Description
Object description
British boy seaman served aboard HMS Nelson in English Channel, 1944; served aboard HMS Deane in Western Approaches and North Atlantic, 1944-1946; served aboard HMS Orion in Mediterranean, 1946; served aboard LST 3027 in Mediterranean, 1946-1947
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Dagenham and Brentwood area, 1926-1943: father's military service and early death through effects of gas, 1927; social circumstances; education; recreations; outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; treatment of evacuated children; issue of gas masks; communal and Anderson air raid shelters; German air raids; work as farm labourer, 1940-1943; food rationing; cinema; background to volunteering to join Royal Navy, 9/1943; mother's reaction; medical and call up, 12/1943.
REEL 2 Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine at HMS Collingwood Shore Station, Fareham, 12/1943-3/1944: journey and reception; hut accommodation; kitting out; origins of recruits; food rations; drill and exercise to improve posture; climbing net rigging; PT; rifle training; seamanship training including parts of ship, knots and splices, compass points and rowing whalers in Portsmouth Harbour; preparing for kit inspections; reactions to naval discipline; relationship with instructors and recruits; importance of cleanliness; recreations; amusing story of eyesight test; guard duties; route marches; test and assignment as seaman.
REEL 3 Period at Victory Barracks, Portsmouth, 3/1944-4/1944: lifestyle; visits to pubs; pay; draft. Recollections of period as boy seaman aboard HMS Nelson, 4/1944-6/1944: first impressions on joining ship after refitting at Rosyth; nature of boys' messdeck; hammocks; status as boy seaman; duties chipping paint off bulkheads and scrubbing decks; role as 'cook of mess'; food; leaving Firth of Forth; function and duties on paravanes; question of seasickness and sea legs; boys' watch system; gunnery trials and effects of firing 16" guns; period at Milford Haven; escort by frigates to position off Normandy, France; action stations as ammunition loader on Oerlicken gun; view during bombardment off Sword Beach, ca 6/6/1944.
REEL 4 Continues: story of being caught outside and damage to hearing caused by blast of 16" guns firing; close escape during Stuka dive bomb raid on ship and scale of retaliatory anti-aircraft fire; story of firing Oerlicken in temporary absence of gunner suffering from nerves; personal morale; story of hitting mine and panic on bridge; view of explosion of rocket launching ship during bombardment; leaving ship on return to Southampton; relationship with boys and ratings; story of being disciplined for insubordination; relationship with petty officers and officers. Recollections of period at HMS Excellent Gunnery School, Whale Island, 7/944-9/1944: training in revolver, Lanchester sub machine gun, Oerlicken gun, Bofors gun and 4.7" gun; Oerlicken firing practice at drogue towed by aircraft at Eastleigh ranges; commando training on assault course.
REEL 5 Continues: nature of course and question of preparing for Far East service. Period at HMS Victory Barracks, 9/1944-12/1944. Recollections of service as able seaman gunner aboard HMS Deane, 21st Escort Group at Pollock Dock, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 12/1942/1946: journey out; first impression; nature of messdeck including bunks; action stations duties as bridge lookout; cruising stations duties as quartermaster in wheelhouse and problem of 'chasing compass'; relationship with ratings and petty officers; disciplinary proceedings and punishments; relationship with officers and crew morale; Atlantic convoys including question of seasickness and ship's rolling; question of prior accidental attack on British submarine; nature of anti-submarine patrols and role reinforcing escort of incoming Atlantic convoys; Ultra intelligence of U-Boat movements; depth charge and hedgehog mortar attacks to sink U 965 off Cape Wrath, 27/3/1945; question of confirmation of U-Boat sinking.
REEL 6 Continues: question of recreations; food; sinking of U 1021, 30/3/1945; celebrations of U-Boat sinkings; pay; recreations during visits ashore in Belfast; relationship with Irish civilians and question of religious divisions; VE Day, 8/5/1945; role taking surrender of U-Boat; role as quartermaster in charge of gangplank in port; escorting ships to Christiansands, Norway; sinking mines with Oerlicken gun; question of relationship with Norwegian civilians; trips to Douglas, Isle of Man & Milford Haven; problems with ice during voyage to handover ship to US Navy at Philadelphia, US, ca 2/1946; visits ashore and US hospitality in Philadelphia and New York; voyage aboard Queen Mary to GB, 3/1946. Cockroach problem during voyage aboard HMS Sussex to Malta, 5/1946. Recollections of period aboard HMS Orion in Mediterranean, 5/1946-6/1946: first impressions.
REEL 7 Continues: operations to intercept Jewish refugees on ships bound for Palestine; state of Jewish refugees ships; deck patrol to counter swimmers with limpet mines; visits ashore at Haifa; showing the flag tours to Cyprus and Crete; leaving ship. Recollections of period aboard Landing Ship Tank 3027, 6/1946-5/1947: duties as quartermaster; collecting Italian ammunition to dump at sea from Trieste, Italy; evacuation of police and families from Pola, Yugoslavia; civil unrest in Trieste; visits ashore at Trieste; local leave skiing in Italy; gunnery duties on twin Oerlicken guns using gyroscopic sights; return to GB, 5/1947. Postings in GB prior to demobilisation, 8/1947. Post-war career: dissatisfaction on return to farm work, 1947-1950; review of career in National Health Service; effects of naval service; hearing problems caused by 16" guns and disability pension; membership of Royal Naval Assoc and Captain Class Assoc.
