Interview with Robert Atkinson

British officer commanded HMS Lorna at Gibraltar, 9/1939-9/1940; served aboard HMS Rhododendron, 8th Escort Group in North Atlantic, 11/1940-1/1941; served aboard HMS Azalea and HMS Snowdrop, 4th Escort Group in North Atlantic, 2/1941-1/1942; commanded HMS Anemone, 44th Escort Group in North Atlantic, 22/2/1942-22/7/1942; commanded HMS Pink, Escort Group B7 in North Atlantic, 20/10/1942-20/12/1943; commanded HMS Tintagel Castle, Escort Group B1 in GB coastal waters and North Atlantic, 1/2/1944-9/6/1945

REEL 1 Background in Tynemouth, GB, 1917-1932: father's military service in First World War; family; education; reasons for joining Merchant Navy, 1932. Aspects of period as cadet with Merchant Navy, 1932-1938: reasons for studying hard; types of men employed by merchant service; living conditions on board; seamanship examination. Aspects of enlistment and training with Royal Navy in GB, 1938-1939: reasons for joining Royal Navy; opinion of training; living conditions in barracks; effect of naval training on outlook; sea training. Aspects of period as midshipman aboard destroyers HMS Brilliant and HMS Winchelsea in GB coastal waters, 1939: duties on board; life aboard destroyers. Aspects of operations as commanding aboard HMS Lorna at Gibraltar, 1939-1940: reaction to taking command of ship, 9/1940; composition of crew; living conditions; anti-contraband duties off Gibraltar; stopping of Italian merchant vessel carrying petrol and orders to bring it back to GB as prize ship. Aspects of operations as officer aboard HMS Rhododendron, 8th Escort Group in North Atlantic, 11/1940-1/1941: standing by construction of Flower Corvette Class corvette in Belfast, Northern Ireland, 10/1940-11/1940; rescuing crew of damaged merchant vessel. REEL 2 Continues: role of rescue vessel with first Convoy OB 224, 21/11/1940; attack of German submarine U-103, 21/11/1940; risk of picking up of survivors; mining of corvette off Liverpool, GB, 17/1/1941; reaction to commanding ship; conditions on board early Flower Corvette Class corvettes; weather conditions in North Atlantic; appointment of cook and ship's complement. Aspects of operations as officer aboard HMS Azalea and HMS Snowdrop, 4th Escort Group in North Atlantic, 2/1941-1/1942: appointment to HMS Azalea; patrol duties aboard HMS Azalea off Iceland hunt for German battleship Bismarck, 5/1941; weather conditions and effects of operating in lack of daylight; clothing issued; icing of ship; state of crew's morale; relations between officers and men on board. Aspects of operations commanding of HMS Anemone, 44th Escort Group in North Atlantic, 22/2/1942-22/7/1942: torpedoing of ship's in convoy in bad weather; narrow escape from torpedoing; problems with ship's engine; German Navy submarine tactics; reaction to sight of sinking merchant vessels; rescuing men from the water; his record during North Atlantic convoys. REEL 3 Continues: Recollections of operations commanding HMS Pink, B7 Escort Group in North Atlantic, 20/10/1942-20/12/1943: composition of Escort Group B7; level of training in Escort Group B7; opinion of Commander Peter Gretton; reaction to Admiralty signal that convoy being escorted was surrounded by German Navy submarines, 1943; number of German Navy submarines sank by Escort Group, B7; introduction of new tactics, 1943; role of HMS Pink during Convoy ONS 5, 5/1943; problems caused by sinking German submarine; sinking damaged merchant vessel and opinion of crew; performance of B7 Escort Group during Convoys HX 231, ONS 5 and SC 130, 5/1943; reasons for withdrawal of German Navy submarines from North Atlantic after convoys, 5/1943; experience of naval and merchant crews; daily routine at sea; role as captain of ship; nature of actions on board corvette on spotting German Navy submarine. REEL 4 Continues: role of captain in co-ordinating ships actions; decline in morale of German Navy submarine crews after 5/1943; receiving congratulations letter from Prime Minister Winston Churchill and signal from Admiral Max Horton after Convoy SC 130; picking up crew of downed Royal Air Force Consolidated Liberator aircraft; conducting funeral at sea; state of corvette after convoy escort duties; need to clean ship for inspection by Commander Peter Gretton; amount of fuel left on arrival at St Johns, Newfoundland after Convoy SC 130. Aspects of operations commanding HMS Tintagel Castle, Escort Group B1 in North Atlantic and English Channel, 1/2/1944-9/6/1945: taking command of Castle Corvette Class corvette, 2/1944; threat from new types of snorkel equipped German submarines in GB coastal waters; night-time hunt for German submarine, U-878 and it's subsequent sinking in Bay of Biscay, 10/4/1944; method used to protect convoy from collision with iceberg. REEL 5 Continues: Reflections of service with Royal Navy in North Atlantic, 1940-1945: fate of HMS Pink after he left ship; comments of service in North Atlantic; missing of German submarine during hunt; attending investiture at Buckingham Palace on award of the Distinguished Service Cross and two bars; demobilisation from Royal Navy, 1946; nature of post-war career from 1946.