Description
Object description
British boy seaman trained at HMS Ganges, Shotley, GB, 1933-1934; boy seaman and seaman served aboard HMS Sussex in Mediterranean and Australia, 1934-1937; seaman served aboard HMS Wishart in GB coastal waters, 1937-1938; served aboard HMS Duncan on China Station, Mediterranean and GB coastal waters, 1938-1940; attended demolition course at Torpedo School, HMS Vernon, Portsmouth, GB, 3/1940-5/1940; served as beach master with Naval Beach Party during Dunkirk Evacuation, 5/1940-6/1940; served with Naval Demolition Party at Cherbourg, France, 6/1940; served with Royal Navy Mine and Bomb Disposal in Thames Estuary, GB, 6/1940-7/1940; seaman and petty officer served aboard HMS Verdun, Rosyth Escort Force in North Sea, 11/1940-5/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Gillingham and Dorking, GB, 1917-1933: family; father's service with Royal Navy; education; taking technical examination for application to become apprentice artificer with Royal Navy. Recollections of period as boy seaman at HMS Ganges, Shotley, GB, 1933-1934: background to enlistment in Royal Navy as boy seaman; arrival at HMS Ganges; description of mess; character of instructors; registering as 'deep sea scout' with Boy Scouts; issue of kit; how he became an advanced boy; background of recruits; ethos; daily routine.
REEL 2 Continues: messing arrangements; instruction on seamanship; swimming instruction; rowing instruction; occasion when boy seaman crew rowed a vice admiral; effects on rank of being an advanced boy; gunnery drill; emphasis on rope climbing; climbing the mast; personal inspections.
REEL 3 Continues: inspection of mess and emphasis on cleanliness; discipline; pay and deductions; attitude towards smoking; encouragement of sport; selection for branches of Royal Navy; contact with home and leave; evening activities; ability to wake at a specific time; period on draft at HMS Pembroke, Chatham on completion of training. Aspects of period as boy seaman and seaman aboard HMS Sussex in Mediterranean and Australia, 1934-1937: drafting to cruiser; restrictions on seeing brother Albert Viner serving as telegraphist on board; instructor for boy seaman; demonstration; role as commanders' messenger.
REEL 4 Continues: conditions on board ship; use of hammock; description of boys' mess; messing arrangements; importance of good relations in mess; stowing hammocks; methods of passing time in mess; watch system worked; duties as commanders' messenger; hospitalisation after fall on board; character of sick bay; nicknames used in Royal Navy; repainting ship off Spain; ship's joining Royal Australian Navy's Australian Squadron; hierarchy of ship, divisions and branches; presence of Royal Marines on board.
REEL 5 Continues: duties with Royal Australian Navy's Australian Squadron; ashore in New Zealand; tropical kit worn; Sunday divisions and 'make and mend'; washing clothes and replacement of lost clothes; rapid move to Mediterranean at time of Abyssinian Crisis, 1935; joining seamans' mess; general seaman duties and action station; advice to move into Torpedo Branch; arrival in Alexandra, Egypt; role of ship based on Gibraltar; length of ships' commission. Aspects of period as seaman aboard HMS Wishart in GB coastal waters, 1937-1938: drafting to and character of destroyer; messing arrangements.
REEL 6 Continues: duties based on Chatham; drafting system. Aspects of period as seaman aboard HMS Duncan on China Station, Mediterranean and GB coastal waters, 1938-1940: voyage from GB to Hong Kong aboard HMT Dilwara including relations with army personnel on board; joining ship in Hong Kong; ship's duties and anti-piracy patrols; playing hockey; visit to Japan; duties guarding waterworks in Shanghai, China; duties with shore patrol and nightlife in Shanghai, China; duties picking up dying rating from Chinese section of Shanghai, China.
REEL 7 Continues: meeting with school friend in Shanghai, China; memories of declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; leaving Shanghai, China, 3/9/1939; return to Mediterranean, 9/1939; site of collision between HMS Barham and HMS Duchess during return voyage to GB, 12/12/1939; operation of depth charges; leaving HMS Duncan, 3/1940. Aspects of period on course at Torpedo School, HMS Vernon, Portsmouth, GB, 3/1940-5/1940: joining course, 3/1940; nature of course including mines and sabotage.
REEL 8 Continues: Recollections of period as beach master with Naval Beach Party during Dunkirk Evacuation, 5/1940-6/1940: reporting to Chatham, GB, 25/5/1940; issue of kit; briefing during bus trip to Dover, GB; embarkation aboard HMS Esk and crossing English Channel; picking up troops from beach in ship's boat; orders to join Naval Beach Party on shore and organise columns, 27/5/1940; German Air Force attacks on beach, 27/5/1940; organising columns walking into sea; conditions on beach; reaction to German Air Force Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bomber attacks; sight of brother Albert Viner's ship HMS Grenade coming into Dunkirk Harbour; fate of HMS Grenade, 29/5/1940; receiving meal from French civilians; dealing with trouble makers in column.
REEL 9 Continues: arrival of British Expeditionary Force rearguard and state of troops; opinion of role of French Army rearguard; effect of being caught in blast; clothing worn; return to GB in Dutch sloop; briefing by Captain William Tennent; removal of troops' equipment prior to embarkation; return to Chatham, GB. Aspects of period as seaman with Naval Demolition Party at Cherbourg, France, 6/1940: sabotage duties in Cherbourg; attitude towards work; blowing up gantry cranes in docks; rapid embarkation; discovery of damage to back of greatcoat caused by artillery fire; how demolition party received drinks during train journey to Chatham, GB. Aspects of period as seaman with Royal Navy Mine and Bomb Disposal in GB, 6/1940-7/1940: duties with bomb disposal looking for magnetic mines in Thames Estuary; reaction to drafting to HMS Curacao.
REEL 10 Continues: Recollections of period as seaman and petty officer aboard HMS Verdun, Rosyth Escort Force in North Sea, 11/1940-5/1945: drafting to destroyer, 11/1940; character of ship; ship's complement and size of electrical department; conditions on board; character of east coast convoys; suffering from sea sickness; rum ration; duties as petty officer of the mess deck; convoy escort duties on east coast; winter weather conditions; winter clothing issue; occasion when ship went down west coast.
REEL 11 Continues: sight of Home Fleet; near encounter with German Navy E-boats in fog off Flamborough Head; contact with Royal Air Force pilot accidentally shot down by ship; Christmas celebrations on board; presence of yacht manned by admiral; escorting trawler out of minefield; incident of aiding well built seaman in rough weather; obtaining flying jacket from rescued American airman; contact with Captain D who knew him from HMS Ganges; preparations to attack German Navy capital ships during Channel Dash, 2/1942; amusing story of having Scots Guardsmen on board ship; optical illusion of seeing sunken HMS Vimiera afloat; amusing story of wife who wanted husband to stay aboard ship.
REEL 12 Continues: incident of being locked out during aircraft attack; promotion to petty officer; duties as petty officer; degaussing gear on ship; threat from mines; state of ships on east coast convoys; ship's cook; amusing story of clash between leading seaman and first lieutenant; behaviour of first lieutenant; reasons why he was not drafted away from HMS Verdun. Reflections of service with Royal Navy: background to leaving Royal Navy; attitude towards service with Royal Navy; civilian employment on leaving Royal Navy.
REEL 13 Continues: psychological effects of wartime experiences; further details of civilian employment.