Interview with Christopher John Peacey

Sound: © IWM (25183)

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If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.
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Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.
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Accepted Non-commercial Use

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Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
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Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.

Description

Object description

British boy seaman at HMS Ganges, Shotley, GB, 1939-1940; served aboard HMS Prince of Wales in GB coastal waters, North Atlantic and Far East, 2/1941-12/1941, including sinking of coast of Malaya, 10/12/1941; seaman served aboard HMS Danae, 5th Cruiser Sqdn in Indian Ocean, 1/1942-6/1942; served aboard LST 163 in Mediterranean, English Channel during Normandy Landings and Indian Ocean, 1943-1946; served with Submarine Service in GB coastal waters, 1947-1952; served aboard HMS Decoy in GB coastal waters, 1952-1954

Content description

REEL 1 Background in Bulley, GB, 1924-1939: family; education; employment; family home and life; death of father. Aspects of enlistment and training as boy seaman at HMS Ganges, Shotley, GB, 1939-1940: background to volunteering for Royal Navy, 1939; journey to HMS Ganges; reaction to climbing the mast. REEL 2 Continues: reception on arrival; question of specialist training; conditions during winter; punishment for smoking; discipline; leave and contact with home; issue of kit and sewing in names; laying out kit for inspections; 'make and mend'; move to Plymouth. Recollections of operations as boy seaman aboard HMS Prince of Wales in GB coastal waters, North Atlantic and Mediterranean, 2/1941-11/1941: drafting to and initial impressions of battleship ship at HMNB Rosyth, 2/1941; messing arrangements; use of hammocks. REEL 3 Continues: preparations of potatoes for meals; facilities for ablutions; problems of carrying stores; action station on anti-aircraft gun; contact with officers; treatment of boy seamen by ship's company; duties and watch system worked; familiarisation with ship; storing and ammunitioning ship; move to Scapa Flow, GB; start of hunt for German battleship Bismarck in North Atlantic, 5/1941; hearing of loss of HMS Hood; degree of awareness of situation. REEL 4 Continues: noise of guns firing; reaction to being in action for first time; leave on return to HMNB Rosyth; reaction to loss of HMS Hood; presence of Prime Minister Winston Churchill on board during crossing of North Atlantic to sign Atlantic Charter; opinion of Merchant Navy personnel; return to Scapa Flow, GB; move to Mediterranean for convoy escort duties; loss of seaman in turret accident; recreational activities. REEL 5 Continues: Aspects of operations as boy seaman aboard HMS Prince of Wales, Force Z in Far East, 12/1941, including sinking off Malaya, 10/12/1941: voyage from GB to Singapore, 11/1941-12/1941, including incident of man overboard; sense of security on board ship; arrival in Singapore, Malaya, 7/12/1941; torpedo hits on ship by Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service aircraft, 10/12/1941; abandoning ship, 10/12/1941; rescue from sea by destroyer; duration of action prior to sinking; ashore in Singapore, Malaya after sinking. Aspects of operations as seaman aboard HMS Danae, 5th Cruiser Sqdn in Indian Ocean, 1/1942-6/1942: joining ship in Singapore, Malaya, 1/1942. REEL 6 Continues: duties on board; cruiser's duties in Indian Ocean; return to GB, 6/1942; training as torpedoman on return to GB. Recollections of operations as seaman aboard LST 163 in Mediterranean, English Channel during Normandy Landings and Indian Ocean, 1943-1946: voyage aboard HMT Empress of Scotland from GB to United States of America; joining landing ship tank at New Orleans, United States of America, 7/1943; crew; voyage across North Atlantic; move to GB for Normandy landings; duties lowering ship's ramp; character of landing ship tank; preparations for Normandy Landings, 6/1944; nature of landings in Normandy, France, D-Day, 6/6/1944; aiding medical officer on board. REEL 7 Continues: location of beaching station above tank deck; plight of servicemen on board waiting for D-Day, 6/1944; duties of ship plying between GB and Normandy, France, 6/1944-9/1944; method of disembarking landing craft from landing ship tank; landings in Burma after surrender of Japanese forces, 8/1945; contact with home; entertainment on board ship; problems of sending tea home to mother; organisation of ship's crew; life on board LST; description of stern winch; rum ration; return to GB, 1946. REEL 8 Continues: accumulation of leave. Recollections of period as submariner with Submarine Service in GB coastal waters, 1947-1952: qualifying as torpedoman, 1946-1947; drafting to HMS Dolphin, Gosport for submarine training, 2/1947; description of conditions for crew on board submarines; duties as torpedoman and diving station; moving between submarines; watch system worked; reaction to diving under the ice cap aboard submarine HMS Tactician; contrast between service on big ships and submarines. REEL 9 Continues: composition of submarine crew; description of conning tower; firing of torpedoes; diving station on hydroplanes; recreational activities and rum ration; inspections; rations on board; marriage prior to joining Submarine Service; attitude to service on board submarines; pay. Aspects of period as torpedoman aboard HMS Decoy in GB coastal waters, 1953-1954: joining destroyer, 1953; watch system worked; visit to Leningrad in Soviet Union, including contact with civilians. REEL 10 Continues: visits to European ports; accommodation. Aspects of service as petty officer with Royal Navy, 1954-1964: abortive amalgamation of torpedo and sonar branches; training duties aboard HMS Vigilant; hair cutting duties; attitude to latter period of service; abortive requests to retrain as hairdresser and driving instructor; return to civilian employment; final days in Royal Navy and leaving; lessons learnt from naval life; story of narrow escape from drafting to doomed submarine HMS Affray, 4/1951.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
White, Jo (Recorder)
Peacey, Christopher John (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 2003-07-21
Dimensions: whole: Duration 300, Number Of Items 10
Catalogue number: 25183

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Interview with Christopher John Peacey

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