Interview with Arthur William Naisbitt

British petty officer served as engineer served aboard HMT Weasel, British Pacific Fleet in Pacific, 4/1945-6/1945; served aboard HMS Speaker, 30th Aircraft Carrier Sqdn, British Pacific Fleet in Pacific, 7/1945-9/1945; served aboard HMS Vengeance, British Pacific Fleet in Pacific, 1945-1946

REEL 1 Background in Jarrow, GB, 1923-1939: family; education. Aspects of period as apprentice with Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd in Jarrow, GB, 1940-1943: working on condensers and values; membership of 25th (Jarrow) Bn County Durham Home Guard; German Air Force Raids on Jarrow; working on HMS Belfast; reconditioning former United States Navy Lend-Lease destroyers; reserved occupation status; discovery of colour blindness on attempt to enlist as aircrew with Royal Air Force; his fining for going on one day strike about Reserved Occupation status. Aspect of enlistment and training as engineer with Royal Navy in GB, 1944-1945: background to enlistment; pattern of training at Devonport; drunken recruit; reaction to drafting to Coastal Forces at Harwich. REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of period on draft in Australia, 1944-1945: volunteering for overseas service; voyage aboard HMT Stirling Castle from GB to Australia, 1945; in tented accommodation prior to drafting to British Pacific Fleet; relations between American and Australia military personnel; flight to Manus Island. Aspects of operations as engineer aboard HMT Weasel, British Pacific Fleet in Pacific, 4/1945-6/1945: joining salvage tug, 4/1945; facilities on Manus Island, Admiralty Islands; damage to carrier in collision; accidental deaths during Japanese Kamikaze attacks; character of salvage tug; story of sailing through typhoon; leaving salvage tug in Sydney, Australia. Aspects of operations as engineer aboard HMS Speaker, 30th Aircraft Carrier Sqdn, British Pacific Fleet in Pacific, 6/1945-8/1945: joining escort carrier; characteristics of escort carrier. REEL 3 Continues: crash of Fleet Air Arm aircraft on deck; problems of serving at sea; reaction to hearing of dropping of atomic bombs on Japan, 8/1945; leaving escort carrier in Hong Kong. Aspects of period as engineer aboard HMS Vengeance, British Pacific Fleet in Pacific, 1945-1946: Japanese surrender; state of former Japanese prisoners of war; ashore in Hong Kong. Aspects of period on shore duties in Hong Kong, Indian Ocean, Ceylon and Kenya, 1946-1947: drafting to submarine depot ship HMS Adamant in Hong Kong; story of coxswain crashing boat into dockyard steps and Chinese junk; drafting to Ceylon; entertainment in Ceylon; encounters with snakes; incident of being fired on during gun calibration exercise; ashore in Maldive Islands. REEL 4 Continues: move to Mombasa, Kenya; incident of uncomfortable taxi ride; medical treatment in Ceylon; nature of return voyage in troopship from Kenya to GB, 1947; demobilisation, 1947; question of threats of mutiny in Royal Navy, 1946; prior recollection of presence of Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA) party on aboard HMS Speaker, 1945.