Interview with David Ernest Henry Jones

British boy seaman and seaman served aboard HMS Belfast, 10th Cruiser Sqdn, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters, Arctic and English Channel during Normandy Landings, 11/1942-6/1942; seaman aboard HMS Belfast, British Pacific Fleet in Indian Ocean and Pacific, 1945-1946; served aboard HMS Hart, HMS Black Swan and HMS Alert in Far East, 1946-1947; served aboard HMS Lundy in GB coastal waters, 1947-1948

REEL 1 Background in Kirby Muxloe, Loughborough and Southampton, GB, 1926-1941: family; education at naval school on River Hamble. Aspects of enlistment and training as boy seaman at HMS St George, Douglas, Isle of Man, 1941-1942: attitude to joining Royal Navy; start of training; discipline and accommodation; instructors; recreational activities in Douglas. Recollections of operations as boy seaman and seaman aboard HMS Belfast, 10th Cruiser Sqdn, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters, Arctic and English Channel during Normandy Landings, 11/1942-6/1945: drafting to cruiser, 1942; duties as boy seaman; cruising and action station; weather conditions; watch system; duties at sea; incident of clearing shell from gun; living conditions in boy's mess. REEL 2 Continues: inspection of mess; lack of privileges for boy seamen; question of lack of information available; ship's cinema; personal morale during storms in North Atlantic; dealing with Arctic weather conditions; problem of water on mess deck during storms; censorship and frequency of mail; shore leave; facilities in Scapa Flow; entertainment on board; sporting activities and seaman hobbies; use of ship's library; religious services; make and mend; memories of Captain Frederick Parham and other officers; rations available during Operation Neptune, the landings in Normandy, France, 6/1944. REEL 3 Continues: opinion of food and living conditions on board ship; memories of Battle of North Cape, 26/12/1943; reaction to sinking of German battleship Scharnhorst during Battle of North Cape, 26/12/1943; shore bombardment duties off Normandy, France, 6/1944; beach clearance duties in Normandy, France, 9/6/1944; sight of D-Day landings, Normandy, France, D-Day, 6/6/1944; duties in English Channel off beaches of Normandy, France, 6/1944-7/1944; incident of seaman being wounded in accident with anti-aircraft gun; artilley shelling of ship by German Army artillery; refitting ship in South Shields, 8/1944-6/1945. Aspects of period as seaman aboard HMS Belfast, British Pacific Fleet in Indian Ocean and Pacific, 1945-1946: move to Pacific; accepting Japanese forces' surrender on islands in Pacific, 1945; leaving ship, 1946; living conditions in mess in Far East. Aspects of period as leading seaman aboard HMS Hart, HMS Black Swan and HMS Alert in Far East, 1946-1947: effect of demobilisation of hostilities only personnel; conditions aboard ships, including problem with cockroaches. REEL 4 Continues: reasons for preference for service aboard smaller ships; attitude to serving in Far East; story of cinema visit in Japan; rescuing crew of ship during typhoon aboard HMS Hart; return to GB, 1947. Aspects of period as seaman aboard HMS Lundy in GB coastal waters, 1947-1948: clearing wrecks on Goodwin Sands in North Sea; lack of fresh water available; attempts to rescue crew of submarine HMS Truculent; discharge from Royal Navy as Petty Officer, 1954; attitude to serving in Royal Navy.