Description
Object description
British victualling assistant served aboard LST 423 and LST 322 in Mediterranean and English Channel, 1943-1945; served as officer aboard HMS Venerable in Far East, 1945-1946
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of his background in Wood Green, London, 1924-1943: family circumstances; education; learning to play piano and work as accompanist to comedy double act; family theatrical connections; outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; background to leaving school early, 9/1939; work as clerk with industrial lighting engineering factory in Edmonton, 1939-1942; part-time dance band work as pianist; question of using Anderson shelter; blackout; German air raids; Air Raid Precautions duties at factory; decision to volunteer for Royal Navy; rejection of initial attempt under 'Y' Scheme to join Fleet Air Arm; volunteering for Supply Branch, Royal Navy and call up, 7/10/1942. Period at HMS Royal Arthur Shore Station, Skegness, 10/1942-11/1942: chalet accommodation; recruits' state of health; kitting out and responsibility for replacing uniform; drill; relationship with recruits and instructors; food rations.
REEL 2 Recollections of training as supply assistant at HMS President V, Highgate School, London, 11/1942-1/1943: home billets; lecture courses in customs and practice of naval accountancy, clothing supply and victualling; examination. Period in Chatham Barracks, 1/1943: conditions of service; work as clerk; drafting procedure. Voyage with draft aboard Empress of Scotland to New York, 2/1943: conditions; hammock. Period at HMS Asbury, Asbury Park, New Jersey, 2/1943. Recollections of initial period on joining LST 423 at Baltimore, Maryland, 2/19434/1943: nature of Landing Ship Tank and storage of tanks and trucks; canvas bunks for army personnel aboard; officers' quarters; crew messdeck and bunks; organisation of crew messes; composition of crew; characteristics of LST; prior victualling before boarding; storeroom and fridges; loan clothing supplies; rum store and security.
REEL 3 Continues: draft made up of rejects form other ships; role as victualling assistant in providing food as required for set menus; problem with assistant; relationship with officers; beaching trials at Whitestone, Virginia; his perceptions of poor ship handling; refitting at New York; impossibility of supplying suet for puddings, unsympathetic attitude of captain, loss of leave and reinstatement after formal complaint; shore leave and purchase of trombone. Convoy to Oran area, Algeria, 4/1943-5/1943: US engineers on board and their taking over of cooks' duties; delay as slow LSTs transferred to second convoy; disembarkation. Recollections of operations aboard LST 423 in Mediterranean, 5/1943-8/1943: action stations as communications number on Oerlicken guns; practising embarkation and disembarkation; move to Ferryville, Tunisia; role during invasion of Sicily, 7/1943, including successful landing, German air attacks and role supplying beachhead with mechanised units.
REEL 4 Continues: landing units at Syracuse; return to Ferryville. Period attached to LST 322 and operations during Salerno landings, 9/1943: initial temporary attachment with other victualling assistants to collect stores for flotilla from Malta; damage sustained by LST 423 and constant extension of attachment; nature of fighting during initial landings; role supplying beachhead; view whilst swimming of hit by radio controlled bomb on HMS Warspite, 16/9/1943. Minimal duties on posting as steward to LST 422, ca 10/1943. Recollections of operations on return to LST 423 in Mediterranean, 10/1943-3/1944: rejoining at Ferryville; problems in absence with fridges and rum ration; improvements to state of victualling after inspection by senior supply officer; adapted recipes; Christmas celebrations, 25/12/1943; move to Taranto; and repairs to damaged screws; question of casualties expected amongst LSTs in landings; relationship with Italian civilians; move to base at Naples; Anzio landings using harbour facilities, 1/1944; trips between Naples and Anzio; Italian refugees; securing abandoned piano for ship; German shell fire and fire caused in paint store; shore leave on Isle of Capri.
REEL 5 return to Ferryville; promotion to Leading Supply Assistant and appointment of assistant; departure of captain and opinion of replacement; return to GB, 4/1944. Period in GB, 4/1944-6/1944: re-provisioning with fresh vegetables; period at West Hartlepool; home leave; camouflage painting; move to Portsmouth, 5/1944; night ashore at Ryde; embarkation of tanks, lorries, troops and medical teams. Recollections of operations in English Channel and off Normandy, France, 6/1944-12/1944: departure and rendezvous off Isle of Wight, 5/6/1944; sea conditions; routine nature of crossing; situation lying off Sword Beach, 6/6/1944; unloading onto Rhino ferry rafts; taking wounded back to GB; aspects of series of trips between Normandy and GB; bomb damage; attitude to submarine threat; confused situation in GB; operating from Tilbury Docks, London; air attacks whilst landing US troops at Omaha; Us blankets left aboard.
REEL 6 Continues: continuation of trips and railway tracks laid on deck; unofficial leave arrangements; end of role following capture of Channel ports; laying up of LSTs; reactions to loss of girlfriend to officer; interviews with captain following request for commission; role on paying off at Falmouth, 1/1945. Interviews with officers' selection board during period at Chatham Barracks, 1/1945-3/1945. Period training as officer at HMS King Alfred Shore Station, Hove, 3/1945-5/1945: wide ranging nature of training; VE Day, 8/5/1945; drill and voice of command; news of results, 5/1945. Voyage aboard troopship to Sydney, Australia, 6/1945-7/1945. Period as sub lieutenant in supply department aboard HMS Venerable serving in Far East, 7/1945-3/1946: joining ship at Sydney; role in charge of cash office and relationship with warrant writer; reactions to Labour winning General Election, 7/1945; incompetence of predecessor; reactions to use of atomic bomb and VJ Day, 8/1945; move to secure Hong Kong; shore party to take Japanese surrender; concert party activities.
REEL 7 Continues: looting; visit from RAF concert parties; move to Java, 10/1945; civil war situation and evacuation of Dutch civilians; visit ashore to purchase food; return to Australia, 12/1945; concert party activities; father's illness and return to GB on compassionate leave, 3/1946; question of return to ship. Period as deputy supply officer at HMS Caballa Shore Station, Leigh, 5/1946-10/1946: educational and vocational training role of unit; irrelevance of rank on courses; duties; predominance of WRENS in supply department; early demobilisation on compassionate grounds due to father's illness, 7/10/1946. Post-war career: death of father, 24/12/1946; return to work in advertising department of industrial lighting engineering factory; work as cartoonist and musician.