Mitchell, James (Oral history)

British telegraphist served aboard HMS Essington, HMS Bazeley and HMS Burges, 1944-1945; served as signaller with Royal Signals attached to Headquarters, 1st Parachute Bde in Palestine, 1946-1948; served with 16th Independent Parachute Bde in Germany and GB, 1948-1951

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Musselburgh, 1925-1943: social circumstances; education at Roman Catholic School; Catholic Cub Scout activities and story of first communion; work as apprentice joiner with Musselburgh Town Council, 1939-1940; awareness of approach of war; reactions to outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; Anderson air raid shelter; blackout; fire watching picket; German air raids; rationing; desire to join army as boy soldier and parents' reaction. REEL 2 Continues: failed attempt to enlist underage in Royal Scots, ca 6/1940; developing interest in wireless; work as plumber and maintaining golf courses for Musselburgh Town Council, 1941-1943; service and training with 297 Sqdn, Air Training Corps based at Musselburgh Grammar School, 1941-1943, including theoretical wireless training, learning Morse code, drill, summer camps, food rations, flights as passenger in Tiger Moth and Dragon Rapide Domino; background to volunteering as telegraphist and tests, 8/1942; call up, 2/1943. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine during basic training at HMS Royal Arthur Shore Station, Skegness, 2/1943-4/1943: reception; kitting out; chalet accommodation; relationship with instructors. REEL 3 Continues: Conditions: PT and swimming test; food rations; relationship with recruits and question of anti-Scottish faction; question of regional accents; seamanship training including rowing whalers and knots; drill; visits to Skegness. Recollections of training as telegraphist at HMS Crecy Shore Station, Dundee, c4/1943-8/1943: Morse code training; instructor's failure to cover wireless theory. Recollections of period at HMS Scotia Shore Station, Ayr, ca 8/1943-11/1943: clampdown on flared trousers; learning outdated 'X' operating signals. Assisting farmers with sugar beet harvest period whilst waiting for draft at Petersfield Camp, 11/1943-12/1943. REEL 4 Continues: Recollections of period as relief telegraphist with HMS Caroline at Pollock Dock, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 12/1943: role in pool of relief telegraphists and signallers; messdeck; general messing system and food; duty in wireless telephony office including lack of prior training, minimal procedures and call signs. Period as relief telegraphist aboard, HMS Rissington, 3rd Escort Group, 12/1943-4/1944: refit to Royal Naval standards; question of all welded construction; move to Scapa Flow; acting as escort to convoy of capital ships to Port Said, Egypt; difficulty in keeping to convoy speed in storm; rolling and seasickness; nature of wireless cabin; watch system; role receiving Admiralty routine messages; monitoring fleet and RAF frequencies; question of operation of to communicate with neighbouring ships; question of wireless maintenance; checking standby battery operated wireless; second wireless room; mess duties; forward communications messdeck; comparison of hammocks and bunks; crockery. REEL 5 Continues: general messing system and food; cocoa; question of air and submarine alarms in Mediterranean; visits ashore at Port Said and Algiers, Algeria; escorting battleship back to GB; leave; anti-submarine sweeps in Atlantic; hospitalisation with severe constipation; dislike of sedentary nature of duties as telegraphist; opinion of Petty Officer Bourne. Period aboard HMS Caroline, Belfast, 4/1944-5/1944. Period aboard HMS Bazeley, 4th Escort Group, 5/1944: background to posting; relationship with leading telegraphist and continued dislike of duties; escorting troopship convoy to Naples, Italy; visit ashore at Naples. Period aboard HMS Caroline, Belfast, 5/1944-7/1944: desire to rejoin HMS Essington; telegraphist course. REEL 6 Continues: Period aboard HMS Burgess,7/1944-9/1944: anti-submarine sweeps and escort duties based at Reykjavik, Iceland; sea fishing; relationship with lower deck; case of desertion at Londonderry. Question of eligibility to transfer to army during period aboard HMS Caroline, Belfast, 9/1944-11/1944. Recollections of period aboard HMS Essington with 3rd EG during Russian convoy to Murmansk, Soviet Union, 11/1944-12/1944: prior rumours; change to watch system; fatigue; weather conditions; visits ashore at Murmansk; question of attacks on convoy; return to Scapa Flow; reaction to news of death of sister; return to Belfast. Period aboard HMS Caroline, Belfast, 1/1945-2/1945. Period aboard HMS Burges, 2/1945-3/1945: anti-submarine sweeps and escorting ferry in Irish Sea; story of nearly attacking British submarine; background to volunteering for transfer to army and Royal Scots. REEL 7 Continues: Periods at naval wireless shore station, Milford Haven, Havant Camp and Pwhelwhi Transfer Camp, ca 3/1945-6/1945: initial delay in transfer to army; reactions of sailors to forced transfers; background to posting to Royal Signals; kitting out. Recollections of period of basic training with Royal Signals at Scarborough, 6/1945-8/1945: hotel billets; army wireless procedures; weapons training; drill; PT. Recollections of attending course at Parachute Regiment Training Centre, Hardwick Hall, Chesterfield, 8/1945-9/1945: reception and story of being charged with being AWOL; PT training including 'milling'; psychological tests; assistance from friend when during period confined to barracks. REEL 8 Continues: period confined to barracks; drop out rate; relationship with ORs and opinion of instructors. Recollections of period at Parachute Regiment Training School, RAF Ringway, 9/1945-10/1945: story illustrating status of RAF instructors; ground and fan jumps; visit to parachute packing sheds; personal morale; first balloon parachute jumps at Tatton Park, Manchester; procedure during first parachute jump from Dakota aircraft; steering parachute; parachuting with kitbag; theoretical training on dropping into trees or water; importance of rendezvous after parachute drop. REEL 9 Continues: Period as signaller with J Section, Royal Signals, Headquarters, 1st Parachute Bde at Netheravon, 10/1945-2/1946: prior disbandment of 1st Airborne Div; reception; portable 62 wireless sets; conversion course to make jumps from Halifax aircraft; football activities; story of seeing parachute failure during jump; question of superstitions. Recollections of service in Palestine, 1946-1948: duties as ship's police during voyage out with advance party aboard Franconia to Port Said, Egypt; conditions of service at El Quassasim camp; delayed arrival after main party at Nathaniyah; situation; recreations; attachments to detached units; role in charge of battery charging for brigade; story of suntan during PT instructors course at Gaza; voluntary PT sessions. REEL 10 Continues: internal security situation and question of attacks by Jewish insurgents; move to Tel Aviv camp; Jewish insurgents attack on staff officer and subsequent arrests; question of executions; story of patrol in Tel Aviv, 1/1/1947; relationship with Arab and Jewish civilians; story of battery charging tent catching fire and subsequent court of inquiry; GB leave, 2/1947; move to Nazareth; detachment as signaller to 1st Bn, PR; meeting ship containing illegal Jewish immigrants at Haifa. Demobilisation, 7/1947. Period as civilian in Musselburgh, 1947-1948: question of securing work as wireless operator; return to work for Town Council; background to re-enlistment, 2/1948. Period at Airborne Section, Royal Signals Depot, Pocklington, 2/1948: PT and parachute courses. REEL 11 Continues: Periods with Signal Section, 16th Independent Parachute Bde at Schleswig and Hanover, Germany, 1948-1949: background to disbandment of 6th Airborne Div; duties in Signal Office; learning German and relationship with German civilians; role as relief signaller and story of problem with flat batteries; duties as signaller to Brigadier Walter Kempster; poor standard of officers' wireless procedure; relationship with Kempster; story of sending message in Morse code to overcome static problems during exercises with French Army; story of unfair temporary loss of lance corporal status; selection to play for British Army against team of German professional footballers; development of stomach problems. REEL 12 Continues: development of stomach problems. Period at Aldershot, 1949-1951: continued stomach problems; background to Exercise Oil King; diagnosis with duodenal ulcer and leaving unit due to special diet required. Period as signaller at Redford Barracks, Edinburgh, 1951: question of continuing to wear red beret; dispute over census arrangements. Period at Cowglen Military Hospital, Glasgow, 1951: bed rest; role in charge of ward at night. Demobilisation, 6/1951. Post-service career: disability pension for ulcer; intermittent work as building labourer; work as wireless operator at GCHQ, Loughborough Outstation, 1951-1952; renewal of stomach problems; work in coal mines; work as signaller with Merchant Navy; career as radio mechanic and engineer.