Smithers, Alfred (Oral history)

British stoker trained at HMS Pembroke, Chatham, GB, 1933-1934; served aboard HMS Colombo on East Indies Station, 1934-1935; served aboard HMS Fortune in GB coastal waters and Mediterranean, 1936-1938; served aboard HMS Hostile during Norwegian campaign and in Mediterranean, 1939-1940 including sinking off Cape Bon, 1940

REEL 1 Background in Ramsgate, GB, 1915-1933: family; education; employment; membership of British Sailor Society; uniform worn by British Sailor Society. Enlistment and training with Royal Navy at HMS Pembroke, Chatham in GB, 1933: enlistment and recruitment procedure; character of family home; reception on arrival at HMS Pembroke, Chatham; character of mess. REEL 2 Continues: slinging hammock; issue of uniform; pattern of basic training; training as stoker; examination at end of course; degree of leave entitlement and incident when his shirt was used for mopping floor; further details of stoker training; operations of boilers; further details of final test; method of drafting to ships; passing out parade; character of his parents; further details of passing out parade; reasons for not being a drinking man; embarkation leave. REEL 3 Continues: Aspects of taking passage on board HMS Calcutta from GB to Port Tewfik, Egypt; 1934; messing arrangements on board HMS Calcutta; ship biscuits; dealing with seasickness; seamens method of providing chewing tobacco; supplies of cigarettes and tobacco. Recollections of period as stoker aboard HMS Colombo on East Indies Station, 1934-1935: joining ship and sailing for Ceylon; attending regattas; relations between officers and ratings; daily routine in boiler rooms; watch system; other duties; captains' inspections; disciplinary measures; ashore in Colombo, Ceylon; duties in Indian Ocean; recreational activities; character of forecastle; make and mend; drinking kai. REEL 4 Continues: quality of rations; further details of duties in Indian Ocean; attending dance interrupted by dacoits; return to GB. Aspects of period as stoker aboard HMS Fortune in GB coastal waters and Mediterranean, 1936-1938: process of applying for promotion; contrast between destroyers and light cruisers; ship's armament; patrols of Spanish coast; aftermath of sinking of Republican warship; examination for leading stoker on leaving ship and joining submarine depot ship, HMS Maidstone. Aspects of period as leading stoker aboard HMS Hostile in Mediterranean and during Norwegian campaign, 1939-1940: character of Fleet destroyers; duties as furnace repairman and motor boat driver; duties on board motor boat; reaction to start of Second World War; journey to Malta to join ship. REEL 5 Continues: duties on board ship; character of destroyer; shadowing Italian troopship towards Suez Canal, 9/1939; search for Graf Spee, late 1939; story of attempts to pick up airman prior to sinking of HMS Barham, 1941, his action station with repair party; clothing worn in repair parties; move to Narvik, Norway, 4/1940; memories of First Battle of Narvik, 4/1940; reaction to being in action; description of term 'flat'. REEL 6 Continues: Recollections of sinking of HMS Hostile in Mediterranean, 1940: mining of ship; settling of ship in water and preparing to abandoning ship; reasons for guarding mess decks; abandoning ship; reaction to sinking of ship; period in sea; rescue by destroyer; reaction to Captain's speech in Malta after sinking. Aspects of various postings with Royal Navy, 1942-1945: joining HMS Jervis, 1941; duties with a tank recovery unit in North Africa, 1942; duties as stoker aboard HMS Medway in Alexandria, Egypt, c1942-1943: character of submarine repair ship; duties; drafting to HMS Urchin; promotion to petty officer, 1943. REEL 7 Continues: return to GB from Ceylon, 1945; duties collecting V1 launching ramps in France, 1945; duties in occupied Germany, 1945; demobilisation in Chatham, 1945; adjusting to civilian life and territorial army and naval reserve duties after 1945. Decorations awarded. Nature of war service.