Batteson, Ralph (Oral history)

British seaman served as gunner aboard ML 306 during raid on St Nazaire, France, 28-29/Mar/1942; POW in Germany and Poland, 1942-1946

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Chesterfield, GB, 1922-1941: fathers naval service; social circumstances; education; work as errand boy for shop; work for tarmacadam firm; reception given to Dunkirk veterans, 6/1940; work as turner making shells at Sheepbridge Works, 1939-1941; effects of air raid on Sheffield; story of rejection due to reserved occupation on attempting to join Royal Navy at Sheffield Recruitment Office, 1941; billeted troops; call up and question of reserved occupation, 7/1941. Recollections of basic training at HMS Ganges Shore Station, Shotley, 8/1941-9/1941: reception; relationship with instructors; accommodation; morning routine; food rations; physical training; drill; mast drill; seamanship training; rifle training. REEL 2 Continues: rifle training; question of bayonet training; visits to Ipswich; story of friend's boxing match after theft of bedclothes; story of cockroaches in kitchen; vaccinations; swimming tests; question of selection for various naval branches. Recollections of gunnery training at HMS Excellent, Whale Island, Portsmouth, ca 9/1941-10/1942: reception and story of near accident in bombed barracks; 'doubling'; tidal nature of island; rum ration; story of near accident firing twin .5" gun at air drogue at Eastney Range. REEL 3 Continues: 4" gun drill and punishment for dropping shell; fire patrol to protect HMS Victory during air raids and story of sailors willingness to guard Wrens Barracks; sentry duties and story of being caught trying on officer hat; visit from General de Gaule; operation of various guns including Rolls Royce 2pdr, Oerlicken and pom pom guns. Period training on small craft at Fort William, 10/1941-12/1941: lack of prior briefing; hotel billets; nature of training; rumours; punishment drill for practical joke; question of volunteering for special service; rescuing sheep in snow storm; effects of influenza epidemic. Period aboard HMS Hornet based at Portsmouth, 12/1941: training on various types of boats and motor launches; story of practical joke played by Sub Lieutenant Michael Winn at Christmas party, 25/12/1941. REEL 4 Continues: story of escape of prisoner from armed guard; mess catering system. Recollections of period aboard Motor Launch (ML) 306 with 28th Flotilla based at Falmouth, 1/1942-3/1942: collecting ML 306 from Hamble , Southampton; nature of boat and question of speed; action station as gunner on Rolls Royce 2pdr; ship's armament; opinion of various members of crew including Lieutenant Henderson, Sub Lieutenant Philip Darke, Sub Lieutenant Landy, Coxswain Sergeant, Ordinary Seamen Arthur Shepherd, Glyn Llewelyn, Adam Ritchie and Garner; nickname; sea trials; dismounting of forward twin Hotchkis in storm; role of coastal forces; story of sighting German aircraft; Oerlicken course at HMS Excellent, Whale Island; replacement of 2pdr gun with Oerlicken; arrival of party form No 1 Commando; extra fuel tanks; issue of tropical kit as ruse; secrecy; practice raid on Devonport dock area, 21/3/1942. REEL 5 Continues: crew members aboard ML 306; opinion of Sergeant Tommy Durrant and story of his use of condom to cover Oerlicken in tough weather; commandos aboard ML306; opinion of Lieutenant Ronald Swayne; briefing aboard HMS Princess Josephine Charlotte; importance of wearing clean underwear in action. Account of Operation Chariot raid on St Nazaire, France, 26/3/1942-27/3/1942: escort destroyers during crossing; encounters with French fishing boats and U Boat; entry into Loire estuary; personal morale; jellyfish; decoy signals; question of Allied air raid as diversion; orders to land at Old Mole defended by pillbox; firing at searchlights guided by Lieutenant Landy; burning MLs; importance of having flushed out upper deck fuel tanks. REEL 6 Continues: German defensive fire; firing through slit of pillbox; abandoning attempt to land on Old Mole; hit on forward gun; casualties; firing on German defence boat; success in laying smoke and evasive tactics during retirement; sighting German destroyers; sighting by Jaguar and initial exchange of fire; firing Oerlicken at bridge of Jaguar; refusal to surrender; casualties; actions of Sergeant Tommy Durrant in firing Lewis gun; close escape from phosphorous bullet; hit putting Oerlicken out of action; effects of being rammed by Jaguar; fears hair had gone white with shock; situation prior to decision by Lieutenant Ronald Swayne to surrender; question of German armament of Jaguar. REEL 7 Continues: question of German attempt to capture ML304 relatively undamaged; wounds suffered by Sergeant Tommy Durrant on Lewis gun; attempts to get wounded aboard Jaguar and state of Sergeants Tommy Durrant and Les Chapple; looking below decks and story of being forced to board Jaguar; trivial wounds; being held in officers' wardroom with casualties; story of Arthur Shepherd arguing with German sailor over broken watch; treatment of British and German wounded by Lieutenant Philip Darke; personal morale; abandonment of attempts to toe ML 306; situation on return to St Nazaire; unloading wounded onto picket boat; effects of explosion of HMS Campbeltown; lorry journey to Le Bol; photographs taken of prisoners on landing; period in temporary camp in Le Bol; story of latrine break during train journey to Rennes. Period in Rennes POW Camp, 3/1942-4/1942: state of camp; erstatz coffee. REEL 8 Continues: state of camp; background to award of Victoria Cross to Sergeant Tommy Durrant; opinion of Colonel Newman; relationship with French civilians. Train journey to Wilhelmshaven, 4/1942: cattle trucks; attempt to escape; separation from commandos; soup; prevalence of dysentery and story of dispute with German guard. Period at Naval Barracks, Wilhelmshaven, ca 4/1942-5/1942: story of attempting to escape on march through park; mice found in bedding; stories of attempts to deceive German officers during interrogations; fake Red Cross representatice present during interrogations; practical jokes played on guards. REEL 9 Period at Sandbostel POW Camp, 5/1942: prisoners' morale; food. Period at Marlag und Milag Nord POW Camp, 5/1942-7/1942: thefts of tools and materials on working parties building huts; question of escape; question of volunteering for working parties outside camp; huts accommodation; Red Cross parcels. Period at Stalag VIII B POW Camp, Poland, 8/1042-9/1942: nature of camp; treatment of Russian POWs; collecting food rations from central cookhouse; visits to other compounds and story of being caught be athletic German guard; injury during football match with barefoot African soldiers; camp concerts; activities of Douglas Bader; German guards. Recollections of period attached to Bau und Arbeit Bn 21 at Bleckhammer POW Camp, Poland, 9/1942-1/1945: nature of camp; neighbouring POW camp. REEL 10 Continues: sabotage activities on working parties building synthetic oil refinery including collapsing wooden shuttering on party of Italian workers, breaking up wooden shuttering, blocking concrete pipes and pushing light railway skips into concrete foundations; success in blaming neighbouring German construction firm for theft of light railway skips; ruse to minimise loading rubble into railway trucks and German reaction on discovering ruse; US daytime bombing raid when refinery became operational; German smoke screen devices; story of close escape from bombs; German air raid shelters; effects of bombing and story of carrying out additional sabotage damage; state of health; food. REEL 11 Continues: varying origins of POWs and workers; bartering; foraging for food in neighbouring fields during air raids; story of meeting senior Luftwaffe officers; story of bomb hitting German rations store; work assisting Polish civilian in ration stores; question of parcel and letter contact with GB; concert party; brewing alcohol and story of being caught drinking by German guard; question of sporting activities; question of escape and offer of assistance from German civilian declined after loss of escape equipment. REEL 12 Continues: story of attempt to evade German interpreter and subsequent interview with German NCO; question of learning German; digging mass grave for British casualties in Allied air raid; German use of Jewish work camp inmates to deal with unexploded bombs; behaviour of Jewish capos; question of progress of war; hearing sound of Soviet guns, 1/1945. Recollections of march to Mooseberg, Germany, 1/1945-3/1945: false start; attitude of German guards; personal possessions; importance of regularly changing socks; German shooting of Jewish work camp inmates; sleeping in barns; story of failed attempt to barter soap for food with German civilians and pursuit during return to overnight barn. REEL 13 Continues: march routine and route avoiding population centres; story of stealing chickens; attempt by German farmer to claim POWs had stolen blankets; cooking stolen chicken; story of meeting German SS officer on leave whilst attempting to barter soap; hospitality from Czech civilian; story of being attacked by German farmer after being caught stealing corn; state of POW health. Period at Mooseberg POW Camp, 3/1945-4/1945: US guards activities taunting German guards; over-crowded conditions; view of US and German tank battle outside of camp; liberation by US troops; visit by General Patton; breaking out of camp to collect souvenirs and story of bartering for boots. REEL 14 Continues: story of bartering for boots; looting of wine casks; repaired car; breaking out of camp; US food rations; lottery for air flights back to GB and decision to make own way. Journey to Paris, France, 4/1944-5/1944: hitch-hiking with US drivers; hospitality on visit to depot in wine storehouse; story of shooting at debris floating in Rhine; VE Day celebration in French village. Period in US leave centre in Paris, ca 5/1945: activities selling food to estaminets on black market; delaying journey to GB; story of trouble with US military police during visit to night club; journey back to GB. Period at Chatham Barracks, ca 5/1945-6/1945: reception and initial problems over US uniform; leave. REEL 15 Continues: leave; ruses played on petty officers capitalising on status as former POWs. Period at Grimsby, ca 6/1945-4/1946: billets aboard old minesweeper; duties on shore patrol; story of assisting drunken merchant seamen back to ship; role assisting in stores and as messenger; demobilisation, 4/1946. Post-war career: work in building trade; effects of POW experiences; membership of St Nazaire Association.