Interview with Geoffrey Ernest Denny

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Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
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Description

Object description

British seaman served aboard HMS Ark Royal in GB coastal waters, North and South Atlantic and Mediterranean, 1939-1941; chief petty officer served as instructor and master-at-arms at Royal Naval Barracks, HMS Victory Portsmouth, GB, 1942-1945

Content description

REEL 1 Background in Houghton and Horsham, GB, 1918-1939: family; education; employment; hobbies and sporting activities. Aspects of enlistment and training with Royal Navy, 1939: reasons for joining Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, 4/1939; degree of training with Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve; mobilisation, 5/9/1939; reception at Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Depot, Hove; arrival at Royal Naval Barracks, HMS Victory, Portsmouth; drafting to Scapa Flow. Recollections of operations as seaman aboard HMS Ark Royal in GB coastal waters, North and South Atlantic and Mediterranean, 1939-1941: initial impressions of aircraft carrier; role handling aircraft including duties during take off and landings; daily flying routine, 1939; organisation of his branch. REEL 2 Continues: fire fighting duties; clothing worn; watch system worked; character of operational flying in South Atlantic; his action station; messing arrangements; use of general messing system; supply of fresh bread; cleaning of eating utensils and mess; inspection of mess; facilities personal hygiene and laundry; character of rum ration; Sunday Divisions and church services in harbour; recreational activities including concerts; family reaction to his service with Royal Navy; attitude to serving with Royal Navy. REEL 3 Continues: reasons why ship was a happy ship; disciplinary action against seaman acting as lookout who fell asleep; lack of disciplinary problems; reconnaissance operations in North Atlantic, 1939; taking cover during German Air Force attacks on ship during Norwegian campaign, 1940; role of Blackburn Skua aircraft during attack on German Navy battleship Scharnhorst at Trondheim, Norway; reaction of ship's company to loss of aircraft; move to Mediterranean, 1940; casualties when Fairey Swordfish landed still carrying bombs; memories of role of ship during search for German heavy cruiser Admiral Graf Spee in South Atlantic, 1939; Spanish intelligence gathering on convoy movements in Mediterranean; ferrying Hawker Hurricane aircraft to Malta. REEL 4 Continues: start of pursuit of German battleship Bismarck, 5/1941; reasons for aircraft carrier's Fairey Swordfish aircraft accidentally attacking HMS Sheffield, 26/5/1941; problems with torpedoes; fate of German battleship Bismarck, 27/5/1941; reception on arrival in Gibraltar; torpedoing of ship by German submarine U-81 in Mediterranean, 13/11/1941; role keeping flying log; return to GB aboard HMS Manxman. Aspects of period as instructor and master-at-arms in Royal Naval Barracks, HMS Victory, Portsmouth, GB, 1942-1945: background to becoming instructor; celebrity recruits dealt with. REEL 5 Continues: length of period as instructor; reasons for becoming master-at-arms; accommodation of recruits on HMS Victory; demobilisation process, 10/1945; career on leaving Royal Navy in 1945; story of aged reserve gunner demonstrating Maxim Machine Gun and Sticky Bomb in Portsmouth, 1942.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
White, Jo (Recorder)
Denny, Geoffrey Ernest (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 2003-05-28
Dimensions: whole: Duration 150, Number Of Items 5
Catalogue number: 23339

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Interview with Geoffrey Ernest Denny

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