Description
Object description
British cadet at Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, GB and aboard training ship HMS Vindictive in GB coastal waters, 1934-1938; midshipman served aboard HMS Repulse, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters, 1938-1940; officer served aboard HMS Aurora, 15th Cruiser Sqdn in North Atlantic; trained as observer with Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1941; served with Fleet Air Arm at Royal Naval Air Station, Tanga, Tanganyika and French Madagascar, 1942-1943; served with 814 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Implacable, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters and off Norway, 9/1944-3/1945; served with 828 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Implacable, British Pacific Fleet in Pacific, 4/1945-8/1945; various appointments with Fleet Air Arm and Royal Navy, 1945-1971
Content description
REEL 1 Background in South Kensington, London, GB, 1921-1934: family; education; interest in joining Royal Navy. Recollections of enlistment and training as cadet at Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, GB, 1934-1938: nature of Admiralty selection board; uniform worn as cadet; attitude to going to Dartmouth; arrival at Dartmouth; character of Benbow Term; movement of terms around college; accommodation; provision of chest and importance of tidiness; discipline and punishment; daily routine.
REEL 2 Continues: handling cutters; division of times between non-naval education and naval education; cadet captain system; hierarchy of college; choir practice; treatment and behaviour of cadets; civil branch of masters; question of working for examinations; recreational activities; length of course; passing out. Aspects of sea training as cadet aboard training ship HMS Vindictive in GB coastal waters, 1938: Scandinavian cruise; duties aboard HMS Vindictive; living conditions aboard; duties on board ship; messing arrangements; losses to term during Second World War.
REEL 3 Continues: degree of anticipation of coming war, 1938. Recollections of period as midshipman aboard HMS Repulse, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters, 1938- 1940: joining battlecruiser after three month period on board HMS Nelson; question of what makes a happy ship; cancellation of ship's role during royal visit to Canada; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 9/1939; duties on board ship; character of his action station in spotting top; incident of being concussed; nature of gunroom; move to Loch Ewe; duties aboard ship's drifter; reaction to loss of ship in Far East; leaving ship. Aspects of Period as midshipman at HMS Excellent, Whale Island, Portsmouth, GB, 1940-1941: situation in Portsmouth; pattern of training; attitude to Submarine Service.
REEL 4 Continues: Aspects of period as officer aboard HMS Aurora, 15th Cruiser Sqdn in GB coastal waters and North Atlantic, 1941: orders to report to ship at Scapa Flow; characteristics of ship; working for watchkeeping certificate; nature of wardroom; duties on board ship; refitting in South Shields; duties in turret; evacuating Spitzbergen Island, Norway. Recollections of training as observer with Fleet Air in GB, 1941-1942: background to joining Fleet Air Arm; navigational training at HMS Condor, Royal Naval Air Station, Arbroath; flying in Fairey Swordfish.
REEL 5 Continues: stating preference for service in South Africa. Recollections of period as observer with Fleet Air Arm at Royal Naval Air Station Tanga in Tanganyika, 1942-1943: character of first airstrip; move to French Madagascar; operating in French Madagascar; living conditions; relations with army units; return to Royal Naval Air Station Tanga; anti-submarine patrols in Indian Ocean; reinforcement flight to Egypt; use of air mail; Empire Flying Boat routes; return to GB. Recollections of operations as observer with 814 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Implacable, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters and off Norway, 9/1944-3/1945: characteristics of Fairey Barracuda; abortive operation to attack German battleship Tirpitz aboard HMS Formidable.
REEL 6 Continues: role of observers in Fleet Air Arm; preparations for operations; need to find carrier after operations; determining course of aircraft and location of carrier; aircraft carried aboard HMS Implacable for shipping strike off Norwegian coast; minor wounding from anti-aircraft fire during torpedoing of ship; treatment for wounds; structure of squadron; squadron maintenance crews; accommodation on board; preparation of aircraft for operations; need to get aircraft rapidly off the carrier during operations; landing on carrier. Recollections of operations as observer with 828 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Implacable, British Pacific Fleet in Pacific, 4/1945-8/1945: re-equipping with Grumman Avengers in Ceylon; initial problems with Grumman Avenger aircraft.
REEL 7 Continues: story of ditching in Grumman Avenger aircraft from carrier, 14/6/1945; return to aircraft carrier after transfer from rescuing destroyer; question of aircraft carriers being able to stop engines when aircraft went overboard; accidents on flight deck; watch system worked; attitude of Fleet Air Arm aircrew; relations between regulars and non hostilities naval personnel; wardroom life; arrival in Pacific; air-sea rescue facilities provided by United States Navy submarines; attacks made on Japanese mainland.
REEL 8 Continues: awareness of Japanese Kamikaze attacks and intensity of defences when attacking Japan; reaction to dropping of atomic bombs, 8/1945; maintaining contact with family; daily routine aboard HMS Implacable after end of war; on board cinema; attitude to end of Second World War, 15/8/1945; wartime leave; ashore in Sydney, Australia; return to GB; disposal of Lend-Lease Grumman Avenger aircraft. Aspects of flying training with Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1946-1947: background to decision to become pilot; pattern of flying training; deck landing in Fairey Firefly on aircraft carrier. Aspects of period as pilot with Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Triumph. Mediterranean Fleet in Mediterranean and Malta, 1947-1949: pattern of service in Malta; rank held; prior recollection of award for Distinguished Service Cross; flying from Malta; promotion to squadron commander.
REEL 9 Continues: Recollections of various postings with Fleet Air Arm and Royal Navy in GB, 1951-1971: posting as air officer commanding at HMS Daedalus, Royal Naval Air Station Lee on Solent; Taranto nights; staff role appointing pilots at Admiralty, 1953-1955; staff job with North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) on Malta, 1955-1958; commanding HMS Loch Insh in Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean, 1958-1959; attitude to commanding ship; difficulties of independent command; joining directing staff at Joint Service Staff Colllege, Latimer, GB, 1960-1962; relations between services; duties as chief of naval intelligence at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), Paris, France, 1963-1965.
REEL 10 Continues: influence of British within North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO); daily routine at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE); annual exercises; staff role with Director Naval Technology and Weapons Policy at Ministry of Defence in London, GB, 1966-1968; taking role as Senior Officer at War College, Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London, GB, 1969-1971; purpose of course; role as positive vetting officer in GB, 1971; attitude to having served with Royal Navy, 1934-1971.
