Description
Object description
British seaman served as wireless telegraphist aboard HMS Belfast during Korean War, 1950-1951; served aboard HMS Dampier in Far East, 1951-1952; served on shore duties at HMS Peregrine, Royal Naval Air Station Ford in GB, HMS Prince Royal, Krefeld, Germany and HMS Tamar in Hong Kong, 1952-1957
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Burnham-on-Crouch and South Woodham Ferrers, GB, 1931-1949: family; character of family's homes; use of family home as doctor's surgery during Second World War; supplementing rations with vegetables; sight of lone Royal Air Force fighter aircraft attack on massed German Air Force formation, 9/1940; education; incident of German Air Force fighter aircraft crashing near school and capture of pilot; farm work and recreations; employment as delivery boy; effect of cricketing injury.
REEL 2 Continues: Recollections of enlistment and training at HMS Royal Arthur, Corsham, GB, 1949: story of decision to enlist in Royal Navy; medical examination at HMS Ganges, Shotley; terms of enlistment; allowance for personal items to be taken; story of leaving South Woodham Ferrers, Railway Station, 5/1949; reporting to recruiting office at Charing Cross Road Recruitment Office, London; joining HMS Royal Arthur at Corsham; reception at HMS Royal Arthur; issue of uniform and kit; recruit who returned home; sending civilian clothing home; accommodation; opinion of food.
REEL 3 Continues: choice of home station; nature of training; adjusting to naval life; shore leave in Corsham; decision to join Communications Branch. Recollections of training as wireless/telegraphist at Royal Navy Signal School, HMS Mercury, Leydene House, East Meon and Royal Navy Signal School, Cookham, GB, 1949-1950: drafting to HMS Mercury at East Meon, 9/1949; naval standards of Morse Code; initial problems writing down transmitted messages; training on Morse Code; daily routine; seamanship training at Portsmouth; opinion of training; degree of sporting activities and entertainment; discipline and punishment; attitude to naval discipline; contact with family and leave; passing out of HMS Mercury, 4/1950; transfer to HMS Pembroke, Chatham to complete communications training at Royal Navy Signal School, Cookham; receiving electric shock from transmitter; sea training aboard HMS Cowdray.
REEL 4 Continues: conditions aboard HMS Cowdray; completion of training, 8/1950; use of Fleet Club and Naval Services Club at Chatham; method of returning from leave. Recollections of operations as wireless telegraphist aboard HMS Belfast during Korean War, 1950-1951: drafting to ship; character of mess deck; messing arrangements including storage of hammocks and eating arrangements; opinion of rations; problems of carrying tray of food from galley during rough weather; types of food available; supplementing rations at Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI); character of rum ration.
REEL 5 Continues: use of rum ration for birthday celebrations; lack of alcohol available on ship; washing facilities and use of Chinese laundrymen; importance of personal hygiene; working up exercises on route to Korean War; lack of mixing between branches; daily routine on watch system; dealing with messages received; coded messages and use of deciphering machines; role of signalmen; nature of metrological messages; origin of messages transmitted from ship; personal nature of transmitted morse code messages; use of automatic transmissions; effect on transmitted messages of ship being admiral's flag ship.
REEL 6 Continues: organisation of wireless office; problems of sleeping during daytime especially with ship's guns firing; lack of daily contact with ship's officers; visits to messdecks by captain; role of ship during Korean War; efficiency of gun crews; operating in cold conditions; effect of QF 6 Inch Naval Guns being fired during bombardments; action station in wireless office; North Korean People's Army artillery shell hit on ship in which Chinese laundryman was killed; taking on board wounded North Korean People's Army and Chinese People's Volunteer Army prisoners of war; amusing story of receiving Christmas cake three months late, 3/1951; leave in Japan; encounter with United States Navy personnel on shore leave in Japan; degree of contact with Japanese civilians.
REEL 7 Continues: recreational activities aboard including Royal Marine Band; reasons why ship was a happy ship; leaving HMS Belfast, 1951. Recollections of period as wireless telegraphist aboard survey ship HMS Dampier in Far East, 1951-1952: initial impressions on joining ship in Singapore, Federation of Malaya; contrast in serving aboard HMS Dampier and HMS Belfast; character of survey work including recording work undertaken; joining landing parties; taking tidal readings; nature of first landing party in British Borneo; contact with Dyaks; second landing party on tropical island infested by rats and fruit bats; accidental shooting of turtle; arrival of Dyak sea pirates; initial treatment of infection in right hand; evacuation onto ship with infected hand.
REEL 8 Continues: nature of operation on hand; transporting of dead body in sick bay; third landing party; sight of python that had swallowed pig in cage; story of having long haircut; ashore in Hong Kong; treatment by officers after selection to play for Royal Navy Cricket side in Singapore, Federation of Malaya; effects of running out of officer on cricket field; return via troopship to GB and reunion with family; story of scare family had that he had been killed in Korean War. Aspects of period of shore duties as wireless telegraphist in GB and Germany, 1952-1954: drafting to HMS Peregrine, Royal Naval Air Station Ford; training for ceremonial duties at Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation; drafting to HMS Royal Prince, Krefeld in Germany; trips on Hermann Göring's former yacht.
REEL 9 Continues: Aspects of period as wireless telegraphist at HMS Tamar in Hong Kong, 1954-1956: drafting to HMS Tamar; attachment to Royal Air Force; duties monitoring Chinese Communist signals; sporting activities in Hong Kong; return to GB on troopship and picking up of boy seaman running away from HMS Ganges, Shotley. Aspects of post-service civilian life and employment: deferment of demobilisation until, 2/1957; reaction to demobilisation, 2/1957; return to civilian life and employment; adjusting to civilian life; value of naval life; membership of British Korean War Veteran Association and HMS Belfast Association.
