Smith, Ernie (Oral history)

British boy seaman served aboard HMS Birmingham in Far East, 1947-1949; seaman and petty officer served with Regulating Branch in GB and Malta, 1949-1956; petty officer served with Regulating Branch at HMS St Vincent, GB, 1956-1961; served with Regulating Branch aboard HMS Belfast, 1961-1962; served as Master at Arms with Regulating Branch in Singapore, c1963-1968

REEL 1 Background in Malta and GB, 1930-1946: family; sight of Grand Fleet in Valetta Harbour; father's naval service; incident when bombed out of family home in Gosport c1940; evacuation from Gosport; character of education at Royal Hospital School including naval training; opinion of education at Royal Hospital School; recreational activities and Sunday divisions. Aspects of enlistment and training as boy seaman with Royal Navy at HMS St Vincent, 1946-1947: enlistment in Royal Navy; issue of uniform and need to sew name; adjusting to naval life; emphasis on personal hygiene; discipline and punishments; character of training including seamanship training; drill and parades; weapons training. REEL 2 Continues: damage control training; nature of punishment; climbing mast; organisation of establishment; commander's kit muster; degree of contact with civilians and family in Gosport; problem of bullying; his method of dealing with bully; drafting to Portsmouth Barracks. Aspects of period as boy seaman aboard HMS Birmingham in Far East, 1947-1949: treatment as boy seaman in mess; messing arrangements; use of hammocks; mess inspections; reasons why ship was not a happy ship; discipline problem on board; official and unofficial discipline; period in cells for breach of discipline. REEL 3 Continues: picking oakham; role of Master at Arms and regulating staff; duties with Quarterdeck Division; action station in Y Turret; protective gear worn in turret; damage control duties; organisation of Quarterdeck Division; duties in Far East; refitting of new boiler; ashore in ports; issue of lime juice; access to alcohol by boy seamen; activities on board; shooting in South Africa; contact with home; unrest amongst ship's cooks; accidents onboard ship; return to GB. Aspects of period of training and service with Regulating Branch of Royal Navy in GB, 1949-1954: promotion to leading seaman; course on regulation; drafting to Portland Naval Patrol at HMS Osprey, Weymouth; dealing with seamen who misbehaved in Weymouth; liaison with civilian police force; organisation of Regulating Branch at HMS Osprey; attitude of naval personnel towards Regulating Branch; dealing with officers and petty officers; origin of nickname of regulators; drafting to Malta as Petty Officer with Regulating Branch, 1954-1956 including check Lord Louis Mountbatten's hate mail. REEL 4 Continues: Period as Petty Officer with Regulating Branch at HMS St Vincent, 1956-1961: dealing with run away boys; involvement in entertainments; method of dealing with boys; offer of drafting to HMS Belfast. Recollections of period as Regulating Petty Officer aboard HMS Belfast in Far East, 1961-1962: problems of settling in new crew; relations with crew; daily routine and duties; mail distribution on board; picking up mail at sea; collection of mail on board; shore leave; dealing with returning drunken seamen; method of accounting for seamen on shore leave; occasion when shore patrols were necessary; frequency of leave; providing note to seamen for Japanese taxi drivers on shore leave; dealing with welfare problems; use of 'Dear John' board; organising ship's pantomime and ship's recording room; organisation of Regulating Branch; effect of ship firing its guns; use of water sprays to clear off radiation in event of nuclear war. REEL 5 Continues: watch keeping duties; daily routine; conditions of Master at Arms and regulating petty officers; laundry facilities and use of Chinese laundrymen; eating arrangements; rum rations; use of recreational time; sporting activities; SODs operas; places visited during flag waving exercise; coping with hot weather; dealing with personal hygiene problems of crew; story of crewman who deserted in Australia and subsequent meeting with him at association gathering; memories of Admiral Morgan Morgan- Giles; crossing the line ceremony; reasons why ship was a happy ship; reasons why HMS Birmingham was not a happy ship; arrival in Portsmouth. Aspects of shore duties as Master of Arms Singapore, 1963-1968: attitude to serving in military prison. REEL 6 Continues: posting to HMS Terror; role with Naval Patrol; Vietnamese use of prostitutes in Singapore to infect US personal on leave during Vietnam War; method of controlling prostitution; problems with drugs in opium dens; visit by member of parliament to brothel on fact finding tour; role of triads in business operations in Singapore; instructions to his staff in dealing with drunken sailors. Memories of dealing with troop movements at Luton Airport. Reaction to demobilisation from Royal Navy, 1970. Adjusting to civilian life and post naval career in entertainment business after 1970.