Description
Object description
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, Gosport, GB, 1956-1961; served with Regulating Branch aboard HMS Belfast, 1961-1962; served as Master-at-Arms with Regulating Branch in Singapore, 1963-1968
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Malta and GB, 1930-1946: family; sight of Grand Fleet in Valletta Harbour, Malta; father's service with Royal Navy; incident when bombed out of family home by German Air Force, Gosport, GB, 1940; evacuation from Gosport; character of education at Royal Hospital School, Ipswich, including naval training; opinion of education at Royal Hospital School, Ipswich; recreational activities and Sunday Divisions. Aspects of enlistment and training as boy seaman with Royal Navy at HMS St Vincent, Gosport, GB, 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 Royal Naval Barracks, HMS Victory, Portsmouth. 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 activities 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, HMNB Portland; 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 checking Lord Louis Mountbatten's hate mail.
REEL 4 Continues: Aspects of period as Petty Officer with Regulating Branch at HMS St Vincent, Gosport, GB, 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: drafting to HMS Terror; role with Naval Patrol; Vietnamese use of prostitutes in Singapore to infect American military personal on leave during Vietnam War; method of controlling prostitution; problems with drugs in opium dens; visit by British 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.
