Broomfield, Claude (Oral history)

British wireless operator served aboard HMS Spragge in North Atlantic, English Channel and North Sea, 1944-1945

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Fazakerley and Waterloo, Liverpool, 1925-1942: social circumstances; Boy Scout activities; religion; education; sporting activities; outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; school air raid shelters; recruitment underage and service with Home Guard in Blundell Sands, 1940-1941; service with First Aid Detachment, Red Cross, ca 1941-1942; Anderson shelter; blackout; stories of German air raids including close escape from unexploded bomb, fire at match factory, fire watching and land mine damage to home. REEL 2 Continues: personal morale in air raids; work as assurance clerk, 1941-1943; prior training with Air Training Corps; background to volunteering to joining Royal Navy and call up, 3/1943. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine at HMS Royal Arthur Shore Station, Skegness, 3/1943-5/1943: reception and coincidental meeting with childhood friend; chalet accommodation; story illustrating nature of discipline; kitting out; misfit recruit; food rations; divisions; drill and attitude to discipline; intelligence tests; reaction to selection for training as radar mechanic; seamanship training; life jacket training. REEL 3 Continues: nature of training; canteen; recreational visits to Inglemills; relationship with recruits and instructors. Period on radar mechanic course at Rutherford College, Newcastle upon Tyne, 6/1943-7/1943: burns caused by treatment for ringworm; recreations and visits to dancehalls; background to deliberately failing course. Period at HMS Royal Arthur Shore Station, Skegness, 7/1943-8/1943: role as class leader; relationship with instructor and realisation of role of discipline; selection as telegraphist. Recollections of training as wireless operator in Highbury, London, 8/1943-12/1943: hotel billet; Morse code training; codes and ciphers. REEL 4 Continues: codes and ciphers; daily routine; story of meeting wife; question of German air raids. Recollections of period training as telegraphist at HMS Scotia Shore Station, Ayr, 12/1943-2/1944: cold conditions; question of bullying; story of fight with class leader; nature of training; fatigues; effects of cold conditions. Period at Leydene Camp, Portsmouth, 2/1944: conditions of service; story of coming close to desertion during leave; drafting procedure. Recollections of initial period as telegraphist aboard HMS Spragge, 2/1944-4/1944: story of missing train and delayed arrival to join ship at Londonderry. REEL 5 Continues: reception and first impressions; nature of communications messdeck including bunks, lockers, pervading noise of engines, awareness of situation below waterline and personal morale; effects of rough weather and question of ship's rolling; watertight bulkheads; seasickness; removal of US facilities; wireless office and equipment; electrical charge carried by aerial; operation of US wireless sets and role taking messages from various monitored frequencies; watch system and telegraphist rota; communication with bridge; visit to Liverpool. REEL 6 Continues: working up trials at Tobermary, 3/1944; relationship with ratings; opinion of Petty Officer Tony Story; opinion of various officers including Lieutenant Commander Grant and 1st lieutenant; crew morale; cafeteria messing system and food; cocoa; rum ration; cigarettes. REEL 7 Continues: 'Dutch' auction of following accidental death of leading seaman; letter contact with future wife and question of censorship; question of marriage. Period as senior ship of 113 Escort Group based at Liverpool, 4/1944-6/1944: nature of escort role on Atlantic convoys; effects of rough weather; use of portable telephony wireless to control escorts; effects of dropping depth charges; German submarine attacks on convoy; fatigue; washing and drying clothes. REEL 8 Continues: story illustrating importance of personal cleanliness; washing and latrines; film shows on communication messdeck; story illustrating officially sanctioned 'grudge' boxing fights; relationship with ratings; shore visits to dancehalls and pubs; routine nature of Atlantic convoys; story of coming under fire from destroyer after wrong recognition signal. Recollections of period based at Portsmouth, 6/1944-: secrecy over D Day plans; view of invasion fleet; role covering US landings at Omaha Beach, Normandy, France; view of monitors' shore bombardment; storm damage to US harbour; jellyfish; mine danger on entering Cherbourg harbour. REEL 9 Continues: story of collision with Landing Ship Tank including giving first aid to casualty and subsequent repairs at Portland; civilian misconceptions of nature of D Day operations during leave in Liverpool; prior change of captain after running aground, c5/1944; opinion of new captain; resumption of Atlantic convoys; recreations ashore in Portsmouth; visits to fiancée in London; role as duty destroyer in assisting damaged ships into harbour; lone low flying German aircraft over D Day beaches; firing at V1 in English Channel; story of close escape from V1 in London; personal morale; English Channel and East Coast convoys; VE day celebrations in London, 8/5/1945; arrangements for marriage prior to possible service in Far East, 5/1945; story of dispute with drafting officer. REEL 10 Continues: story of dispute with drafting officer and consequent emergency draft from ship. Period of leave during periods at HMS Collingwood Shore Station, Portsmouth, ca 6/1944-12/1944. Period aboard HMS Fencer during voyage to Columbo, Ceylon, 12/1945: troop carrier role; story of getting drunk on rum on birthday; hot climate; tug of war match; wireless messages. Period with HMS Mayina Shore Station, Columbo, Ceylon, 1/1946-4/1946: nature of camp; effects of climate; relationship with Ceylonese servants; guard room duties; background to discovery of unexpected draft back to GB. Voyage aboard HMS Fencer back to GB, ca 4/1946: prickly heat; dysentery attack. Hospitalisation and sick leave during period at Chatham Barracks, 4/1946. Period with HMS Blenheim based at Barry, 1946: reception on joining ship; initial shortage of wireless operators; establishment of shore telephone link; story of assisting police investigation into assault by stoker. REEL 11 Continues: activities selling cigarettes on black market; story of stealing captain's blankets; story of encounter with prostitute; story of getting drunk on birth of son, 6/1946. Demobilisation, 7/1946. Post-war career: background to move to London; work as assurance agent; career as environmental health officer; visit with Normandy Veterans Assoc to Normandy, 1984; membership of Royal Naval Assoc and Captain Class Association.