Interview with Harry Shaw

British cadet served with Merchant Navy aboard SS Dalblair in North Sea and North Atlantic, 1940 including sinking in North Atlantic, 29/8/1940; served aboard SS Empire Deed in North Atlantic, 1940-1941; officer served aboard SS River Afton in Arctic, 3/1942-7/1942 including sinking off Kola Peninsula, Soviet Union, 5/7/1942

REEL 1 Background in Kingston upon Hull, GB, 1921-1937: family; education at Hull Trinity House Navigation School. Aspects of period as cadet with Merchant Navy in GB, Far East and Baltic Sea, 1937-1939: joining United Steam Navigation Company; ashore in Shanghai, China whilst serving on board SS Dalmore, 1937; discharging iron-ore from SS River Afton at Free City of Danzig, 1/9/1939; running aground in Baltic Sea, 2/9/1939. Aspects of period as officer cadet with Merchant Navy aboard SS Dalblair in North Sea and North Atlantic including sinking, 29/8/1940: danger from German Navy E-boats in North Sea; torpedoing of ship by German submarine U-100 during Convoy OA 204, 29/8/1940; rescue by HMS Clematis, 29/8/1940; seaman's attitude towards being torpedoed; attitude towards German submariners; treatment of survivors aboard HMS Clematis. REEL 2 Continues: treatment of survivors in Scotland. Aspects of period as officer cadet with Merchant Navy aboard SS Empire Deed in North Atlantic, 1940-1941: reception of apprentices in Halifax, Canada; sight of suspected German submarine in North Atlantic; reasons why his ship was stopped and searched by United States Navy warship. Recollections of operations as third officer with Merchant Navy aboard SS River Afton during Convoy PQ 13 in Arctic, 10/3/1942-1/4/1942: German Air Force attacks; ashore in Murmansk; Soviet guards who demanded passes for embarkation on board own ship; night he spent in nurses home in Murmansk, Soviet Union; treatment by Soviet authorities in Murmansk, Soviet Union. Recollections of operations as third officer with Merchant Navy aboard SS River Afton during Convoy PQ 17 in Arctic, 27/6/1942-5/7/1942 including sinking of Kola Peninsula, Soviet Union, 5/7/1942: order to scatter convoy; torpedoing of ship by German submarine U-703, 5/7/1942; aid given to survivors from German submarine captain; rescue by HMS Lotus. REEL 3 Continues: two day period on Novaya Zemlya Archipelago and sight of trawler HMT Ayrshire escorting three surviving ships; nature of accommodation at Archangel, Soviet Union; work he did in Archangel, Soviet Union; medical treatment survivors received in Archangel, Soviet Union; return to GB aboard SS Empire Tide; prior recollection of German Air Force bombing of SS Empire Deed in Sunderland; story of working and living in Kuwait from 1947; feelings about Convoy PQ 17.