Description
Object description
British seaman served with Royal Navy aboard minesweeper HMS Ready in Atlantic and English Channel, 1943-1944, including Normandy landings, 6/Jun/1944.
Content description
REEL 1: Aspects of period in GB, 1925-1943: family background and education; civilian employment including carpenter's apprentice; story of mother preventing attempt to join Royal Navy, 6/1942, and subsequent enlistment and posting, 2/1943; description of training at HMS Ganges; posted to HMS Ready in Harwich. Recollections of operations aboard HMS Ready in Atlantic and English Channel, 1943-1944: problem of seasickness on first trip; role of ship in Operations Starkey; sailed to Scapa Flow, 11/1943; duties with U-boat patrols; weather conditions; story about storm damaging Asdic and putting in to dry dock in Iceland for repairs; description of storm off Faroe Islands and damage to convoy; opinion of living conditions aboard ship; manning guns and watch system; story about wave sweeping into ammunition store room during storm; opinion of rations and living conditions; opinion of training; description of seamanship training; story about reporting lights at HMS Ganges; attitude to climbing mast; description of storm while lookout on flag deck; attitude to fear; further comments on U-boat patrols; problem of seasickness; further comments on living conditions; description of crossing Arctic Circle; story about diver untwisting anchor on Faroe Islands; further description of U-boat patrols; problem of boredom; story about Asdic alarm and shoal of fish; daily routine and duties aboard ship; messing arrangements including cooking and cleaning galley; duties while in harbour; reason for nickname 'Monty' Banks.
REEL 2 Continues: various memories of shore leave, Christmas 1943; problem of accidents while tying up to buoy; description of five days boiler cleaning leave; organisation of port and starboard watches; recreational activities including Ludo; attitude to Germans; story about skin being frozen to rope; reflections on time at sea; location of action station; description of Oerlikon gun and other armaments; story of completing commando training course for boarding parties; problem of illness while at HMS Ganges; attitude to sex; role of ship as flotilla leader on D-Day; description of minesweeping; comparison of danger during Normandy landings and in Arctic; problem of cold weather conditions and frozen gun; description of convoy duties from Loch Ewe to Iceland; description of training for Normandy landings, 4-6/1944; description of uniform and lifejacket; problem of mildewed clothes; story of being awarded the Legion d'Honneur; story of visit to Arromanches, Normandy, 2009.
REEL 3 Continues: service medals; story of receiving Legion d'Honneur; role in operations on D-Day, 6/Jun/1944; story of visit to friend in liberated Belgium; food; travel to Far East; story about monkey called Dabs.