Jacobs, Jake (Oral history)

British radar operator served aboard HMS Belfast in Far East, 1945-1947

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Burnt Oak and Edgware, London, 1925- 1944: social circumstances; education; reactions to outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; work as bookbinding apprentice; Boy Scouts activities; question of air raid shelters; work making self sealing fuel tanks in engineering factory; cleaning rifles for Home Guard; German air raids; blackout. REEL 2 Continues: food rationing and shopping; clothes rationing and problem with shoes; cinema; church club activities including football match with Harrow School and amateur dramatics; dances; death of friend; friendship with married women; Sea Cadet activities, 1941-1943, including drumming in band and seamanship; medical and call up for Royal Navy, 2/1944. Aspects of period at HMS Royal Arthur Shore Station, Skegness, 2/1944-3/1944: kitting out; personal embarrassment at nudity; chalet accommodation; drill; selection for radar training after tests. REEL 3 Continues: lifebelt test; relationship with recruits; food rations. Recollections of period at HMS Glendower Shore Station, Pwhelwhi, 3/1944-4/1944: stories of wowing cutter and drill sessions with instructor; seamanship manuals and bible issued of pattern bound during bookbinding apprenticeship; vaccinations; temporary tented accommodation; question of increased sexual propositions made to ratings; VD warning film; visits to Pwhelwhi. Recollections of radar training at HMS Valkyries, Douglas, Isle of Man, c5/1944-6/1944: journey out; hotel billets; theory of radar and examinations; relationship with wealthy recruits; gunnery radar procedures; story of sending mother kippers. Period at HMS Excellent Gunnery School, Whale Island, ca 6/1944: nature of training; training on High Angle Command Post 4" director to predict required fuse settings for anti-aircraft fire. REEL 4 Continues: guard duty; punishment drill; 6" gun drill; method of firing guns at sea. Periods at HMS Collingwood Shore Station, Fareham, 1944: cookhouse fatigues; various characters; guard duty; question of asbestos and asbestosis problem on HMS Belfast; drafting. Recollections of initial period as radar operator aboard HMS Belfast in 1/1945- 5/1945: joining ship in Middle Dock, South Shields; problems over latrines; nature of upper deck messdeck including hammocks, 'scram' bag and locker flat; skeleton crew; routine cleaning duties; review of radar equipment and method of controlling anti-aircraft guns. REEL 5 Continues: storing ship; relationship with dockyard workers; story of visits to Newcastle upon Tyne; course in operation of target indicator unit in aircraft direction unit at HMS Excellent Gunnery School; cooling arrangements installed for tropical service; sea trials and problem with evaporators; extra leave; visits ashore and piano in canteen at Scapa Flow; VE Day celebrations in Edinburgh, 8/5/1945. Recollections of voyage out to Far East, 6/1945-9/1945: radar screen view of Straits of Gibraltar; regular updates of ships position on main plot; watch system; cruising station as operator on 282 set in radar office; action station on target indicator unit in aircraft direction unit; sleeping arrangements; make and mend; 'tiddly' uniform. REEL 6 Continues: period at Malta; general messing system and food; tea and cocoa; rum ration; laundry; problem with 'dhobi' itch; importance of personal cleanliness; crabs and ringworm problems; reactions to hot climate; crossing line ceremony; story of visiting family friend at Columbo, Ceylon, 8/1945. REEL 7 Continues: story of visiting family friend at Columbo, Ceylon, 8/1945; reaction to news of atomic bomb, 8/1945; visits ashore during visits to Freemantle and Sydney, Australia, 8/1945, including Australian hospitality and visit up country to mountain region. Period attached to US 7th Fleet at Shanghai, China, 9/1945-12/1945: sight of former British internees of Japanese; shore party to rescue British civilians under attack; opinion of various officers Lieutenant Cobb, Captain Royer Dick and Radar Officer Lieutenant Shepherd; relationship with petty officers; story of rating under punishment routine deliberately seeking cell punishment; picking oakum punishment. REEL 8 Continues: concert party activities and illustrations of songs, sketches and monologues performed; cinema and assistance from US in provision of equipment and films; jetty guard duty and story of Chinese rickshaw driver attacked by US sailors; question of fights with US sailors; nature of peacetime routine; visits ashore at Shanghai; scrubbing decks; bodies in river. Recollections of Far East cruise, 12/1945-1/1947: visit to Hong Kong, 12/1945- 1/1946; sailors' relationship with Hong Kong women; stories of visits ashore at Napier and Dunedin, New Zealand, 3/1946; visit ashore at Suva, Fiji, 3/1946. REEL 9 Continues: story of visit ashore at Yukohama, Japan, 4/1946; 'showing the flag' role; drinking in Tokyo bars; undiagnosed illness in barracks during refit at Singapore, 5/1946-7/1946; story of sailor involved in black market in Japan return to Japan, 8/1946; story of nude Japanese woman attracting crew attention in harbour; visit up Yangtze River to Nanking, China, 9/1946; story of sailor falling overboard; sleeping in radar cabin; visit to Japan, 9/1946-101/1946, including story of drinking raw alcohol during visit ashore at Chingwangtao, visit to Hiroshima, Japanese POW, story of visit to NAAFI ship at Kobe, story of taking part in variety concert at Kobe; story of fight with New Zealand sailors during Christmas celebrations at Hong Kong, 25/12/1946; collecting driftwood in harbour; reaction to leaving ship, 1/1947. REEL 10 Continues: relationship with ratings; story of fight; crew morale. Period at HMS Terror Shore Station, Hong Kong, 1/1947-3/1947: Chinese servant; story of football match; visits to markets. Voyage aboard Ranchi to GB, 3/1947: attitude of troops aboard ship; 'ukkers' ceremony. Periods at HMS Victory Barracks, Portsmouth and Naval Hospital, 3/1947-4/1947: medical treatment for haemorrhoids; demobilisation. Post-war career: return to bookbinding apprenticeship; career in printing; effects of service in Royal Navy; membership of Royal Naval Assocation.