Interview with Derek Wells-Brown

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Description

Object description

British seaman served with Royal Navy on shore duties in Liverpool, GB, 1941; served aboard HMS Beaufort, 5th Destoyer Flotilla in Mediterranean, 12/1941-11/1942; officer cadet trained at HMS King Alfred III, Lancing, GB, 1942-1943; officer served aboard HMS Portchester Castle, 30th Escort Group in GB coastal waters, North Sea, North and South Atlantic, 7/1943-5/1945

Content description

REEL 1 Background in Mill Hill, GB, 1922-1939: origin of family name; childhood in Mill Hill; education; reaction to prospect of becoming naval cadet at Royal Naval College Dartmouth; interest in country matters; father's advice on leaving school, 1939; experience of farm work, 1939-1940. Aspects of enlistment and training with Royal Navy in GB, 1940-1941: background to volunteering for Royal Navy; pattern of initial training at Devonport; work as Royal Navy policeman at Lime Street Railway Station, Liverpool; volunteering for bomb disposal work in Liverpool. REEL 2 Continues: dealing with unexploded bombs in Liverpool Docks. Recollections of operations as operations as seaman aboard HMS Beaufort, 5th Destroyer Flotilla in Mediterranean, 12/1941-11/1942: drafting to destroyer, 12/1941; loading ammunition; messing arrangements; captain's method of command; working up period; issue of tropical kit for first convoy; ashore in Freetown, Sierra Leone; diverting of ship to Mediterranean; submarine scare in Suez Canal, Egypt; acting as guard ship on interned French Navy warships in Alexandria Harbour, Egypt; picking up survivors; problems with lifebelts; role as gunnery officer's mate; death of seaman by accidental firearm discharge; picking up of survivors destroyers sinking after shore bombardment of Tobruk, Libya, 3/1942; narrow escape during unloading ammunition on Malta; Aspects of period as officer cadet with HMS King Alfred III, Lancing, GB, 1942: in transit camp in desert; taking passage to GB. REEL 3 Continues: leave in South Africa; guard duties whilst officer cadet training at HMS King Alfred at Lancing College; navigational examination. Recollections of operations as officer with HMS Portchester Castle, 30th Escort Group in GB coastal waters, North Sea, North Atlantic and South Atlantic, 7/1943-5/1945: drafting to ship under construction at Newcastle upon Tyne, GB; attending anti-submarine school; accident after party with dock workers; start of convoy escort duties in North Atlantic; reasons for changing name; surrender of German Navy submarines, 5/1945; visit to Bergen, Norway, 5/1945; duties aboard former German Navy submarine on voyage from Norway to Northern Ireland, 5/1945; air-sea rescue duties in South Atlantic. REEL 4 Continues: attempt to contact fiancé after being diverted to Harwich, GB; prior recollection of guard duties with Home Guard; personal morale during service with Royal Navy; advice given to him as officer and importance of training; reaction to receiving bucket of human remains; story of removal of ship's equipment on its removal to Reserve Fleet; question of use of ship in film 'The Cruel Sea' (1953); applying to purchase ship's bell and how it ended up with Sea Scouts in Portchester; occasion when he witness St Elmo's Fire; opinion of captain, Lieutenant Alexander Scott; attack on German submarine U-484 in which ship engulfed in burning diesel in North Atlantic, 9/9/1944; attending training course prior to demobilisation. REEL 5 Continues: Post-war life and employment: work for chartered surveyor on return to civilian life, 1946; pattern of civilian employment; retirement; account of personal life; childhood memories; childhood sailing activities; education. REEL 6 Continues: Reflections on service with Royal Navy, 1940-1945: washing facilities in naval barracks; drying clothes at sea; character of cocoa served at sea; opening fire on Royal Air Force Supermarine Spitfire aircraft aboard HMS Beaufort in Mediterranean; role of HMS Beaufort as guard ship in Alexandria Harbour, Egypt; need to keep alert; victory celebrations, 1945; relations with Americans; amusing story of American civilian workers presence on board; attitude towards Germans.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
Frith, Debbie (Recorder)
Wells-Brown, Derek (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 2006-08-24
Dimensions: whole: Duration 180, Number Of Items 6
Catalogue number: 29272

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Interview with Derek Wells-Brown

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