Description
Object description
British telegraphist and writer served with Royal Navy in GB, 1943-1944; writer and petty officer served aboard HMS Holderness in GB, North Sea and English Channel, 1944-1945; petty officer served with Royal Navy in GB, 1945-1947
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Cologne, Germany, and GB, 1925-1943: family; changes to life after 1/1933 including attack on family shop; education in Germany and Brighton; civilian work in Birmingham; visit to Polish Consulate and refusal to join Polish Armed Forces; Polish background; opinion of nationality including settling into life in GB; details of family business including relationship with community and experiences of anti- Semitic behaviour; story of giving Heil Hitler salute; propaganda in education; father's involvement in Dutch business; smuggling of gold into Netherlands; restrictions on life of Jews; leisure activities; journey to Brighton; religion including discipline at school and talk on joining navy; memories of childhood; opinion of Adolf Hitler; question of joining Hitler Youth; awareness of political situation; contact with parents after move to Brighton including visits to Germany.
REEL 2 Continues: deportation of parents to Polish Corridor; escape of parents to Hungary and emigration to Palestine; bullying and discipline during education in Germany and Brighton; beatings received from host and effect on education; further details of education including changes following evacuation of school to Wales, 1940; desire to become opera singer and singing experience; meetings with entertainers; father's plans for Gartenberg; reactions to outbreak of war; changes to life after start of war including involvement in exercises; midnight feasts in air raid shelters; involvement in transfer of school to Llangadog; memories of time in Llangadog; story of fire at school including evacuation of stores; details of move to Talley; memories of period in Talley.
REEL 3 Continues: contact with girls; further memories of period in Wales including contact with wounded troops and involvement in bridge; knowledge of war's progress; departure from school; question of reaction to German background; civilian work in Birmingham including effect of Churchill's speeches; accommodation and leisure activities; details of air raids including shelter taken; food during war; contact with parents including cigarettes smoked during service.
REEL 4 Continues: story of visit to Polish Consulate and refusal to join Polish Armed Forces; attempt to join-up, 10/1942; letter written to MP; joining of Royal Navy including selection as telegraphist; story of visit to army recruitment centre; posting to HMS Royal Arthur; meeting of Philip Ansty during journey to Skegness. Aspects of period as telegraphist and writer with Royal Navy in GB, 11/1943-9/1944: processing and medical; story of condom in food; fire watching duties; story of urinating during fire watching duty; details of toughening up training at HMS Cagot in Wetherby, 11/1943; story of attendance at synagogue; swimming training in Harrogate; reflections on toughening up training; story of stating special skills; train journey to Aberdeen; allocation of accommodation; details of accommodation and hosts; telegraphy training at HMS Shrapnel, 12/1943; leisure activities.
REEL 5 Continues: relationship with local woman; student rag day; visits to cinema; story of ice skating; learning to send and receive Morse code; posting to HMS Scotia in Ayr, 4/1944; items taken on train journey to Ayr; final telegraphy training; story of interview with French Naval officer; signals training; examinations and results; story of attendance at funeral; story of day at Devonport; journey to RNTE Southmead near Wimbledon; signing of Official Secrets Act; tests undertaken; second period at Devonport and news of posting.
REEL 6 Continues: seamanship instruction received; bromide in tea; events on arrival at RNTE Southmead, 7/1944; background and memories of colleagues including change of rank to writer and navy number; memories of Lieutenant George Chambers; relationship with colleagues; location of and life at RNTE Southmead; guard duties including story of allowing an armed man into establishment; story of threat of charge for desertion; details of VHF radio waves; description and use of Hallicrafters VHF receiver; learning of German codes; story of V1 raid; guard duties; story of avoiding charge; fire watching duties and other stories of V1 raids.
REEL 7 Continues: stories of V2 raids experienced in Croydon and Hammersmith; role of time at RNTE Southmead; story of dinner date. Aspects of operations as writer and petty officer aboard HMS Holderness in North Sea and English Channel, 9/1944-5/1945: posting to HMS Holderness at Sheerness; journey to and boarding of ship; description of mess; introductions from Leading Seaman Ginger Bradley and Tommy Standish including description of airlocks; details of ship and weapons; abuse received from, Able Seaman Pop Eldridge and reason for change in attitude; story of drinking Eldridge's rum ration; grudge fights; memories of Petty Officer Tojo; details and issue of rum ration.
REEL 8 Continues: supply of rations; story of collecting rations, Christmas 1944; Christmas celebrations, 1944; description and location of work station; organisation of shifts; defence and action stations; reason for working at night; story of defecating self during patrol off Hull; story of helping to evade a torpedo; talk and awards issued after return to port; contact with shore-based officer; story of nervous crew member; leisure activities and story of almost losing boots; freak transmissions picked up on VHF including conversation between German skippers and German pilot being hit; story of attack on convoy off Thanet and survivors taken aboard HMS Holderness; return voyage to Dieppe as escort to HMS Garth taking King George VI to visit troops; events during subsequent shore leave in Dover.
REEL 9 Continues: voyage to Antwerp shortly after liberation including scenes of V2s; shore leave in Antwerp including story of visit to brothel; contact with German POWs taken onboard; contact with Polish and American sailors; sleeping arrangements; shore leave in Grimsby; story of Tug of War competition in Grimsby harbour; hospitalisation in Sheerness; question of choice in posting; training in survival at sea; further details of Hallicrafters VHF receiver; reactions during action.
REEL 10 Continues: story of shelling of ship; news of war's end and alert on last night; VE Day celebrations in London; period at RMTE Southmead, 6/1945; posting to HMS Meynell at Sheerness. Aspects of period as petty officer with Royal Navy in GB and Germany, 6/1945-2/1947: role of ship; own role during voyage; details of passengers onboard including seasickness; cleaning-up and breakfast; shore leave in Hamburg including weapon carried; story of voyage up River Elbe to visit Russians including contact with civilians; return to Hamburg and story of brew-up in pub; return to Sheerness; story of depth charge practice; return to RNTE Southmead and examinations undertaken; news of results and reason for not gaining commission.
REEL 11 Continues: details of posting in Edinburgh; rations; details of translation work; leisure activities including accommodation and visit to dentist; posting to HMS Pembroke at Chatham; accommodation; posting to demobilisation section; duties; story of phone call received from German school friend including history of friend; posting to HMS President in London; details of work on Great Smith Street; use of navy meal vouchers; application for compassionate leave in Palestine; voyage to Port Said onboard HMS Indomitable including duties; problems faced on arrival and duties in charge of defaulters; voyage to Haifa; story of argument with officer; journey to Tel Aviv; leave with parents in Tel Aviv; scenes of illegal immigrants in Haifa; train journey to Port Said; return voyage to GB including seasickness; process of demobilisation, 2/1947.
REEL 12 Continues: question of staying in navy. Aspects of period as civilian in GB from 1947: translation work with Royal Navy; writing about experiences; attitude to Germans during and after war including fates of family members; return visits to Germany; discussion of Israel including civilian life in Israel, 1949-1953, and lectures given on the subject.
