Richmond, Jack (Oral history)

British officers' cook served aboard HMS Calder operating in North Atlantic, Mediterranean and Western Approaches, 1943-1945

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Lewisham, London, 1921-1941: family circumstances; education; training in cookery and catering trade from father; work as page boy and assistant pastry chef at Lady Carlton Club, Hyde Park Corner, 1935-1939; promotion to pastry chef and reactions to the outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; daily work routine as pastry chef; effects of German air raids, 1940-1942, including incendiaries, using neighbours Anderson shelter, bomb damage and blackout; nature of Lady Carlton Club; effects of food rationing; background to call up and acceptance for Royal Navy. Period at HMS Royal Arthur Shore Station at Skegness, ca 8/1941-9/1941: reception; selection as officers' cook; kitting out; chalet accommodation; prior health problems; food rations and question of following vegetarian diet; route marches; drill. Period in wardroom galleys at Chatham Barracks, 9/1941-4/1942: preparing food. REEL 2 Continues: importance of personal hygiene; lectures. Period as officers cook in wardroom galley aboard HMS Cumberland, 4/1942-2/1943: joining ship at Chatham Dockyard; layout of galleys beneath aircraft hanger; relationship with cooks; duties preparing meals; move to Scapa Flow; question of seasickness; sleeping in galley and morning routine; galley uniform; breakfast; story of being disciplined for over-cooking officers kidneys; galley oil fired cooking ranges and boilers; nature of food; daily routine duties; off duty recreations including ludo, cards, limited gambling and reading; relationship with ratings, petty officers and officers; visits to Naval Canteen at Flotta; drinking habits. REEL 3 Continues: drinking habits; pay; smoking cigarettes; Russian convoy from Iceland to Murmansk, Soviet Union including fishing over ship's side, escort, landing supplies at Spitzbergen, rough weather and lack of personal reaction to cold conditions; return to Greenock; home leave; story of reporting late back from leave, punishment and draft back to Chatham. Period at Chatham Barracks, 2/1943-5/1943: punishment drill on parade ground; duties in officers' galley; kit inspections; recreations and visits to London; prior patrols aboard HMS Cumberland in Denmark Straits and off Casablanca; draft and journey to Greenock. Voyage aboard Queen Mary to New York, 5/1943. Period at Asbury Barracks, Asbury Park, New Jersey, 5/1943: accommodation and food rations in Mounteroy Hotel; US hospitality and free tickets to entertainments. REEL 4 Period at Boston Dry Dock Barracks, 5/1943-8/1943: lifestyle; food rations; opinion of Wine Steward Harry Pettit and his side line of hair dressing; recreations and US hospitality. Recollections of initial period aboard HMS Calder, 7/1943-9/1943: nature of cooks and stewards messdeck; bunks; personnel of cooks and stewards; electric ranges and boilers in galley; bread making bins; potato peeler; duties as officers' cook including allotted working space menu and food; question of welded construction; quarterdeck area; ship's armament; assisting in supply of ship; question of ship rolling. REEL 5 Continues: working up trials at Bermuda, 8/1943-9/1943; escorting HMS Victorious; escorting convoy to GB. Aspects of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine with 4th Escort Group based at Pollock Dock, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 9/1943-9/1945: preparing officers' breakfast and lunch; afternoon recreations; preparing officer's dinner; poker games in Engine Room Artificers' mess; making sandwiches when at action stations; refit and leave; visits ashore to Lisburn; relationship with Irish civilians; visit to Horta, Azores, 10/1943; actions with U Boats and Heinkels whilst escorting convoys in Bay of Biscay, 10/1943-11/1943; personal morale; escorting convoys to Naples, Italy, 11/1943-10/1944; visits ashore in Naples; friendship with Harry Pettit; relationship with ORs; opinion of various officers. REEL 6 Continues: food rations of cooks and stewards mess; eruption of Mount Vesuvius; anti-submarine sweeps, 12/1944-5/1945; enjoyment of being at sea; depth charges used in sinking U774, 8/4/1945; personal morale; voyage out to return ship to Brooklyn Naval Yard, New York, 10/1945; return voyage aboard Queen Mary. Period aboard HMS Zest, 10/1945-4/1946: prior promotion to Leading Seaman Cook; story of cooking game for captain; visit ashore at Tangiers and Gibraltar. Demobilisation, 7/1946. Post-war career: rejection of wages offered to return to work at Lady Carlton Club; work as railway train chef on various routes; work as hospital chef. REEL 7 Continues: background to signing on as reservist, 1949-1956; reactions to call up during Korean War, 9/1951. Recollections of service aboard HMS Sharpshooter based at Kings Lyn, 8/1952-2/1953: role as survey ship on east coast; shore leave arrangements; story of cooking currys for officers' mess dinners and relationship with officers. Demobilisation, 3/1953. Post-service career: review of work as chef with various hospitals and companies, 1953-1986; membership of HMS Calder Assoc and story of baking special cake for reunions.