Interview with Richard John Hughes

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Description

Object description

British boy seaman trained at HMS Ganges, Shotley, GB, 1934; served aboard HMS Barham, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters and West Indies, 1934-1935; served aboard HMS Royal Sovereign, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters, 1934-1936; seaman served aboard HMS Dorsetshire on China Station, 1936-1937; served aboard HMS Rodney, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters, North Sea, Norway, North Atlantic and Mediterranean 1937-1942; petty officer served aboard HMS Prince Leopold in GB coastal waters and English Channel and during Normandy Landings, 1942-1944, including sinking in English Channel, 6/1944

Content description

REEL 1 Background in Tredegar and Dolgarrog, GB, 1917- 1934: family; death of father during First World War; move to Dolgarrog; employment in aluminium factory. Aspects of enlistment and training as boy seaman with HMS Ganges, Shotley, GB, 1934: enlistment in Royal Navy, 2/1934; journey from Liverpool to Shotley; reception on arrival; issue of uniform; accommodation; pattern of training; daily routine; recreational activities; discipline; adjusting to naval lifestyle; contact with family and leave. REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of period as boy seaman aboard HMS Barham, Home Fleet in GB and West Indies, 1934-1935: character of battleship; initial impressions of battleship; character of West Indies cruise. Aspects of period as boy seaman aboard HMS Royal Sovereign, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters, 1935-1936: receiving compassionate leave; attitude to serving on board; messing arrangements; duties as boy seamen, including gunnery instruction. Aspects of period as seaman aboard HMS Dorsetshire on China Station, 1936-1937: troopship voyage from GB to Hong Kong; duties as commander's runner, including delivering invites ashore in Hong Kong; qualifying as seaman/gunner; death of shipmate; ashore in Hong Kong. Recollections of period as seaman aboard HMS Rodney, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters, North Sea, Norway, North Atlantic and Mediterranean, 1937-1942: drafting to battleship, 8/1937; promotion to leading seaman, 1940; first action station in shell handling room of B Turret; attitude to prospect of war; reaction to declaration of Second World War in Scapa Flow, 3/9/1939; transfer of Admiral's Staff from HMS Nelson. REEL 3 Continues: duties looking after admiral's cabin; wartime routine; footballing injury received at Portsmouth; patrol duties in North Sea, 1939-1940; bomb damage to ship during campaign in Norway, 1940; start of pursuit of German battleship Bismarck in Atlantic, 5/1941; duties with damage control party during action against German battleship Bismarck, 5/1941; breaking off of action and atmosphere on board; sighting of German Air Force reconnaissance aircraft; repairs in Boston, United States of America; convoy escort duties in Mediterranean. REEL 4 Continues: return to GB; visit by Douglas Fairbanks Junior to ship in Iceland, early 1942; leaving ship in Liverpool, 1942. Aspects of operations as petty officer aboard HMS Prince Leopold in GB coastal waters and English Channel during Normandy Landings, 1942-1944, including sinking of ship in English Channel, 29/7/1944: duties as acting petty officer on board landing ship infantry; participation in amphibious warfare training; contrast between service on board and on battleship; embarking United States Army Rangers at Weymouth, GB, 6/1944; duties on Utah Beach, Normandy, France, D-Day, 6/6/1944; torpedoing of ship by German submarine U-621 in English Channel, 29/7/1944; crew compliment on board; sinking of ship in English Channel, 29/7/1944; survivors leave on return. Aspects of service with Royal Navy, 1944-1950: drafting as instructor at HMS Queen Charlotte, Southport, GB, 1944-1945; commissioning of HMS Childers, 10/1945; injuries during refuelling at sea and hospitalisation in Italy, 1946. REEL 5 Continues: hospitalisation in GB; discharge from Royal Navy, 1950; return to civilian life. Reflections on service with Royal Navy, 1934-1950: question of what makes a happy ship; rum ration; crossing the line ceremony; story of patrolling deck of HMS Childers off Palestine in Mediterranean.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), Interwar (content), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
White, Jo (Recorder)
Hughes, Richard John (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 2003-10-01
Dimensions: whole: Duration 150, Number Of Items 5
Catalogue number: 25525

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Interview with Richard John Hughes

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