Description
Object description
British boy seaman and seaman served aboard HMS Enterprise in Indian Ocean, 1941-1942; served as coxwain with Combined Operations in GB, during Normandy landings and in Netherlands, 1943-1945; served aboard HMS Bramble in GB coastal waters and North Sea, 1946-1947; served aboard HMS Virago in Mediterranean, 1948-1949; petty officer served aboard HMS Diamond in GB coastal waters, 1950-1954
Content description
REEL 1 Background in GB and Canada, 1924-1939: family; education. Aspects of period as boy seaman at HMS Ganges, Shotley, GB, 1939-1940: reasons for enlistment in Royal Navy, 9/1939; pattern of training; adjusting to naval life; schoolwork; further details of training; leisure time; continuation training at Fort Borstal, Chatham; sporting activities; atmosphere during Phoney War, 1939-1940; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 9/1939. Voyage aboard TS Durban Castle from GB to Ceylon, 1941. Recollections of operations as boy seaman and seaman served aboard HMS Enterprise in Indian Ocean, 1941- 1942: drafting to ship in Ceylon; presence of cockroaches on board; escorting troopship to Singapore, 2/1942.
REEL 2 Continues: character of ship; disembarking party of Royal Marines in Rangoon, Burma; patrolling in Bay of Bengal; rescue of survivors from HMS Dorsetshire and HMS Cornwall; method of embarking survivors; treatment of survivors on board; reception on arrival on board ship; messing arrangements; duties as hammock boy; status of captain; relations between officers and other ranks; sleeping arrangements; infestations of crabs amongst the crew; ablutions; rations; move of fleet to Mombasa.
REEL 3 Continues: nature of convoys escorted; threat of German commerce raiders; lack of threat of Japanese submarines and surface craft, 1942; ashore in Mombasa, Kenya; desertion of two crew members in Simonstown, South Africa; promotion to ordinary then able seaman after 4/1942; role as captain of the heads; pay; mail; arrival in Glasgow, 12/1942. Aspects of period as coxwain with Combined Operations in GB, 1943- 1944: drafting to Combined Operations after paying off of HMS Enterprise, 4/1943; attitude to drafting; character of Landing Craft Assault; training on River Hamble; joining HMS Princess Maud; allocation to US forces. Aspects of operations as coxwain with Combined Operations on Omaha Beach, Normandy, D-Day, 6/6/1944: embarking US Rangers; sight of dead US rangers in waters; mortar hit on his LCA; landings on Omaha Beach.
REEL 4 Continues: sinking of Duplex Drive tanks off Omaha Beach; replacement of damage LCAs; duties on beachhead, 9/6/1944. Aspects of operations as coxwain with Combined Operations during Walcheren landings, Netherlands, 10/1944: journey to Belgium; landings at Walcheren Island; leading Buffalo amphibious tanks across to Flushing; sinking of LCAs and method of dodging shells; duties in Netherlands after landings. Aspects of period as seaman aboard HMS Bramble in GB coastal waters and North Sea, 1946-1947: minesweeping duties; problems with acoustic mines of Netherlands coast; story of having to explain to flotilla leader to move from HMS Bramble's anchorage. Aspects of period as electricians mate aboard HMS Virago in Mediterranean, 1948-1949: duties as leading electricians mate; treatment of seamen by Israeli authorities; area of deployment. Aspects of period as petty officer aboard HMS Diamond in GB coastal waters, 1950-1954: length of service on board ship; collision with HMS Swiftsure.
REEL 5 Continues: reasons for leaving Royal Navy, 1954. Return to civilian life and employment from 1954. Reflections on service with Royal Navy, 1939-1954: problems of marriage in Royal Navy in post war Mediterranean; types of landing crafts used during D-Day landings, 6/6/1944; reaction to being underfire on Omaha Beach, D-Day, 6/6/1944; impressions of US Rangers on D-Day, 6/6/1944; attitude towards Germans and Japanese; attitude to serving with Royal Navy during Second World War.