Description
Object description
British writer served aboard HMS Laforey in GB coastal waters and Mediterranean, 1942-1943; served in Certificate Room, Royal Navy in Portsmouth, GB, 1943-1944; officer cadet at HMS King Alfred in Brighton, GB, 1944; officer served as supply officer aboard HMS Speaker in GB coastal waters and Pacific, 1944-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Peterborough, GB, 1922-1939: family; awareness of situation in Europe; employment as journalist. Aspects of period as civilian journalist in Peterborough, GB, 1939-1941: joining Local Defence Volunteers, 6/1940; guard duties with Peterborough Home Guard; reporting German Air Force bombing of Peterborough swimming pool, 9/1939; evacuees in family home. Aspects of enlistment and training as writer with Royal Navy in GB, 1942: background to volunteering for Royal Navy, 1941; call up to HMS Royal Arthur at Skegness, early 1942; drafting to writer's course at Highgate; preference for small ship service; role of naval writers. Recollections of operations as writer aboard HMS Laforey in GB coastal waters and Mediterranean, 1942-1943: duties aboard destroyer.
REEL 2 Continues: joining ship at Southampton; reception on arrival; working up period; quality of writer's uniform; allocation to mess; loss of buoy jumper; sea conditions on route to North Africa, 12/1942; story of taking Strathallen in tow; move to port of Bone; duties on Oerlikon gun; German Air Force raid on Bone, 9/1/1943; torpedo attack on ship by German E-boats.
REEL 3 Continues: spotting German aircraft off Bone, 3/1943; under-fire from German Tiger tank off Tunisian coast; sail of dead man's affects; capture of ships during Operation Retribution; discussion of photographs; ashore in Algiers; move to Malta; question of security risks on Malta; beer glasses in Valetta; presence of VIPs on board during Sicilian landings, 7/1943; bombardment of Sicily, 7/1943; sinking of Italian submarine Ascianghi off Sicily, 23/7/1943.
REEL 4 Continues: damage to ship during Salerno landings; background to leaving ship in Malta and fate of ship. Aspects of period as writer in Certificate Room, Royal Navy in Portsmouth GB, 1943-1944: descriptions of seaman's certificate; failure of officer selection board at Chatham; issue of kit on volunteering for Combined Operations at Selsey Bill; attending second officer selection board. Aspects of period as officer cadet at HMS King Alfred in GB, 1944: commissioning; role of Legal Branch; role as victualling officer; method of paying seamen.
REEL 5 Continues: Recollections of operations as Supply Officer aboard HMS Speaker in Pacific, 1944-1945: appointment to ship in Dundee, 9/1944; characteristics of aircraft carrier; issue of rum ration; leave after hospitalisation, 9/1944; visit to Glamis Castle; story of meeting Wren; voyage to GB to Ceylon; memories of other officers in supply branch; role as Air Secretary; aircraft taking off and landing on flight deck; sings extract relating to A25 form; role of aircraft handlers.
REEL 6 Continues: voyage through Mediterranean to Australia, 12/1944; ashore in Australia; move to Manus Island; description of Fleet Train; duration of periods at sea; removal of 840 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm to HMS Illustrious; celebrating 4th of July and VJ Day, 1945; degree of awareness of atomic bomb; move to Tokyo Bay, 8/1945; taking former Allied POWs on board; story of finding POW's brother; narrow miss from collision on leaving Tokyo Bay.
REEL 7 Continues: amusing story of captain confusing crew member for POW; ashore at Nagasaki; painting ship on route to Sydney, Australia, 11/1945; presence of illusionist on board during voyage to Hong Kong; return to GB; disposal of rum overboard; paying off of ship and appointment to HMS Gosling; background to formation of HMS Speaker Association.