Description
Object description
British seaman trained at HMS Collingwood, Fareham, GB, 1943; served aboard HMS Belfast in GB coastal waters, Arctic, during Normandy landings and Far East, 1943- 1946
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Whiston, GB, 1926-1939: family circumstances; family life; pocket money and savings; circumstance of father's death; attending village chapel; character of education; lifestyle.
REEL 2 Continues: details of family life after father's death in 1938. Aspects of period as civilian in Whiston, 1939-1943: hearing declaration on Second World War, 3/9/1939; bomb in front garden; character of Anderson Shelter; use of communal shelter; issue of gas masks; memories of bombing of Liverpool; blackout; rationing; mother's war work; employment with BI Cables; war casualties in village. Recollections of enlistment and training as seaman with Royal Navy at HMS Collinwood, GB, 1943: reasons for enlistment in Royal Navy, 9/1943; impressions of HMS Royal Oak as child; reception at HMS Collingwood, Fareham; issue of uniform.
REEL 3 Continues: issue of footwear; issue of weapons for guard duties; accommodation; importance of cleanliness in Royal Navy; training with lifebelt; daily routine including breakfast and drill; Sunday Divisions; boat training in Portsmouth Harbour; lack of hunger whilst recruit; high standard of turnout amongst naval personnel; evening activities; guard duties.
REEL 4 Continues: conditions of service for boy seamen; number of boy seamen on board HMS Belfast; character of basic training; acceptance of discipline of naval life; early training; precautions against VD; use of naval terminology; divisions. Recollections of period as seaman aboard HMS Belfast in GB coastal waters and Arctic, 1943-1944: journey to Scapa Flow and theft of equipment in transit to Rosyth.
REEL 5 Continues: initial impressions of ship in Rosyth, 12/1943; familiarisation with ship; character of ship; arrangement of mess decks; sleeping arrangements on of mess decks; messing arrangements; rum ration; captain's rounds and kit inspections; character of hangar mess deck; punishments for breaches of discipline; ablution facilities; medical facilities; storage facilities.
REEL 6 Continues: use of anti-flash gear and lack of ear protection; duties on 4 inch guns; operating guns and duties on crew; degree of contact with other branches; role of Royal Marines; manning motor boat; reception on arrival on ship; watch system; duties as gun sweeper; preparing ship for King George VI visit to ship; allocation to mess deck, actions stations and motor boat duties; recreational activities; censorship of letters.
REEL 7 Continues: character of ship's captains and officers; nature of relations with ship's officers, ratings and petty officers; sailing from Rosyth into heavy seas; need for lifelines; sea sickness; sailing into Scapa Flow; Arctic convoy duties, 1944; conditions in northern waters; lookout duties. Recollections of operations as seaman aboard HMS Belfast during Normandy landings, 1944: sailing into Irish Sea; reaction to coming landings.
REEL 8 Continues: taking up position off Normandy coast; opening fire on beaches; firing of 4 inch guns at night; loss of HMS Swift; re-arming on Isle of Wight; claim by William Joyce that ship had been sunk; drink and rations available during action; move to US sector to support landings; move to Sword Beach; joining shore party to clear beach on Sword Beach; reaction to being under fire; beach clearance work.
REEL 9 Continues: reaction to being under shellfire on landing craft; casualties from near miss from German shellfire; progress of landings placed on ships notice board; sight of Allied bombing raid on Caen; reaction to bombing of Caen. Aspects of period as seaman aboard HMS Belfast in GB coastal waters, 1944-1945: move to South Shields for refitting, 8/1944; duties with skeleton crew; problems of stealing amongst dockyard workers; refresher gunnery course at Whale Island; promotion to able seaman; home leave; marriage, 1/1945; opinion of dockyard workers; bomb damage in South Shields; wartime conditions.
REEL 10 Continues: relations with new crew; reputation of ship; working up trials; presence of Admiral on board; attitude to leaving for Far East, 5/1945; surrender of German ship on board HMS Belfast; leave at time of VE Day, 5/1945; fitting out for Far East; issue of tropical kit. Recollections of period as seaman aboard HMS Belfast in Far East, 1945-1946: sailing for Far East; landing marines at Mersa Matruh during voyage; passing through Suez Canal; effect of hot climate in ship; duties on board; camouflaging ship for Far East; effect of walking in sea boots on wooden decks; ashore in Colombo, Ceylon; arrival in Australia; ordering to Formosa to pick up ex-POWs; move to Shanghai.
REEL 11 Continues: reception in Shanghai; opening of Union Jack Club; collision between ship's motor boat and sampan in river; conditions in Shanghai; entertaining child internees on board; duties on ships' motor boat; use of landing party to rescue civilians besieged by Communist group; duties in crows nest on route to Nanking; conditions for civilians in Nanking and living on river; attitude of shipmate to civilian internees who had served in China pre-war; visit to Japan; relations with Japanese civilians; shipmate contracting VD; conditions during typhoon; visit to Nagasaki, Japan.
REEL 12 Continues: use of Japanese POWs working parties in dry dock in Singapore; relations with Japanese POWs; leave in Port Dixon, Malaya; visit to Singapore; visit to Fiji Islands; attitude to end of war; visit to New Zealand; mine threat on route to Singapore. Aspects of return to GB and demobilisation, 1946: taking passage on HMS Indefatigable; customs declarations at Southampton; duties in barracks at Portsmouth; demobilisation; adjusting to civilian life.
REEL 13 Continues: employment on leaving Royal Navy. Reflections on service aboard HMS Belfast, 1943-1946: crossing of line ceremony; worst experience ashore on Sword Beach, 6/1944; attitude to serving aboard HMS Belfast.