Woodley, George Frederick (Oral history)

British boy seaman trained at HMS St Vincent, Gosport, GB, 1936-1937; served aboard HMS Revenge in GB coastal waters, 1937; boy seaman and seaman served aboard HMS Nelson in GB coastal waters and Mediterranean, 1938-1939; served aboard HMS Belfast in GB coastal waters, 1939; served aboard HMS Delight in GB coastal waters and during Norwegian campaign, 1940 including sinking off Portland, 7/1940; attended gunnery course at Gunnery School, HMS Excellent, Whale Island, GB, 7/1940-9/1940; served aboard Q ship, HMS Crispin in Atlantic, 1940-1941 including sinking 2/1941; served aboard HMS Griffin in Mediterranean and Indian Ocean, 1941-1942; served aboard HMS Coventry in Mediterranean, 1942 including sinking 9/1942; served aboard HMS Poole in Mediterranean, 1942-1943; served with Naval Despatch Sorting Office at HMS Excellent, Portsmouth, GB, 1943-1945; served aboard HMS Caradoc in Ceylon, 3/1945- 8/1945; petty officer served aboard HMS Gorleston in Far East, 1945-1946; served on shore duties with HMAS Cerberus and HMAS Lonsdale in Australia, 1948; served on shore duties with HMS Driad, Portsmouth, GB, 1951-1953; served with HMS Hornet, Portsmouth, GB, 1953-1955; served aboard HMS Glasgow in GB coastal waters and Mediterranean, 1955-1957 served aboard HMS Armada in GB coastal waters, Baltic and Mediterranean, 1957-1958; served on shore duties at Horsey Island, GB, 1958-1959; served on shore duties with HMS Dolphin, Gosport, GB, 1959-1961

REEL 1 Background in Basingstoke and Ramsdale, GB, 1921-1936: family; early education; family living conditions; father's motorbike; family's radio; family return to Basingstoke, 1931; boxing and swimming activities. Recollections of enlistment and training as boy seaman at HMS St Vincent, Gosport, GB, 8/1936-7/1937: decision to enlist in Royal Navy; parent's reaction to his enlistment; reception on arrival at HMS St Vincent; issue of uniform; quality of food; ablution and laundry facilities; accommodation; attending divisions; character of instruction. REEL 2 Continues: gunnery instruction; boat instruction in Portsmouth Harbour; pay; activities on Saturday; leave arrangements; discipline and punishments; adjusting to barrack life; hospitalisation for pneumonia at Haslar Hosptial; second period of hospitalisation for removal of tonsils, c1937; final examinations. Aspects of period as boy seaman aboard HMS Revenge in GB coastal waters, 7/1937-12/1937: issue of new uniform; holy stoning decks; joining ship; pattern of training on board; training cruise; reasons for working in bare feet; watch system worked by boy seamen. REEL 3 Continues: striking top mast of ship in order to cross under the Forth bridge; conditions on board ship; messing arrangements; ablutions; recreational activities; amusing story of bandmaster playing 'Colonel Bogey'; dealing with homosexual approach by older seaman. Aspects of period as boy seaman aboard HMS Nelson in GB coastal waters, 1938- 1939: duties as commander's messenger; action station on torpedo control; effect of firing guns on board ship; change in pay on promotion to ordinary seaman, 1939; conditions on board ship; watch system worked on board; duties with motor boat crew. REEL 4 Continues: daily routine of motor boats; maintenance of motor boats; duties as sideboy; leaving boy service on promotion to ordinary seaman; participation in Mediterranean cruise including visit to Lisbon, painting of turret red, white and blue to enforce neutrality during Spanish Civil War and impressions of Malta; ashore in Invergordon; description of reasons why X was added to seaman numbers; Captain Makey-Jones lectures. Recollections of operations as seaman aboard HMS Belfast in GB coastal waters, 1939: drafting to ship in Belfast, 7/1939; reaction to initial duties on telephone exchange; later duties with 4inch anti-aircraft gun and as helmsman. REEL 5 Continues: initial impressions of HMS Belfast; character of his mess; layout of the ship; sleeping arrangements on mess deck; carrying food from galley; fatigue climbing ladders; ship's crane and presence of Supermarine Walrus on board for trials; acceptance trials in Belfast, Northern Ireland; operating telephone exchange; duties with starboard 4 inch anti-aircraft gun crew; composition of gun crew; reaction to first time they had to load gun with live ammunition; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; reasons for move to Scapa Flow; use of watertight doors; duties steering ship in wheelhouse; character of ship's wheelhouse; amusing story of Royal Marine bugler announcing issue of potatoes; steering the ship. REEL 6 Continues: duties scrubbing anchor cable; weighing anchor; ship's hierarchy; use of watch bill; patrolling in north Atlantic, 9/1939-10/1939; interception of German merchantman, 10/10/1939; issue of prize money; orders to sail from Scapa Flow to Loch Ewe on sinking of HMS Royal Oak; mining of ship in Forth of Forth; single casualty during mining; emergency lighting on ship; aftermath of explosion; accommodation for survivors in Rosyth; reaction of crew to mining. Recollections of operations as seaman aboard HMS Delight in GB coastal waters and during Norwegian campaign, 1/1940-7/1940: drafting to ship, 1/1940; duties on .5 anti-aircraft guns; mining of HMS Daring; damage to ship on route to Norway; degaussing of ship in Glasgow; sight of first German aircraft to be shot down whilst evacuating troops from Aandalsnes. REEL 7 Continues: move to Harstad; patrolling fjord leading to Narvik; firing on German forces on shore; role with gun crew; effects on hearing of gunfire; German Air Force attacks; living conditions on board; messing arrangements; defence watches; location and size of mess decks; incident of being cautioned when he missed action stations; presence of water on mess decks; ablution facilities; evacuating Scots Guards from Bodo; transferring troops to troopships; reaction of Norwegians to British forces leaving Norway; loss of hostilities only crewman at Narvik; escorting convoy to Scapa Flow; recovery of body of coxwain of HMS Ardent from Norwegian fishing boat. REEL 8 Continues: leave on return to Portsmouth; receiving mail from home; German Air Force attack on ship off Portland, 29/7/1940; damage to ship and casualties; evacuation of crew by motor torpedo boats; sinking of ship, 29/7/1940; survivors leave and discovery of shrapnel embedded in his back. Aspects of period on gunnery course at HMS Excellent, Whale Island, 7/1940-9/1940: anti- aircraft gunnery training; method of assessment; use of shelters at HMS Victory in Portsmouth during German Air Force raids; fighting fires at dockyard; bombing of sick bay; personnel morale during air raids and at sea; training on Oerlikon gun at Eastleigh. Recollections of operations as seaman aboard Q ship, HMS Crispin in Atlantic, 1940-1941: drafting to ship in Glasgow, 10/1940; question of merchant seamen's pay on board; reaction to drafting to ship; role of ship in protecting convoy from Focke Wulf Condor aircraft; disguising of his anti-aircraft gun; first Atlantic convoys. REEL 9 Continues: role and characteristics of ship; convoy escort duties; torpedoing of ship by U-101, 2/1941; abandoning ship; conditions in lifeboat; rescue by HMS Harvester; HMS Harvester's rescue of merchant seamen and sinking of damaged vessel; number of survivors and casualties; canteen managers acquiring mess funds. Recollections of operations as seaman aboard HMS Griffin in Mediterranean and Indian Ocean, 1941- 1942: voyage from GB to Egypt aboard Port Windham, 8/1941; drafting to ship with 14th Destroyer Flotilla on Tobruk supply runs; breaking record for turn round in Tobruk; first contact with Gurkha troops; picking up survivors after torpedoing of HMS Galatea. REEL 10 Continues: obtaining tow from HMS Echo; encounter with medical officer he rescued from HMS Galatea; torpedoing of HMS Barham; joining Eastern Fleet in Indian Ocean, 1942; presence of pet animals on board and how they left the ship; routine in Mediterranean; bombardment of Derna, Libya; ashore in Alexandria, Egypt; tropical routine; incident of seamen refusing to carry out orders in Mombasa, Kenya; punishment received for refusal to carry out orders; role escorting Malta convoy; hospitalisation in Egypt for dysentery. REEL 11 Continues: life on board destroyers including messing arrangements; recreational activities; relations between officers and ratings; inspections prior to going ashore; informal atmosphere on destroyers; prior recollection of disciplinary action taken against him as boy seaman aboard HMS Nelson; amusing story of seaman who made up excuse for being late back from leave; story of being disciplined for not having wooden gromit in cap c1957. Recollections of operations as seaman aboard HMS Coventry in Mediterranean, 6/1942- 9/1942 including sinking 14/9/1942: drafting to ship; theft of suitcase from train by Egyptian; allocation to number 7 Oerlikon gun; move to Beirut, Lebanon; protecting ships in Suez Canal; defence station in fighter direction; escorting HMS Sikh and HMS Zulu landing commandoes at Tobruk, Libya, 9/1942; dive bombing of ship by German aircraft, 14/9/1942. REEL 12 Continues: damage to ship and casualties; abandoning ship; loss of ship's dog; swimming to destroyer; sinking of ship by HMS Zulu; period ashore in Egypt. Recollections of operations as seaman aboard HMS Poole in Mediterranean, 1942-1943: joining ship at Alexandria, Egypt; character of fleet minesweeper; sweeping mines along the North African coast; method of minesweeping; duties as helmsman; conditions onboard fleet minesweepers; character of officers; minesweeping channel from Malta towards Sicily; watch system operated as helmsman; opinion of Malta; move to Sicily after invasion, c7/1943; opening fire on surfacing Italian submarine. REEL 13 Continues: leading invasion armada to Sicily; patrol duties after initial landings; accidental hits on ship from Allied vessel during attack by Italian Air Force; foraging on wrecks; opening fire on German aircraft attacking cruiser; problems with feet; ashore in Catania, Sicily; leaving ship; operating Oerlikon gun; orders to open fire; lack of protective clothing; protective shields on Oerlikon gun; number of guns and locations; question of hitting aircraft; surrender of Italian Fleet at Malta. REEL 14 Continues: return to GB aboard HMS Nelson. Aspects of period as seaman with Naval Despatch Sorting Office at HMS Excellent, Portsmouth, 12/1943-3/1945: training; role of office; despatch of mail; increase in mail prior to D-Day and introduction of two bag system for ships; meeting future wife serving with Auxiliary Territorial Service; marriage, 9/1944. Aspects of period as leading seaman aboard HMS Caradoc in Ceylon, 1945: drafting to ship in Colombo, 3/1945; memories of Leading Seaman Robert Tilburn a survivor of HMS Hood; accidental sinking of police boat; character of ship. Aspects of period as leading seaman and petty officer aboard HMS Gorleston in Far East, 1945-1946: drafting to ship; character of ship; landing troops during Operation Zipper. REEL 15 Continues: examinations for promotion to petty officer; living conditions for petty officers; duties with gunnery branch; service conditions for petty officers; abuses of rum ration; story of effects of rum on his birthday; providing guard of honour during Japanese surrender in Singapore; contact with former Far East Prisoners of War and their physical condition; return to GB; returning lend lease ship to US and then to GB. Aspects of period as petty officer with HMAS Cerberus and HMAS Lonsdale in Australia, 1948-1950: voyage to Australia. REEL 16 Continues: character of train journey from Perth to Sydney; drafting as recruits instructor to HMAS Cerebrus; playing football for depot; arrival of family; living conditions in Australia; service conditions on attachment to Royal Australian Navy; transfer to HMAS Lonsdale in Melbourne; regulating duties; Communist unrest in Melbourne at start of Korean War, 1950; return to GB, 12/1950. Aspect of period as petty officer with HMS Armada in GB coastal waters, Baltic and Mediterranean, 1957-1959: drafting to ship; work as anti- aircraft director; duties as starshell controller; accuracy of anti- aircraft guns. REEL 17 Continues: Aspects of period as petty officer with HMS Driad, Portsmouth, GB, 1951-1953: duties; birth of child in married quarters. Aspects of period as petty officer with HMS Hornet, Gosport, GB, 1953-1955: duties as coxwain; character of ex-German E-boat; visit to Napier factory in London. Aspects of period as petty officer aboard HMS Glasgow in Mediterranean and GB coastal waters, 1955-1957: joining ship in Mediterranean; duties on board; entering harbour; use of capstan; characteristics of ship. Aspects of period as petty officer aboard HMS Armada in GB coastal waters, Mediterranean and Baltic, 1957-1958: visit to Poland; visit to ship by English woman married to Pole; escorting royal yacht around Scottish islands; visits to Amsterdam, Netherlands, Kiel and Cuxhaven, Germany; relations with German Navy. REEL 18 Continues: flying of paying off pennant. Aspects of period as petty officer at Horsey Island, 1958-1959: nature of island; duties; drafting to HMS Dolphin, 1960-1961. Process of leaving Royal Navy, 1961 and adjusting to return to civilian life. Memories of childhood in Basingstoke and Ramsdale, GB, 1921-1936.