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Description: | British stoker served aboard HMS Hibernia in North Sea, English Channel and Mediterranean, 1915-1916; served aboard HMS Warwick based at Dover, 1917-1918; present during Zeebrugge Raid, 221/4/1917; served aboard HMS St Alexander Nevsky in North Sea and Arctic Ocean, 1918-1919; served aboard HMS Emperor of India in Black Sea, 1919-1920
REEL 1 Aspects of background in Ringwould, 1897-1914: family; education; work with steam tractor for Kent County Council; work as spare fireman at railway depot, Margate. Aspects of recruitment as stoker for Royal Navy by Coastguard at Margate. 25/1/1915. Recollections of training and conditions of service at Chatham Barracks, ca 1/1915-6/1915: reception; shovel practise; lectures; drill; avoiding swimming lessons; accommodation, kit, uniform and hammocks; daily routine; canteens; pay; visits to Chatham and relationship with local civilians; relationship with ORs and instructors; inappropriate white uniform for working parties aboard ships following qualification as stoker and awaiting draft; story of explosion of Princess Irene whilst working nearby loading mines from SS Cove to barge at Sheerness, 26/5/1915.
REEL 2 Continues: story of explosion of Princess Irene whilst working nearby loading mines from SS Cove to barge at Sheerness, 26/5/1915; draft to HMS Hibernia in dockyard, 6/1915. Recollections of initial period as stoker aboard HMS Hibernia with 3rd Battle Sqdrn, 6/1915-1915: description; reception and assignment to No 1 Mess; watch system; uniform; conditions in stoke hold; duties as trimmer; ash expeller through ship's bottom; watch system and daily routine; food messing system and duties preparing meals and cleaning mess as cook of mess. Recollections of voyage to Gallipoli, 11/ 1915: storm on leaving Scapa Flow; duties on posting as messenger in engineer's office; later qualification as engineer's writer, 1917; rough seas and question of sea sickness; morale and role of officers; period based at Mudros, Lemnos, 11/1915-12/1915.
REEL 3 Evacuation of Anzac, 19/12/1915. Rejoining 3rd Battle Squadron at Sheerness, 1916-1917. Aspects of period aboard HMS Warwick based at Dover, 1917-1919: description; duties as upper deck stoker and engineers writer; view from engine room of Zeebruge Raid, 21/4/1917; view of HMS Vindictive following Ostend Raid, 1917; story of being mined and towed back to Dover, 1917. Aspects of period aboard HMS St Alexander Nevsky 1918-5/1919: description; lack of discipline; story of 'pooped sea'; during voyage to Murmansk, Russia; reaction to armistice, 11/1918; icebreaking duties in White Sea; running aground and return to GB, 5/1919; leave and learning to drive. Aspects of voyage out to join HMS Emperor of India at Novorrossisk, Russia, 1919: story illustrating status as stoker during voyage out with draft aboard Saritsa to Malta; period in barracks at Malta.
REEL 4 Continues: voyage on HMS Heliotrope to Constantinople; lack of money; voyage on HMS Hibiscus to Novorrossisk, Russia. Recollections of period aboard HMS Empress of India in Black Sea, 1919-1920: bombardment of Red Army troops; evacuation of refugees; return to GB, 11/1920. Engineering course at Chatham dockyard, ca 1921-1922. Aspects of period as chief petty officer with HMS Hawkins on China Station, 1923-1924. Hospitalisation with tuberculosis, return to GB and reactions to being invalided out, 1924; sanotorium treatment and recovery, 1925. Aspects of career as surveyor and city engineer. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Minter, Charles John | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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