Interview with Julian Osmonde Roskilly

British electrician trained at HMS Collinwood, Fareham, GB, 1950; served aboard HMS Indomitable in GB coastal waters and Mediterranean, 1950-1952; served aboard submarine HMS Taciturn in GB coastal waters, North Atlantic and Arctic, 1952-1955; petty officer electrician served aboard submarine HMS Aeneas in GB coastal waters, 1956; served aboard submarines HMS Talent and HMS Tally Ho in GB coastal waters and Mediterranean, 1957-1960; served aboard submarine HMS Walrus in GB coastal waters, 1960-1963; served aboard submarine HMS Tiptoe in GB coastal waters, 1963-1965; chief petty officer served with Chatham Re-fit Group at Chatham Dockyard, GB, 1965-1968; served aboard submarine HMS Revenge in GB coastal waters and North Atlantic, 1968-1971

REEL 1 Background in GB, 1932-1949: family; German V weapon attacks on London area, 1944-1945; education; recreational activities; father Chief Yeoman of Signals William Roskilly's service with Royal Navy; employment. Recollections of enlistment and training as electrician at HMS Collingwood, Fareham, GB, 1950: enlistment, 1/1950; reception on arrival; issue of kit; initial impressions of service with Royal Navy; whitewashing coal; instruction; discipline; adjusting to naval life; pattern of training; selection for and training as electrician; hutted accommodation; daily routine; shore leave; recreational facilities available; heating of hutted accommodation. REEL 2 Continues: canteen; pay; duties in petty officers' mess. Recollections of period as electrician aboard HMS Indomitable in GB coastal waters and Mediterranean, 1950-1952: drafting to aircraft carrier; relations with divisional officer; initial impressions of aircraft carrier; description of mess; incident of finding rat on hammock; rat hunting activities; character of mess; messing arrangements; uniform worn; problems working on searchlight; relations with chief petty officer; organisation of Electrical Branch; duties; role as runner for chief petty officer; watch system worked; action station with damage control party. REEL 3 Continues: discipline on board; disciplinary incident; entertainment and sports; watching sporting event in Sweden; role of carrier as flagship; places visited; work in admiral's flat; volunteering for Submarine Service. Aspects of training at HMS Dolphin, Gosport, GB, 1952: character of escape tank training; sea training; reaction to first dive; submarine losses in early 1950s; pattern of training. Recollections of period as electrician aboard submarine HMS Taciturn in GB coastal waters, North Atlantic and Arctic, 1952-1955: background to drafting to submarine; reception on arrival; sleeping arrangements; sharing water. REEL 4 Continues: restrictions on use of water; clothing worn at sea and washing facilities; toilet facilities; eating arrangements; rations; removal of rubbish; noise on board; discipline on board; lack of observance of traditions; alcohol supplies and rum ration; drinking water; duties; watch system worked; attack team and diving stations; recreational activities; shore leave REEL 5 Continues: details of submarine traditions; conversion of T Class submarines; duration of operational patrols; under water for six weeks; first use of frozen foods; endurance trials under ice in Arctic; promotion to leading hand; meeting future wife; contact with family. Aspects of period as petty officer electrician aboard to submarine HMS Aeneas in GB coastal waters, 1956: drafting to submarine in Londonderry; relations with leading hand; number of personnel under his command; watch keeping; responsibility for personnel; presence of officers training course on board. Aspects of period attending courses in GB, 1956-1957: attending petty officer course at HMS Dolphin, Gosport; leadership course at HMS Royal Arthur, Corsham; amusing incident of marching recruits into fence. REEL 6 Continues: Aspects of period as petty officer aboard submarines HMS Talent and HMS Tally Ho in Mediterranean, 1957-1960: drafting to HMS Talent; move to Malta; transfer to HMS Tally Ho; presence of Special Boat Service on board; acoustic torpedo trials; basing of submarine in Malta; return to GB in 1960; wartime history of HMS Tally Ho; character of HMS Tally Ho; accommodation in Malta. Aspects of period as petty officer aboard submarine HMS Walrus in GB coastal waters, 1960-1963: memories of Lieutenant Commander John Fieldhouse; character of sleeping arrangements and cooking facilities on board; crew; improvements in lighting and maintenance; greater torpedo carrying capacity; duties on submarine; basing in HMNB Faslane; ashore in Faslane; character of second captain Lieutenant Commander Oliver Sharp. Aspects of period as petty officer electrician aboard submarine HMS Tiptoe in GB coastal waters, 1963-1965: drafting to submarine; incidents of submarine captains receiving court martials; officer training courses; relations with Irish civilians; question of submarine being unlucky. REEL 7 Continues: further problems with submarine. Aspects of period as chief petty officer with Chatham Re-fit Group, Chatham Dockyard, GB, 1965-1967: drafting to Chatham; role and duties; attending nuclear submarine course. Recollections of period as chief petty officer electrician aboard submarine HMS Revenge in GB coastal waters and North Atlantic, 1968-1970: attitude to serving in nuclear submarine; joining submarine; degree of responsibility; first dive; sleeping arrangements and space available; conditions on board; laundry and washing facilities; inspections; personal accommodation; restrictions on communications; reaction to long periods at sea; duties; watch system; exercises and states of readiness; monitoring radiation. REEL 8 Continues: degree of preparation for nuclear role; attitude to serving on board nuclear submarine; question of informing family of death or injury on board; crewmen who may have presented a security threat; amusing story of certificated crewman; lack of presence of marines on board; recreational facilities on board; at sea on Christmas Day, 25/12/1970; question of knowledge of location of submarine; medical samples taken from crew; standing by and working up of submarine, 1968-1969; leaving submarine, 1971; leaving Royal Navy and return to civilian life, 12/1971. Reflections on service with Royal Navy, 1950-1971: things he missed about naval service; adjusting to civilian life. REEL 9 Continues: question of what makes a happy ship; question of why HMS Taciturn was his unhappiest submarine during first commission; problems of crew division on board HMS Revenge; attitude to serving on board nuclear submarine; rum ration; degree of knowledge of world events on submarines; memories of Admiral John Fieldhouse.