnhorst, 12/1943; ashore in Soviet Union; role as canteen manager; problem of obtaining food supplies in Scapa Flow, GB; role of ship during landings in Normandy, France, 6/1944; move to Trincomalee, Ceylon; in action against Imperial Japanese Navy warships; dealing with casualties on board ship after Imperial Japanese Army Air Service attack. REEL 3 Continues: award of Distinguished Service Medal for actions; question of conflict between family life and going to sea.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
Wood, Conrad (Recorder)
Pratt, James William (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 2001-06-05
Dimensions: whole: Duration 65, Number Of Items 3
Catalogue number: 21595

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Interview with James William Pratt

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