Interview with Frank Gordon Short

British boy seaman trained at HMS Ganges, Shotley, GB, 1929-1930; seaman served aboard HMS Berwick on China Station, 1930-1932; trained at Royal Naval Gunnery School, HMS Drake, Devonport, GB, 1932-1934; served aboard HMS Carlisle in South Atlantic and Indian Ocean, 1934-1937; trained at Royal Naval Gunnery School, HMS Drake, Devonport in GB, 1937; served aboard HMS Cornwall at Chatham, GB, 1937-1939; petty officer served aboard HMS Forth in GB coastal waters, 1939-1941; served aboard HMS Victorious in GB coastal waters, Mediterranean and Pacific, 1941-1945; served as gunnery instructor at Royal Naval Gunnery School, HMS Drake, Devonport, Royal Naval College, Dartmouth in GB and aboard HMS Euryalus in Mediterranean, 1945-1953

REEL 1 Background in Hereford and Ledbury, GB, 1912-1929: family; education; employment. Aspects of enlistment and training boy seaman at HMS Ganges, Shotley, GB, 1929-1930: reasons for enlistment; enlistment process; journey from Bristol to Harwich; reception on arrival; character of training establishment; accommodation; swimming class; pattern of training; daily routine. Aspects of period as seaman aboard HMS Berwick in GB coastal waters and on China Station, 1930-1932: drafting to ship at Plymouth; holy stoning decks; duties; route taken to Hong Kong; shore leave; duties of ship in South China Sea; guard ship duties in River Yangtse, China; visit to Great Wall of China; nightlife in Shanghai, China; use of Chinese labour; sight of River Yangtse, China in flood; story of meeting wife at Christmas party, 25/12/1929; return to GB. Aspects of gunnery course at Royal Naval Gunnery School HMS Drake, Devonport, GB, 1932-1933: gunnery training; duration of course. Aspects of period as seaman aboard HMS Carlisle in South Atlantic and India Ocean, 1934-1937: duties of ship; meeting family in South Africa; visits to Tristan Da Cunha. REEL 2 Continues: ashore in South Africa; hospitalisation at end of commission, 1937. Aspects of period at Royal Naval Gunnery School, HMS Drake, Devonport, GB, 1937: drafting to school; types of guns trained on; drafting to HMS Cornwall at Chatham, 1937-1939. Aspects of period as petty officer aboard HMS Forth in GB coastal waters, 1939-1941: drafting to submarine depot ship; role of ship; reasons for waiting to get married. Recollections of operations as petty officer aboard HMS Victorious in GB coastal waters, North Atlantic, Mediterranean and Pacific, 1941-1945: standing by aircraft carrier at Barrow-in-Furness, GB, 3/1941; allocation as boys instructor; duties as boys instructor; opinion of Scapa Flow, GB; prior recollection of sinking of HMS Royal Oak at Scapa Flow, GB, 14/10/1939; participation in the hunt for German battleship Bismarck in North Atlantic, 5/1941; action station in directing tower; states of readiness; move to Pacific, 1942; shore leave in United States of America and Australia; operating in Pacific, 1942; participation in Operation Pedestal in Mediterranean, 8/1942. REEL 3 Continues: sight of HMS Eagle sinking during Operation Pedestal in Mediterranean, 11/ 8/1942; air attacks on ship, including Japanese Kamikaze attacks; comradeship on ship; move to Indian Ocean and Pacific, 1944-1945; ashore in Australia; return to GB. Aspects of service with Royal Navy in GB and Mediterranean, 1945-1953: qualifying as gunnery instructor at Royal Naval Gunnery School, HMS Drake, Devonport, 1946; duties as gunnery instructor at Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, 1947-1949; treatment of cadets; presence of foreign cadets at college; special entry cadets; return to Royal Naval Gunnery School, HMS Drake; duties aboard HMS Euryalus in Mediterranean, 1950-1952; relations with officers; question of staying on in Royal Navy; employment on return to civilian life from 1953; lessons learnt from Royal Navy service.