Cowley, Horace (Oral history)

British seaman served aboard HMS Ilex during Norwegian campaign and in Mediterranean, 1939-1940; served aboard HMS Kos 23 and HMS Barham in Mediterranean, 1941; served aboard HMS Queen Emma during Sicilian and Normandy landings, 1943-1944; served aboard HMS Birmingham in GB coastal waters and Denmark, 1945

REEL 1 Background in Oldham, 1918-1937: family; education. Enlistment and training with Royal Navy, 1937- 1938: volunteering for Royal Navy, 1937; training in Portsmouth. Recollections of operations as seaman aboard HMS Ilex in Mediterranean and off Norway, 1938-1940: drafting to ship; his action station; role of ship rounding up German merchant ships in Mediterranean, 1939; sinking of U- boat; behaviour of U-boat captives; action off Norway; move to Mediterranean, after 7/1940; sinking of Italian cruiser. Recollections of operations as seaman aboard HMS Kos 23 in Mediterranean, 1941: drafting to ship; method of obtaining cook; role of ship in harbour defence at Suda Bay from 3/1941; sinking of ship in Suda Bay, 5/1940; ashore in Suda Bay. REEL 2 Continues: further details of attack on ship; rescue from Suda Bay by HMS Hero. Recollections of operations as seaman aboard HMS Barham in Mediterranean, 10/1941-11/1941: drafting to ship; discipline aboard; his action station; duties with bosun's party; sinking of ship, 25/11/1941; escape from ship and period in sea; rescue by HMS Hotspur; condition he was in on rescue and later hospitalisation in Durban. Recollections of operations with HMS Queen Emma during Sicilian and D-Day landings, 1943-1944: drafting to ship at Algiers; German Air Force attack on ship in Augusta Harbour. REEL 3 Continues: work on davits during landing of Canadian troops in Normandy, D-Day, 6/6/1944; attitude to serving on board ship. Story of drafting to HMS Birmingham and mission to Copenhagen to apprehend Prinz Eugen and Konigsberg, 1945. Attitude to having served with Royal Navy in Second World War.