Interview with Arthur Shaw

British engine room artificer served aboard HMS Resolution, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters and North Atlantic, 7/1938-6/1940; served aboard HMS Harvester, 9th Destroyer Flotilla and 3rd Escort Group in GB coastal waters and North Atlantic, 8/1940-3/1943 including sinking in North Atlantic, 11/3/1943; served aboard HMS Calder, 4th Escort Group in United States of America, Bermuda, GB coastal waters, North Atlantic and Mediterranean, 9/1943-9/1944; served as chief engine room artificer aboard HMS Milne, 3rd Destroyer Flotilla in Mediterranean, 11/1944-2/1946; served aboard HMS Anson, Reserve Fleet at Portland, GB, 3/1947-9/1948; served aboard HMS Newcastle in Far East and off Korean Peninsula, 1951-1954; served aboard HMS Bulwark in GB coastal waters and Mediterranean, 1956-1957

REEL 1 Background in Govan, Glasgow, Gosport and Malta, GB, 1918-1933: father's naval career; move to Gosport, 1923; family circumstances; education and passing examinations to train as engine room artificer on HMS Fisgard, 1934; return to live with grandparent in Govan, 1927-1928; rejoining family in Malta, 1929-1930; football and other sporting activities. Recollections of period training as boy artificer with HMS Fisgard, Chatham, GB, 1/1934-6/1938: reception; uniform and kitting out; organisation of classes; barrack room accommodation; morning routine. REEL 2 Continues: morning routine; rations; learning to use hammer and chisel; trade tests and selection as boilermaker; daily march to and from Mechanical Training Establishment, St Mary's Island; rations; maths and engineering educational classes; physical training and cross-country runs; drill; rile training; relations with instructors and question of their attitude to engine room artificer apprentices; ban on smoking and punishments; leave arrangements and recreational activities; football and cricketing activities. REEL 3 Continues: kit inspections; church parades; recreations; pay; training as boilermaker including re-tubing boilers, welding, grinding and cutting metal, use of chalk line, shaping metal, chipping out rivets, use of chisel, method of sharpening drills and use of lathes; question of relevance of boilermakers' trade; method of mending leaking boiler tube; relevance of various engine room artificer trades; examinations and trade tests; passing out as 5th Class Engine Room Artificer; promotion system for engine room artificers; allocations to Chatham as Home Port. Recollections of period as engine room artificer aboard HMS Resolution, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters and North Atlantic, 7/1938-6/1940: reception on joining battleship at Devonport. REEL 4 Continues: tool kit; engine room artificer messdeck and hammocks; watch duties in boiler and engine rooms; relations with chief petty officer stoker; operations of oil-fired boilers and engines to drive propeller shaft; auxiliary watch system in harbour; practical engineering lessons from engineering officer on ship's systems; sea watch keeping system; relationship with stokers and seamen; role of stoker messman in engine room artificer mess; food; issue of rum ration; problem of water leaking into messdecks from BL 6 Inch Naval Gun battery in rough weather. REEL 5 Continues: move to Sheerness; shore leave arrangements; move to Scapa Flow and Invergorden during Munich Crisis, 9/1938; football activities; move to Portsmouth, 12/1938; story of getting drunk at ship's dance at Empress Ballroom; crew morale and discipline; joint exercises of Home and Mediterranean Fleets off Gibraltar including effects of 15 Inch Naval Guns firing, full speed trials and shore leave at Gibraltar; special friends; return to Sheerness; early summer leave due to international situation; move to Portsmouth; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; role escorting convoys across North Atlantic to Halifax, Canada; story of seaman's reaction to sinking of HMS Royal Oak and his subsequent paranoia over making smoke from engines. REEL 6 Continues: leave period whilst degaussing at Portsmouth, 1/1940; marriage, 1/1940; move to Scapa Flow, 2/1940; necessity of four hour readiness to raise steam; football activities and story of skilful footballing sailor invited to play for Scottish league team; relieving HMS Warspite on station off Narvik, Norway, 4/1940-5/1940; nature of German Air Force raids and effects of bomb hitting quarterdeck at Tjeldsund, 16/5/1940; loss of skilful footballing sailor's leg to shrapnel; firing 15 Inch Naval Guns at German shore positions and inaccurate British Broadcasting report; move to Gibraltar and leaving ship, 6/1940. Aspects of taking passage aboard HMS Volunteer from Gibraltar to Portsmouth, GB, 6/1940: seasickness; conditions. Recollections of operations as engine room artificer aboard HMS Harvester, 9th Destroyer Flotilla and 3rd Escort Group in GB coastal waters, North Atlantic and Mediterranean, 8/1940-3/1943: joining destroyer at Gladstone Dock, Liverpool; background to 'H' Class Destroyers; initial seasickness; engine room artificer messdeck; Totopoly game; oil engines and use of superheated to drive turbines; Portuguese labels in engine room; wife's visit to ship; opinion of Lieutenant Commander Mark Thornton and story of his attempt to rescue steward washed overboard; opinion of Engineer Officer, Lieutenant Ralph Palmer. REEL 7 Continues: anti-submarine sweeps with HMS Highlander and reaction to picking up German survivor after success in sinking German submarine U-32 in North Atlantic, 30/11/1940; question of possession of engine room watch certificate; duties on engine room watch; repair work; routine cleaning and maintenance of boilers and turbines; action stations in boiler room; move to Gourock, 1941; opinion of captain Commander Arthur Tait; nature of North Atlantic convoys including meeting convoy, escort, speed, zig-zagging, clashes with German submarines, effects of bad weather conditions, uniform worn, food and canteen messing arrangements, cocoa and question of air cover. REEL 8 Continues: arrival at St Johns, Canada and route on return voyage; shore leave with wife in Glasgow; question of fatigue and watch keeping duties; period attached to Force H in Mediterranean, 5/1941; composition of escort for vital convoy; threat from German Navy battleship Bismarck whilst escorting ship, 5/1941; reactions to sinking of HMS Hood, 24/5/1941; general alarm caused by mistaken identification of German Navy heavy cruiser; story of collecting fish after dropping depth charges. Recollections of torpedoing and sinking of HMS Harvester, 3rd Escort Group in North Atlantic, 11/3/1943: escorting Convoy HX 228 from St Johns, Canada; attacks on convoy from German submarine Wolfpack Westmark; going on watch; acceleration to ram German submarine U-444 and results; reduced speed due to damage to ship's propellers; picking up survivors from torpedoed United States Merchant Marine vessel SS William C Gorgas; end of watch; failure of propeller shaft; issue of rum ration; hit by torpedo fired by German submarine U-432 on port side of ship whilst in engine room artificers' messdeck; orders to abandon ship; swimming to Carley Float; effects of second torpedo fired by German submarine U-432 on ship; getting on Carley Float. REEL 9 Continues: sea conditions and cold; state of morale; arrival of Free French corvette Aconite and effects of depth charges dropped to sink U-432; prior picking up German survivors from submarine U-444; arrival of HMS Narcissus; personal state on rescue form Carley Float; treatment and death of friend; personal morale during submarine alarms during voyage home; casualties; survivors' leave, 3/1943. Aspects of period as engine room artificer in Royal Naval Barracks, HMS Pembroke, Chatham, GB, 3/1943-4/1943. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Queen Mary from GB to New York, United States of America, 4/1943: presence of Prime Minister Winston Churchill on board; conditions on board. Aspects of period on shore duties at HMS Asbury, Asbury Park, United States of America, 4/1943-5/1943: hotel accommodation; recreational activities; duty patrols accompanying United States Navy shore police; visit to study American manufactured engines to Brooklyn Naval Dockyard; lecture on Captain Class in New York. Aspects of period as engine room artificer standing by HMS Calder at Boston, United States of America, 5/1943-7/1943: playing of 'MacNamara's Band' as reveille; canteen and extra pay; familiarisation with ship's machinery; nature of turbo electric engines and boilers. REEL 10 Continues: engine room personnel; difficulty in cleaning boilers; acclimatisation to equipment; opinion of Lieutenant (E) Leech, Chief Engine Room Artificer Harris and Engine Room Artificer Phipps; opinion of frigate including through-deck access, bunks and question of welded construction, engine room artificer and petty officers mess; question of United States Navy style facilities; question of seasickness in rough weather on voyage to Bermuda, 8/1943. Aspects of period as engine room artificer aboard HMS Calder on working up exercises at St George's Harbour, Bermuda, 8/1943-9/1943: loss of electric power during depth charge trial; damage control positions; recreational activities. Recollections of operations as engine room artificer aboard HMS Calder 4th Escort Group in GB coastal waters, North Atlantic and Mediterranean, 9/1943-9/1944: basing of ship at Pollock Dock, Belfast; shore leave with wife in local lodgings in Belfast; anti-submarine activities whilst escorting convoy in Bay of Biscay, 10/1943; action stations in boiler or engine room; nature of duties as non-watch keeping engine room artificer. REEL 11 Continues: watch keeping duties as engine room artificer; off watch periods; personal morale and alarm calls; recreational activities on watch; personal morale; routine on escorts to KMF troop convoys in Mediterranean to Naples, Italy, 12/1943-9/1944; visits to canteen in Naples, Italy; officers and ship's morale; passing examination and interview as chief engine room artificer, 9/1943; leaving ship on promotion to acting chief engine room artificer, 9/1943. Aspects of period as chief engine room artificer aboard HMS Milne, 3rd Destroyer Flotilla, 11/1944-2/1946: joining ship at Kingston upon Hull, GB, 11/1944; status as flotilla leader; role during period based in Western Mediterranean, 12/1944-5/1945; role as chief engine room artificer boilermaker for flotilla; wear and tear boiler testing; boiler water test. REEL 12 Continues: volunteering for watch keeping; VE day at Malta, 8/5/1945; move to Eastern Mediterranean; role attempting to prevent Jewish immigration into Palestine; football activities; attitude to Jewish/Arab conflict; return to Malta, 2/1946; leaving ship. Aspects of period as chief engine room artificer on staff of Chief of Engineering Office, Royal Navy, Malta, 2/1946-12/1946: role examining boilers of small ships; meeting rescuer from HMS Narcissus; married quarters; return to GB. Aspect of period as chief engine room artificer aboard HMS Anson, Reserve Fleet at Portland, GB, 3/1947-9/1948: reserve status of ship; amusing story of performance by professional pianist; supervisory role in boiler rooms; cricket activities; nature of routine; demobilisation, 9/1948. Post-war life and employment: employment as brush salesman; background to decision to rejoin Royal Navy, 8/1951. Recollections of period as chief engine room artificer aboard HMS Newcastle in Far East, 1951-1954: rapid promotion back to chief engine room artificer; voyage out to Korean waters; bombardment of Chinese People's Volunteer Army shore positions; story of HMS Belfast receiving amusing signal from Chinese People's Volunteer Army officer indicating ineffectual nature of shore bombardments. REEL 13 Continues: patrols and bombardment of Chinese People's Volunteer Army shore positions; role as senior chief engine room artificer; visits to Hong Kong; period in barracks during refit at Singapore, Federation of Malaya; humidity; football activities; visits to Japan; relations with Japanese civilians; frozen seas off Korean Peninsula during winter; voyage back to GB; period as chief engine room artificer on staff of Engineer Rear Admiral at Portsmouth, GB, 1954-1956. Aspect of period as chief engine room artificer aboard HMS Bulwark in GB coastal waters and Mediterranean, 1956-1957: noisy conditions aboard fleet carrier; involvement in Operation Musketeer, the landings at Suez, Egypt, 10/1956-11/1956; story illustrating noisy conditions on ship; personal morale and background to early demobilisation, 1958. Post-service life and career: employment as civil servant with HM Inland Revenue; story illustrating attitude to service with Royal Navy; membership of various naval associations.