Interview with John Alexander Jeffreys Dennis

British officer served aboard HMS Griffin, 1st Destroyer Flotilla, Home Fleet in English Channel, North Sea and Norway, 9/1939-7/1940; served aboard HMS Griffin 2nd, 13th and 14th Destroyer Flotillas in Mediterranean and Indian Ocean, 7/1940-12/1942; served aboard HMS Savage in GB, Arctic and English Channel during Normandy Landings 2/1943-11/1944; commanded HMS Valorous, Home Fleet in North Sea and Norway, 12/1944-5/1945

REEL 1 Background in GB and India, 1918-1931: family; family's naval tradition; father's military service in Boer War and First World War; education; effects of Depression. Aspects of period as cadet with Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, 9/1931-12/1935: joining Royal Navy, 9/1931; question of bullying at Royal Naval College, Dartmouth; story of fellow cadet's father's pro-Nazi links; living conditions; opinion of GB and British Empire; story relating to Admiral Sir William Wordsworth Fisher; reaction to threat of war; memories of Imperial Japanese Army marching into Tsingtao, China whilst serving aboard HMS Suffolk on China Station; story of cousin's role as ambassador to Japan during 1930's; training cruise aboard HMS Frobisher, 5/1935-12/1935. Aspects of period as midshipman and officer with Royal Navy, 1/1936-1/1939: period as midshipman aboard HMS Rodney, 1/1936-8/1936; story of sailing aboard HMS Enchantress, 8/1936-10/1936; appointment to HMS Suffolk on China Station, 1/1937-7/1937; taking sub-lieutenant's course; story relating to Munich Crisis, 9/1938; question of getting seasick. Recollections of operations as officer aboard HMS Griffin, 1st Destroyer Flotilla, Home Fleet in North Sea, Norway and English Channel, 9/1939-7/1940: memories of destroyer's captain, Lieutenant Commander John Lee-Barber; declaration of Second World War 3/9/1939; return to Harwich, GB, 10/1939; mining off Harwich, 17/11/1939; reaction to being in action; first German Air Force attack on destroyer off Scotland, GB, 3/1940; embarkation of British troops for Norway, 14/4/1940. REEL 2 Continues: boarding a German trawler Polaris in North Sea, 24/4/1940; return to Norway, German Air Force attacks on evacuation convoy including sinking of French Navy destroyer Bison and HMS Afridi at Namsos, Norway, 3/5/1940; reaction to sinking of HMS Afridi, 3/5/1940; German Air Force Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bomber attacks and return to Scapa Flow, GB; move to Dover, GB, 5/1940; bombarding German Army troops in Netherlands, 5/1940; refitting and evacuation of Polish Army personnel from Saint-Nazaire, France; patrolling form Dover, GB; story of captain Lieutenant Commander John Lee-Barber's father being on board during German Air Force raid; question of whether GB could lose war. Recollections of operations as officer aboard HMS Griffin, 2nd, 13th and 14th Destroyer Flotillas in Mediterranean and Indian Ocean, 7/1940-12/1942: question of sinking of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse off Malaya, 12/1941; joining Eastern Fleet, 2/1942; opinion of Admiral Somerville; withdrawal to Mombasa, Kenya, 5/1942; Malta convoy duties, 6/1942; capturing small French Island off coast of East Africa; return to Southampton, GB, 6/1943; HMS Griffin's later service in Royal Canadian Navy, question of ship's personality. REEL 3 Continues: prior recollection of troopship sinking off Ireland, 1940; destroyer's service in Mediterranean, 1940-1941; situation in Mediterranean, 1940; patrolling; sight of German submarines in international waters off Tangiers, French Morocco; stories relating to an eccentric captains, Commander Cecil Frobisher Brown and Captain Caspar Swinley; question of personal morale; Convoy MW 11 to Malta, 12/6/1942-15/6/1942 including loss of ships, turning convoy around, attacks of larger ships, opinion of Italian Air Force torpedo bomber crews and being cheered on arrival in Malta; story of being dive bombed; opinion of Australian and New Zealand Army troops during evacuation from Greece, 4/1941; action off Crete, Greece and sinking of HMS Greyhound, 27/5/1941; bombardment of coast of French Syria; shore leave in Alexandria, Egypt. REEL 4 Continues: opinion of Egyptians; short leave in Palestine. Recollection of operations as officer aboard HMS Savage, 23rd Destroyer in GB coastal waters, Arctic and English Channel, 2/1943-11/1944: joining HMS Savage; destroyer's captain and officers; sight of gunnery duel between HMS Duke of York and German battleship Scharnhorst during Battle of North Cape, 26/12/1942; torpedo attack on German battleship Scharnhorst during Battle of North Cape, 26/12/1942; reception by Soviets at Kola Inlet, Soviet Union, 12/1942; Soviet attempt to spy on experimental gun; conditions at Murmansk, Soviet Union; weather conditions during Convoy JW 55b including attempt to rescue American merchant seaman from sea and large waves; anti-submarine tactics; contrast between Arctic and Mediterranean convoys; question of fatigue; personal morale; escort duties in English Channel during Normandy Landings, 6/1944; opinion of organisation of Operation Neptune; mines, sight of D-Day naval armada; patrol duties in English Channel. Recollection of operations commanding HMS Valorous, Home Fleet in North Sea and Norway 12/1944-5/1945: taking command of HMS Valourous at HMNB Rosyth, 12/12/1944. REEL 5 Continues: escort duties in North Sea; story of American ship opening fire on Valorous; story of Captain John Rudkin; liberation of Norway, 5/1945; arrival in Kristiansund, Norway; taking German surrender of a port; treatment of Waffen-SS prisoners of war; former Soviet prisoners of wars reluctance to return to Soviet Union; reaction to end of Second World War, 1945; prior recollection of action and award of Distinguished Service Cross in Mediterranean, 4/1941. Recollection of period as officer in Royal Navy, 1945-1957: training duties, 1945-1947; commanding of a minesweeper HMS Rowena in Mediterranean, 1948-1950; problems with officers on board HMS Rowena; duties at HMS Hornet, Gosport, 1950-1952; story of presenting Queen's colour, 1953. REEL 6 Continues: promotion to commander, 30/6/1953; attending Joint Services Staff Course, 9/1953-4/1954; role as planning officer at Allied Command Atlantic Headquarters, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in Norfolk, United States of America, 5/1954-6/1956; question of job security in Royal Navy; leave and retirement from Royal Navy, 11/1957; return to civilian life; opinion of Canadians; opinion of Commonwealth.