Description
Object description
British rating served aboard HMS Belfast in Pacific, 1949-1950; served as armourer aboard HMS Diamond with Home Fleet, 1952-1954
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Woolwich, London and Orpington, 1930-1948: family background and social circumstances; education; outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; issue of gas mask; brief evacuation to relatives in Leicestershire; Anderson shelter; view of aerial fighting during Battle of Britain, 1940; German air raids; story of being trapped in Anderson shelter after bomb detonation, 1941; effects of V2 raids; playing on bomb sites; VE and VJ Day celebrations, 1945; education and sporting activities; activities with Sea Cadets, 1943-1944; work as bricklayer repairing bomb damage, 1944-1946; work as railway porter, 1946-1948; story of rail crash at Catford, 1947; influence of grandfather's military career; background to volunteering to join Royal Navy as regular, 1948; family reactions.
REEL 2 Aspects of basic training at HMS Royal Arthur Shore Station, Corsham, 8/1948-9/1948: reception and kitting out; barrack accommodation; food rations; cleaning barrack room and kit inspections; drill; PT; seamanship training; relationship with recruits; recreational visits to Bath. Recollections of period aboard HMS Victorious, Training Fleet based at Portland, 9/1948-1/1949: composition of Training Fleet; messdeck and hammock; drill on flight deck; boat handling; rules of road and basic signals; knots and splices; boxing compass; using gyro compasses; relationship with instructors; minimal contact with officers; move to Portsmouth; storm during voyage to Rosyth, 1/1949; leaving ship, 1/1949. Period at HMS Pembroke Barracks, Chatham, 1/1949-3/1949: assignment to Home Port; question of posting; guard and cleaning duties; embarkation leave and injections; rifle training.
REEL 3 Voyage with draft aboard Dunera to Hong Kong, 3/1949-4/1949: conditions; recreations; presence of Ghurkha troops aboard ship; visit ashore at Port Said, Egypt; hot weather in Red Sea; visit ashore at Columbo, Ceylon. Recollections of period as ordinary seaman aboard HMS Belfast, Pacific Fleet, 4/1949-10/1950: reception and first impressions; messdeck near 'B' Turret; general messing including role of cook of mess and food; cigarette ration; opinion of Leading Seaman Fowler; watch system including duties scrubbing decks, acting as boat's crew and on bridge; gun drill practice on gun trainer; wearing anti-flash uniform; action station duties as 'rammer in 'B' Turret on centre 6" gun including composition and role of turret crew, speed of fire and atmosphere in turret.
REEL 4 Continues: awareness of situation in Chin and background to Yangtze incident; move to islands off Yangtze River; concert party; return to Hong Kong; reception on arrival of HMS Amethyst; 'showing flag' tours; appendicitis case; promotion to able seaman; story of falling overboard while acting as motorboat crew; learning to swim and swimming test; reactions to news of outbreak of Korean War, 6/1950; move to join US Seventh Fleet at Okinawa, Japan, 6/1950; personal morale; shore bombardment of North Korea including targeting railway communications, atmosphere on turret, shore forward observation officers, sleeping in turrets on action stations and absence of retaliatory fire; replenishing stores at Yokohama; shore base including question of radioactive threat from men visiting Hiroshima; routine of shore bombardments; attack by North Korean aircraft on HMS Jamaica.
REEL 5 Continues: nature of lengthy shore bombardment to cover Inchon landing, 9/1950. Voyage back to GB, 9/1950-10/1950: seasickness in Indian Ocean; reception on arrival at Chatham. Period at HMS Pembroke, Chatham, 10/1950-2/1952: meeting wife; attending armourer's course; barrack routine, Recollections of period as able seaman armourer aboard HMS Diamond, Home Fleet, 2/1952-2/1954: joining ship in Clyde shipyard; question of crew morale and status as 'unhappy' ship; ship's role testing propellers in locks; messdeck and bunks; automatic 4.25" guns in 'B' Turret; duties as armourer maintaining condition of guns; priming hand grenades used in fishing; 40mm Bofors guns; rum ration; Home Fleet exercises in North Sea; effect of collision with HMS Swiftsure in snowstorm; leaving ship, 2/1954. Period at Pembroke Barracks, Chatham, 1954. Period with Reserve Fleet, 1954-1955: maintenance duties; decision to leave RN; demobilisation. Post-war career: problems acclimatising to civilian lifestyle; review of various jobs.
REEL 6 Continues: question of reserve service; membership and educational activities with HMS Belfast Assoc.
