Interview with Gordon Harry Painter

British seaman served aboard HMS Belfast, 10th Cruiser Sqdn in Arctic, Normandy Landings and Far East, 1943-1946

REEL 1 Background in Slough, GB, 1924-1942: family; education; hobbies; family home; declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; employment; recreational activities; fire watching duties. Aspects of enlistment and training as seaman at HMS Collingwood, Fareham and Royal Naval Gunnery School, HMS Excellent, Whale Island in GB, 1943: volunteering for Royal Navy in Reading; reporting to HMS Collingwood, Fareham; importance of knots; accommodation and rations; inspections and turn out; adjusting to naval life; drafting to Gunnery School, HMS Excellent, Whale Island; degree of choice in branch of service; disciplinary action for walking on parade ground at HMS Excellent; drafting to Scapa Flow. REEL 2 Continues: story voyage aboard HMS Implusive from Scapa Flow, GB to Murmansk, Soviet Union including seasickness and use of hammock. Recollections of operations as seaman aboard HMS Belfast, 10th Cruiser Sqdn in Arctic, Normandy Landings and Far East: 1943-1945: initial impressions of cruiser; messing arrangements and rations; washing clothing; arrangements for personal hygiene; inspections of mess deck; action station as gun layer in B Turret; periscope in roof of turret; relations with Royal Marines; concerts in ship's hangar; memories of action against German battleship Scharnhorst during Battle of North Cape, Barents Sea, 26/12/1943; reaction to being in action; conditions in Arctic; encounter with civilians ashore in Murmansk, Soviet Union; state of health. REEL 3 Continues: picking up survivors of Scharnhorst; delay in start of Normandy Landings, 5/6/1944; sight of Allied armada; use of aircraft to spot for guns; attitude to bombarding coastline; atmosphere in turret during bombardment; duties clearing up on Juno Beach, Normandy, France; degree to which guns fired; refitting of ship for service in Far East, 8/1944-3/1945; reaction to Japanese surrender, 15/8/1945; leave in Fremantle, Australia; guard duty on Formosa; conditions in Far East; duties as sailmaker's mate; contracting rheumatic fever and treatment in sick bay, 12/1945; duties dealing with mass grave in Hong Kong; return to GB via Ceylon; attitude to having served aboard HMS Belfast during the Second World War.