Barney, Stephen (Oral history)

British seaman served as quartermaster aboard HMS Atherstone in GB coastal waters, 1942, including participation in raid on Saint-Nazaire, France, 3/1942; officer served aboard HMS Venomous in Mediterranean, 1942-1944 and HMS Urania in GB coastal waters and Pacific, 1944-1945, including Normandy landings, France, 6/1944.

REEL 1: Background in Woking, GB, 1922-1941: family; education; enlisted with Royal Navy, 10/1941; basic training at HMS Collingwood, 1941-1942. Aspects of period aboard HMS Atherstone in GB coastal waters, 1942: description of ship; messing arrangements; story of sinking French merchant ship; sleeping arrangements; story of participation in raid on Saint-Nazaire, France, 3/1942; duties as quartermaster; watches; German air attacks. Aspects of training at HMS King Alfred, Hove; billets in converted car park; officer training course; uniform. REEL 2 Continues: examples of naval etiquette; asdic/RDF course. Aspects of operations aboard HMS Venomous in Mediterranean, 1942-1944: description of asdic and hedgehog; opinion of HMS Venomous; role during invasion of Sicily, 7/1943; memory of crashed gliders; story of Italian pilot; convoy duties along North African coast; shore leave in Algiers; opinion of Capt Henry Durell; relations between officers and crew; opinion of Lt Commander Gardner; story of drunken sailor; opinion of Royal Navy. Aspects of operations aboard HMS Urania in GB coastal waters and Pacific, 1944-1945: training exercises for D-Day at Scapa Flow; story of buoy; layout of ship; cabins; number of officers; training exercise in Poole Harbour; duties as correspondence officer including censorship of letters. REEL 3 Continues: story of LCP; ear plugs; role of HMS Urania providing bombardment during landings on Gold Beach, Normandy, France, 6/Jun/1944; story of Spitfire shot down by Royal Navy ship; memory of seeing Mulberry harbours; story of V1 raid while on home leave; story of visit by First Lord of the Admiralty; patrol duties off Channel Islands; story of French fishing boat; opinion of rations; opinion of organisation of Normandy landings; duties in cipher office in Tokyo, Japan, 1945; awarded Burma Star; duties as asdic/torpedo officer aboard HMS Urania; description of Kamikaze attack; duties as aircraft recognition officer; reaction to surrender of Japan, 8/1945; attitude of Japanese; story of Japanese doctors; further memories of cipher office in Tokyo. REEL 4 Continues: returned to GB, 1946; story of bringing cheese home; question of remaining in Royal Navy; story of hockey match. Post-war life in GB: lived in Woking, Surrey; employment in father's advertising firm in London; story of enabling crew of HMS Urania to vote in 1945 Election; political beliefs; attitude to Germans; story of dead German in raft; reflections on Second World War; service with Royal Naval Reserves until retirement; attitude to military training; reaction to outbreak of war, 9/1939; memories of Charterhouse School.