Hopewell, Ray (Oral history)

British seaman served as coder aboard HMS Cooke in Atlantic, English Channel and North Sea, 1944-1945; served aboard HMS Venus in Far East, 1945

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Dustan, 1925-1943: social circumstances; education; recreations; work as apprentice bake/confesctioner, 1939-1943; outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; gas masks; evacuated children; story of father digging air raid shelter; blackout; question of German air raids; food rationing; training with Naval Cadets in Northampton, 1941-1943; background to volunteering to join Royal Navy, 9/1943. Reception at HMS Royal Arthur Shore Station, Skegness, 9/1943: kitting out; selection as coder during aptitude tests; relationship with recruits. Recollections of training as coder at HMS Cabbala Shore Station, 9/1943-12/1943: reception; conditions of service. REEL 2 Continues: Morse code training and phonetically alphabet; code training. Period at Devonport Barracks, 12/1943: fire fighting course; question of choice of small ships. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine as coder aboard HMS Cooke, 3rd Escort Group based at Pollock Doc, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 12/1943-12/1944: reporting to HMS Caroline and joining ship at Liverpool; first impressions; signals messdeck including removal of US fittings, bunks and lockers; watch system; duties on watch as coder in wireless office and method of decoding naval code messages; U boat reports; various codes and code books; messing system and food; rum ration; cigarette ration; cleaning messdeck; seasickness during rough weather whilst escorting capital ships to Port Said, Egypt, 1/1944; visits ashore at Port Said. REEL 3 Continues: visits to dancehalls in Belfast; relationship with Irish civilians; escort role and anti-submarine activities on Atlantic convoys; story of running aground in cutter during period at Milford Haven, 5/1944; Channel patrols during D Day operations, 6/1944; escorting Russian convoy and visit ashore at Kola Inlet, 10/1944; relationship with lower deck, leading seaman and officers; crew morale; reactions to leaving ship and question of possibility of commission, ca 12/1944. Voyage out to Columbo, Ceylon, 4/1945-5/1945. Period as coder aboard HMS Venus, 5/1945-9/1945: nature of ship; Pacific code books; escort role; crossing line ceremony; climate; visits ashore and sailors' silver smuggling ruse; origins of ratings and question of stealing; VJ celebrations and local leave during refit at Simonstown, South Africa, 8/1945. REEL 4 Continues: Period with HMS Ukasa, Katakurundo, Columbo, Ceylon, 9/1945-9/1946: duties as coder at Fleet Air Arm station; destruction of aircraft bodies; recreations; question of demobilisation; story of unpopular officer during voyage back to GB. Demobilisation, 9/1946. Post-war career: return to work as baker/confectioner; marriage, 1948; movements; career in commercial office; question of effects of war service; thumb injury aboard HMS Cooke, 1944; membership of North Russia Club and Captain Class Association.