Byrne, Kenneth Leo (Oral history)

British boy seaman served aboard HMS Prince of Wales in Atlantic and Far East, 1941 including sinking, 12/1941

REEL 1 Background in Liverpool, 1924-1940: family; education; reasons for wishing to join Royal Navy, 1938. Aspects of training with Royal Navy in GB, 1940: reporting to HMS St George, 1/1940; character of training at HMS St George; reasons for electing Devonport Home Division; drafting to HMS Prince of Wales; memories of Liverpool Blitz during leave, 12/1940. Recollections of operations as boy seaman aboard HMS Prince of Wales in Atlantic, 1941: joining ship at Rosyth, 2/1941; his action station; role as commander's messenger; living conditions on board; question of ship's working up; in action against Bismarck, 5/1941. REEL 2 Continues: state of ship's bridge after action against Bismarck; burying dead at sea; repair period in Rosyth; visit from King George the Sixth; voyage to Newfoundland during Atlantic Charter signing, 8/1941; memories of Winston Churchill and President Roosevelt. Recollections of operations as boy seaman aboard HMS Prince of Wales in Indian Ocean, including sinking, 1941: voyage to Singapore, late 1941; use of anti-aircraft guns in Singapore, 7/12/1941; opinion of Japanese sailors, 12/1941; relations with HMS Repulse's crew; role in gun house as sight setter; Japanese torpedo and bomb hits on ship; approach of HMS Express to collect wounded; belief that ship was unsinkable; reasons why he escaped from port side; rescue by HMS Express; reaction to entering water; lack of panic during abandoning of ship; HMS Express' disconnecting herself from sinking HMS Prince of Wales; arrival of Allied aircraft; sight of crew who did not try to save themselves. REEL 3 Continues: sight of shipmate dying from burns. Aspects of period in Singapore and escape to Ceylon, 1941-1942: reception on arrival in Singapore; duties in Singapore, 12/1941-2/1942; advice from his officer to escape from Keppel Harbour; boarding HMS Kedah in Keppel Harbour, 2/1942; boarding USS West Point from HMS Kedah; conditions on board USS West Point; disembarking in Ceylon. Aspects of period with Royal Navy, 1942-1945: joining HMS Royal Sovereign, 4/1942; communications on board HMS Royal Sovereign; background to joining HMS Valiant; attitude to serving on board HMS Valiant; period at torpedo school in Devonport; joining HMS Stonecrop, 1943; convoy duties off West Africa, 1943-1945. Attitude to having served in Royal Navy during Second World War. Formation of Prince of Wales and Repulse Association.