Description
Object description
British signaller served aboard HMS Nelson based at Scapa Flow, 1940-1941; aboard HMS Bulldog in Arctic and Mediterranean, 1942; served aboard HMS Burges in North Atlantic and Mediterranean and Western Approaches, 1943-1944
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Locharbriggs, 1920-2/1940: social circumstances, education; apprenticeship as printer's compositor, 1935-1939; awareness of approach of war; outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; background to volunteering to join Royal Navy, 11/1939; call up, 2/1940. Recollections of training as signaller at HMS Royal Arthur Shore Station, Skegness, 2/1940-8/1940: train journey; reception and kitting out; chalet accommodation; food rations; drill; minimal weapons and seamanship training; Morse code; signal flags and training in manoeuvring; daily tests; relationship with instructors and recruits; visits to Skegness; recreations; preparing for kit inspections.
REEL 2 Continues: passing out as ordinary signalman and choice of Portsmouth as home port. Period at Signal School, Portsmouth Barracks, 1940: German air raids and parade ground shelter; signal training; drafting procedure. Recollections of period as signaller aboard HMS Nelson with Home Fleet based at Scapa Flow, ca 6/1940-9/1941: journey out and reception; scrubbing deck; food; duties hoisting flag signals; watch system; distributing signals in harbour; duties taking signals on bridge at sea; recreations; communications mess deck; washing clothes in bucket; hammocks; qualification as signaller; relationship with ratings, leading seamen, petty officers and officers; ship morale. Period at Portsmouth Barracks, 9/1941. Period aboard HMS Georgetown, ca 9/1941-1/1942: joining ship in dock; opinion of officers; movements.
REEL 3 Period aboard HMS Bulldog in Arctic, 2/1942-12/1942: joining ship at Glasgow; opinion of Captain Maxwell-Richmond; working up trials; signal personnel; PQ15 Russian convoy to Murmansk, Soviet Union including rendezvous off Iceland, escort ships, story of sighting U-Boats, cold conditions, torpedoing of HMS Edinburgh, Stuka dive bomb attacks in Murmansk harbour, shortage of food, action with German destroyers on return convoy, action station of jury mast, personal morale; move to Mediterranean; patrols covering Allied landings! at Algiers, Algeria, 11/1942; period based at Gibraltar; canteen messing and food; mess deck conditions; crew morale; visits ashore at Gibraltar; escorting part of Force 'H' back to Greenock; story of sinking of trawler whilst escorting Queen Mary into Greenock; Russian convoys.
REEL 4 Continues: Russian convoys including rough weather, clothes worn in cold conditions and visits ashore at Murmansk; refit at Glasgow; attending leading seamen course at Signal School, HMS Mercury Shore Station, Petersfield including question of radio telephony; decommissioning of ship. Period at HMS Mercury, 12/1942-1/1943. Voyage aboard Queen Mary to New York, US, 1/1943. Period at Asbury Park, New Jersey, 1/1943-2/1943: hotel accommodation; case of stealing; naval patrol duties; recreations and relationship with US civilians. Period at Fargo Buildings, Boston, ca 2/1943-3/1943: conditions of service; relationship with US naval personnel. Recollection of period as signaller aboard HMS Burges at Boston and Bermuda, 3/1943-5/1943: bunks; mess deck arrangements; rolling; role as leading signaller including training signallers and necessity of continual attendance on bridge; sleeping in charthouse.
REEL5 Continues: opinion of various officers including Lieutenant Commander Harry Hills, Lieutenant Ian Bamford and Signal Officer Sub Lieutenant Harry Bradbear; role distributing signals to officers; opinion of Petty Officer Alfie Orr; abandon ship exercise; nature of trials; responsibility for confidential signal books; training inexperienced signallers. Escort duty on convoy from Argentia, Canada to UK, 7/1943: prior death of leading cook in car accident; question of rolling. Recollections of period with 4th Escort Group based at Pollock Dock, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 7/1943-11/1944: passing examination and promotion to yeoman of signals; petty officers' mess and role of messmen; visits to Belfast and meeting future wife; nature of KLM convoys to Naples, Italy, 12/1943-6/1944, including route and visits ashore at Naples; opinion of Leading Signalman 'Lofty' Watson and increasing competence of signallers; visual signals from convoy escort commander; opinion of Navigating Officer Hector Macneil and his bagpipe playing.
REEL 6 Continues: story of man overboard in motorboat; role on Asdic sweeps and convoy escort during D Day operations, 6/1944; question of being relieved as signal yeoman and Hills reaction; crew morale. Period aboard HMS Ness at Fort William and Hebburn-on-Tyne, ca 12/1944-1/1945: wife's billets; removal from ship due to ear problem inappropriate for service in Far East. Period at signal office of HMS Dolphin Shore Station, Portsmouth, 1/1945-10/1945: submarine training role of base; complement of signallers; procedure for receiving and distributing telephone signals; relationship with WREN signallers; teleprinter messages; accommodation in petty officers' mess and regular visits home to London; question of VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945; demobilisation 10/1945. Post-war career: completion of apprenticeship as compositor under interrupted apprenticeship scheme; review of career as compositor; effects of war service.