Description
Object description
British mess boy served with Merchant Navy aboard Alex in North Sea and Mediterranean, 1939-1940; seaman served aboard Sutherland in Atlantic and Indian Ocean, 1940-1941; served aboard Ripley in Atlantic, 1942; served aboard Ohio during Operation Pedestal in Mediterranean, 1942
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Wetherby area, 1924-1939: family circumstances; education; village neighbours; moves between villages; interest in geography; attending Nautical School at Blyth, 1938-1939. Recollections of period as mess room boy aboard SS Alex, 1939-1940: joining ship at South Shields, 11/1939; duties as mess boy; working conditions and pay; accommodation; lack of contact with officers; food; state of health and lack of medical facilities; crew accommodation on board ship.
REEL 2 Continues: lack of washing facilities; number of crew members; lack of uniforms in Merchant Navy; seasickness; conditions on board; lack of disciplinary problems; use of paraffin lamps; watch system; Christmas in Rotterdam, 12/1939; staying in Seamans Mission in Grimsby; voyage from Immingham to Bone; boat drill; cork life belts; carrying iron ore aboard ship; paying off in Middlesborough; censorship of mail. Recollections of period as deck boy and ordinary seaman aboard MV Sutherland, 5/1940-1/1942: background to joining ship.
REEL 3 Continues: communications aboard ship; character of ship; reinforcement of ship for protection; ship's defensive armament; cargo carried; total blackout when sailing in convoy; joining slow convoy from GB to Halifax, Nova Scotia; sailing in convoy; duties as deck boy; watch keeping; role of convoy commodore; role of Halifax as convoy assembling port; ashore in Montreal; degree of air cover during Atlantic convoys; nicknaming of crew who had been torpedoed; return convoy from Vancouver carrying timber; problems with deck cargo in bad weather.
REEL 4 Continues: discharging at Salford Docks, 10/1940; trips in ship; hearing war news and sinkings; voyage to Buenos Aires; use of seaman missions; protective clothing; DEMs gunners on board; cargos carried; voyage from GB to Alexandria via Cape Town; delay caused by loss of anchor and cable; manual unloading of cargo; ashore in Alexandria; promotion to ordinary seaman; return through Suez Canal; return to GB and paying off, 19/11/1941.
REEL 5 Continues: Aspects of period as seaman aboard Ripley in Atlantic, early 1942: joining ship at Hull; ships armament; picking up crew boys in Freetown; problems with deck cargo; paying off in Liverpool; character of Merchant Navy Reserve Pool. Recollections of period as seaman aboard tanker Ohio during Operation Pedestal in Mediterranean, 1942: joining ship in Glasgow; character of ship; accommodation; crew and armaments; description of ship and speed; loading stores prior to sailing; sectioning of oil tanks on board; memories of Captain Dudley Mason; degree of knowledge of destination; fire fighting equipment; reaction to discovery that Malta was destination.
REEL 6 Continues: assembling of Pedestal convoy in Western Approaches; size of escort; practicing zig zag courses and firing guns; lack of medical training; passing Spanish fishing fleet near Gibraltar, 10/8/1942; warnings of U- boats; reaction to sight of HMS Eagle being torpedoed and sinking, 11/8/1942; time spent on zig zag course; air raid warnings and first attacks; loading anti-aircraft guns; reaction to attacks; waiting for darkness; anticipation of further attacks; character of air attacks; Ohio nature as prime target, torpedoing of ship after hits on HMS Nigeria and HMS Cairo, 12/8/1942; attempt by gunners and galley boys to launch boat; location of torpedo hit and fire fighting; problems steering ship; use of chemical extinguishers; friend Ray Morton being washed overboard.
REEL 7 Continues: problems of steering in darkness and aid from HMS Ledbury as guide through minefields; catching up with convoy; attacks by Junkers Ju 87 Stukas; fatigue and noise; effect of bombs falling near ship; reaction to bombing; bomb blast blowing fires out in boilers; damage to engines and arrival of HMS Penn; evacuation of half crew to HMS Penn; re-boarding Ohio and attempt of HMS Bramham to tow ship; attachment of HMS Penn and HMS Bramham to Ohio; burial of Gunner Brown; role of naval ships in steering ship; need to refasten cables at end of air raids; shooting at Axis aircraft; state of ship and her decks; German aircraft that crashed onto deck.
REEL 8 Continues: attempts of tugs and minesweeper HMS Rye to tow ship, 14/8/1942; slow night time tow from HMS Penn, HMS Bramham, HMS Ledbury and Tug Robust; problems going through minefield; duties adjusting wires; fatigue; reaction to arrival of air cover; reception from civilians on entering Grand Harbour; ear injury from bomb blast; paid off in Malta; period in Malta; flight to Gibraltar and return to GB aboard Australian destroyer; pattern of Merchant Navy service until 1945.
