Description
Object description
British wireless mechanic served with Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Victorious in Pacific, 6/1943-9/1943; petty officer served with 881 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Pursuer in GB coastal waters, North Atlantic, Mediterranean and South Atlantic, 1/1944-5/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Greenwich, London and Alnwick, GB, 1921-1942: family; social circumstances; education; sporting activities; employment as sorting clerk and telegraphist with General Post Office, 1938-1942; recreational activities; attitude towards Adolf Hitler and approach of war; question of German Air Force raids in area; story of driving in blackout; rationing. Aspects of period as member of 2nd (Alnwick) Bn Northumberland Home Guard in Alnwick, GB, 1940-1942: volunteering with other General Post Office workers; uniform worn; issue of Ross Rifle; hand grenade training on rubbish tip; rifle and bayonet training; drill at Fenkle Street Drill Hall; story of inspection by senior officer; nature of tactical exercises; role acting as runner, relations with Other Ranks and officers.
REEL 2 Continues: Reserved Occupation status and question of call-up to Army Post Office. Aspects of enlistment in Royal Navy in GB, 8/1942: volunteering for service with Royal Navy, 8/1942; medical examination and question of heart murmur; selection for training as telegraphist. Recollections of training as seaman at HMS Royal Arthur, Skegness, GB, 9/1942-10/1942: reception, kitting out and question of religion; chalet accommodation; rations; drill; seamanship training; physical training; relations with fellow recruits and instructors; recreational visits into Skegness; passing out parade. Aspects of period training as telegraphist with Royal Navy at British School of Telegraphy, Stockwell, London, GB, 10/1942-2/1943: living conditions in accommodation; visits to theatre; Morse Code training and assessment. Aspects of period training as telegraphist at HMS Scotia, Ayr, GB, 1943: opinion of Morse Code instructors; learning coding system; Navy Day parades.
REEL 3 Continues: reception of Navy Day parades from civilians; passing out as ordinary telegraphist. Aspects of period on draft at Royal Naval Barracks, HMS Pembroke, Chatham, GB, 1943: sleeping in tunnels; fire watching duties; story of cockroaches; cricket activities; delay in drafting and volunteering for training as wireless mechanic with Fleet Air Arm. Aspects of period training as wireless mechanic with Fleet Air Arm at University of Wales, Cardiff, GB, 1943: accommodation; civilian academic lecturers; training and assessment in wireless theory; incident of receiving an electric shock; attending chapel and guest speakers; physical training sessions and opinion of instructor; story of passing out parade.
REEL 4 Continues: Aspects of training as wireless mechanic with Fleet Air Arm at Royal Naval Aircraft Training Establishment, HMS Ariel, Culcheth, GB, 1943: memories of female instructor in wireless repairs; loss of rum ration; attending classical music concert; examinations and passing out as leading wireless mechanic. Aspects of period on draft with Fleet Air Army at HMS Daedalus, Lee-on-Solent, GB, 1943: awaiting draft; swopping home posting for overseas draft; drafting procedure and kitting out; embarkation leave; voyage aboard HMT Louis Pasteur from GB to New York, United States of America, 1943. Aspects of period on draft with Royal Navy in United States of America, 1943: American rations; hotel accommodation at HMS Asbury, Asbury Park; receiving news of draft to HMS Victorious; story of visit to cowboy bar in Cheyenne during train journey to San Francisco.
REEL 5 Continues: Aspects of voyage aboard USS President Taylor from San Francisco to Hawaii, 4/1943: rebuilt nature of ship; conditions on board. Aspects of period as wireless mechanic with Fleet Air Arm on Hawaii, United States of America, 4/1943-5/1943: witnessing remnants from Japanese forces' attack at Pearl Harbor, 7/12/1941; barrack accommodation at Pearl Harbor; fatigue duties burying corpses; move to Barbers Point Naval Air Station, United States Navy, Hawaii, 4/1943; familiarisation with new wireless sets; issue of United States Navy uniforms; story of broadcast by Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Aspects of voyage aboard LST-475, United States Navy from Hawaii, United States Navy to Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, 5/1943: nature of landing ship tank and supplies carried; conditions and minimal duties; informal navigation lessons from United States Navy officer; musical activities; 'Crossing the Line' ceremony; running aground on island to deliver stores; visit to Pago Pago, Western Samoa, including sharks, unloading onto floating platform, attending church service and rumour of presence of head hunters; crossing date line; leaving ship. Aspects of period as wireless mechanic with Fleet Air Arm at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, 5/1943: tented accommodation.
REEL 6 Continues: pay problem; airfield construction activity; method of removing coconut husks; stink ants; open air cinema; voyage from Esprito Santo, New Hebrides to Nouméa, New Caledonia, 6/1943. Recollections of operations as wireless mechanic with Fleet Air Army aboard HMS Victorious, Task Group 36.3, Third Fleet, United States Navy in Pacific, 6/1943-9/1943: joining aircraft carrier; reception; nature of messdeck; general messing system and rations; composition of wireless section and nature of workshop above wireless hanger; relations with petty officers and leading mechanics; question of watch system worked; duties maintaining and repairing wireless sets for Grumman Martlet aircraft; incident of accidentally breaking wireless silence whilst testing sets in hangar and subsequent investigation; flight deck take off routine.
REEL 7 Continues: catapult take offs and fatal accident; flight deck landing procedure, problems and Lieutenant Pym's accident; informal technical debriefing with pilots on landing; incident of accidental discharge of Grumman Martlet aircraft's guns by pilot and armourer; advantage of armoured decks on Royal Navy aircraft carriers; temporary renaming of aircraft carrier, HMS Robin whist serving with United States Navy Third Fleet; story of visit by Admiral Chester Nimitz; oiling aircraft carrier and destroyers; nature of operations supporting landings on New Georgia, Solomon Islands, 8/1943; marine life and dolphins; return to Nouméa, New Caledonia; release from loan duty with United States Navy Third Fleet, 9/1944. Aspects of voyage from New Caledonia to GB via United States of America, 9/1944-10/1944: voyage to San Diego, United States of America; nature of passing through Panama Canal.
REEL 8 Continues: amusing story of berthing with tugs at Norfolk, United States of America; how relations with American civilians affected by previous fights with crew of HMS Illustrious; reaction to American style apartheid witnessed in Norfolk, United States of America; action stations as fire-fighter during false submarine alarm in North Atlantic; leaving aircraft carrier, 10/1943. Aspects of period as wireless mechanic with 881 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Army at HMS Ringtail, Royal Naval Air Station Burscough, GB and HMS Gannet, Royal Naval Air Station Eglinton, Northern Ireland, 1/1944: story of petty officer fighting boxer; amalgamation of 896 and 811 Naval Air Sqdns to form 881 Naval Air Sqdn; re-equipping of squadron with Grumman Wildcat; opinion of Canadian Lieutenant Commander Digby Cosh; site of beacon homing direction wireless set; recreational visits to Londonderry. Recollections of operations as petty officer with 881 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Pursuer in GB coastal waters, North Atlantic, Mediterranean and South Atlantic, 1/1944-5/1945: nature of escort carrier; boarding ship at Belfast Lough, Northern Ireland; prior promotion to petty officer; nature of petty officers' mess and comparison of hammock and bunk bed; opinion of Captain Harry Graham and working up exercises in Irish Sea; escorting joint Convoy OS67/KMS41 to Gibraltar, 2/1944, including composition of joint convoy, squadron air cover role, Grumman Wildcat successful interception of German Air Force bomber aircraft and use of wireless and flares to guide Grumman Wildcats back to escort carrier at night; personal morale.
REEL 9 Continues: story of visit ashore to bar at Gibraltar; voyage back to Scapa Flow, GB; nature of canteen on Flotta Island, GB; football activities; operations off coast of Norway, 3/1944-4/1944; participation in Operation Tungsten, the attack German battleship Tirpitz at Altenfjord, Norway, 3/4/1944, including HMS Pursuer's rudder problems, question of success of air strikes launched 3/4/1944 and reception on return to Scapa Flow, 5/4/1944; painting identification markings prior to operations in support of landings in Normandy, France, D-Day, 6/6/1944; reaction to death of Lieutenant Commander Digby Cosh in flying accident, 24/6/1944; move to Malta in Mediterranean, 7/1944; duties as petty officer of day on shore patrol and role in breaking up fight in bar assisted by United States Military Police Corps on Malta; squadron move ashore to Rabat, Malta; accommodation in hotel; visit to church.
REEL 10 Continues: participation with United States Navy Task Force 88 in Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France, 8/1944; rest period on Corsica, France; move to Alexandria, Egypt; visits ashore at Alexandria, Egypt; participation with Force A in Operation Outing in Aegean Sea; story of raising alarm and contact with Greek manned submarine; return to Scapa Flow, 10/1944; damage caused to escort carrier by rough seas during operations off Norway, 27/11/1944-27/11/1944; squadron move ashore to HMS Robin, Royal Naval Air Station Grimsetter, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, GB; squadron role acting as pool of aircraft and personnel for aircraft carriers; attending course on Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) radar set; story of flight in Supermarine Sea Otter; move to Skeabrae, Orkney Islands, GB; visit to Stone Age village at Skeabrae, Orkney Islands, GB; attending classical music concert; move back aboard escort carrier without aircraft; voyage from GB to Cape Town, South Africa; opinion of Captain Thomas Bratt; recreational activities; story of appearing on captain's orders to confirm status as petty officer.
REEL 11 Continues: initial impressions of Cape Town, South Africa. Aspects of period as petty officer with 881 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at HMS Wingfield, Cape Town, South Africa, 5/1945-10/1945: squadron re-equipping with Grumman Hellcat; stories of taking advantage of hospitality of South African civilians; account of holiday financed by South African Woman's group at Mahalapye, Bechuanaland Protectorate, including hospitality of South African civilians, accompanying colonial officer tour and shooting safari in Kalahari Desert.
REEL 12 Continues: reaction to Prime Minister Winston Churchill losing General Election in GB, 7/1945; reaction of South African civilians towards black soldier; flying training exercises; story of judging dancing competition; reaction to news of atomic bombs being dropped on Japan, 8/1945; VJ Day celebrations, 15/8/1945; voyage aboard HMT Reina de Pacifico from South Africa to GB, 10/1945. Aspects of period as petty officer with Fleet Air Arm at HMS Ariel, Royal Naval Air Station Culcheth, GB, 10/1945-1/1946: question of accepting promotion as regular; demobilisation. Post-war life and employment: return to work as postal officer with General Post Office; difficulty in acclimatising to civilian lifestyle; contact with old comrades.
