Description
Object description
British boy seaman trained at HMS Ganges in GB, 1929-1930; seaman served aboard HMS Berwick on China Station, 1930-1932; trained at Gunnery School, HMS Drake in GB, 1932-1934; served aboard HMS Carlisle in South Atlantic and Indian Oceans, 1934-1937; trained at Gunnery School, HMS Drake 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 HMS Drake, Royal Naval College, Dartmouth in GB and aboard HMS Euryalus in Mediterranean, 1945-1953
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Hereford and Ledbury, GB, 1912-1929: family; education; employment. Aspects of enlistment and training boy seaman at HMS Ganges in 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 China Sea; guard ship duties in River Yangste; visit to Great Wall of China; nightlife in Shanghai; use of Chinese labour; sight of River Yangste in flood; story of meeting wife at Christmas party, 1929; return to GB. Aspects of gunnery course at Gunnery School HMS Drake at 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; hosptialisation at end of commission, 1937. Aspects of period at Gunnery School, HMS Drake at 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, 1941- 1945: standing by aircraft carrier at Barrow-in-Furness, 3/1941; allocation as boys instructor; duties as boys instructor; opinion of Scapa Flow; prior recollection of sinking of HMS Royal Oak in Scapa Flow, 1939; participation in the hunt for the Bismarck, 5/1941; action station in directing tower; states of readiness; move to Pacific, 1942; shore leave in US 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, 8/1942; air attacks on ship including kamikaze attacks; comradeship on ship; move to 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 HMS Drake, 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 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.