Interview with George Michael Elliott

279411501
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© 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.
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Use this audio under Non-Commercial licence

Embed this sound recording for online use under the IWM Non-Commercial Licence
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© 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 stoker served aboard HMS Barham in GB coastal waters and North Atlantic, 2/1940-11/1940 including raid on Dakar, French West Africa, 9/1940; served aboard HMS Barham, Mediterranean Fleet in Mediterranean, 11/1940-11/1941 including sinking 25/11/1941

Content description

REEL 1 Background in Portsmouth, GB, 1919-1939: family; education; employment with Southern Railway, 1935- 1939. Aspects of enlistment and training as stoker with Royal Navy in GB, 1939-1940: initial training at HMS Royal Arthur, Skegness; question of homosexuality in Royal Navy; fire fighting training at Portsmouth; story of later drafting to Combined Operations, 1943. Recollections of operations as stoker aboard HMS Barham, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters and North Atlantic, 2/1940-11/1940: drafting to battleship at Liverpool, 2/1940; condition of ship, 2/1940; duties as stoker; attitude of stokers to his method of cleaning boilers; nickname of ship; reasons why he was not sent to Norway, 1940; security duties on board ship; Italian manned torpedo attack on ship at Gibraltar; towing of HMS Resolution after Dakar Raid; hits on ship during Dakar Raid. REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of operations as stoker aboard HMS Barham, Mediterranean Fleet in Mediterranean, 11/1940-11/1941: bombardment of coast of North Africa; ashore in Alexandria, Egypt including dangers. Aspects of sinking of HMS Barham, Mediterranean Fleet in Mediterranean, 25/11/1941: torpedoing of battleship by German submarine U-331; escape from sinking ship; rescue by HMS Hotspur; first aid work amongst survivors; relations amongst his shipmates; reception of survivors in Alexandria, Egypt; return to GB via Durban, South Africa. Aspects of operations as stoker aboard HMS Barham, Mediterranean Fleet off Crete, Greece, 5/1941: role of battleship; site of German airborne troops being shot at in air; instructions heard over tannoy; explanation of term 'driscolling'. Aspects of period as stoker with Royal Navy on shore duties in GB, 1942-1945. story of encounter with sea mine in Chichester Harbour; memories of return to work for Southern Railway from 2/1946. REEL 3 Continues: membership of Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and HMS Barham Association from 1950.

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)
Elliott, George Michael (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 2001-09-19
Dimensions: whole: Duration 70, Number Of Items 3
Catalogue number: 22131

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Interview with George Michael Elliott

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