|
Date: |
|
Description: | British bugler and marine served aboard HMS Amethyst in South Atlantic 1916-1918; served with North Russia Relief Force in Murmansk area 1919; served aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth, HMS Revenge, HMS Centaur and HMS Hawkins with Home Fleet, 1920-1939; NCO served with prison service, Malta 1939-1942; served aboard HMS Scylla during Normandy landings 6/1944; served with Royal Marines in GB, 1944-1945
REEL 1: Background in Scotland and England, 1902-1916: family; father recruiting officer in Royal Marines; education; moved to Gosport, 1912; education; father employed as pay sergeant; reaction to outbreak of war, 8/1914; memory of Zeppelin over Gosport; patriotism; attitude to Germans; rumours of spies; story of enlistment with Royal Marines in Gosport, 1916; recruitment procedure and tests. Aspects of training with Royal Marines in GB, 1916: daily routine in barracks.
REEL 2 Continues: messing arrangements and opinion of food; description of musical training on bugle, fife and drum; composition of band; memory of drum major; problem of not being able to swim and swimming lessons; memory of adjutant; physical training and sporting activities; opinion of food; guard duty and duties as bugler; gunnery practise; recreational activities; pay; cleaning musical instruments; lights out; drill; discipline.
REEL 3 Continues: description of accommodation; kit inspection; clothing store; memory of Zeppelin raid; awareness of progress of war; qualified after six months training as bugler and drummer; drafted to HMS Amethyst, 1916. Aspects of voyage to South Atlantic aboard collier Langhorn, 1916: uniform and kit; accommodation and living conditions aboard ship; opinion of other marines; food; daily routine and duties.
REEL 4 Continues: reaction of parents to posting to HMS Amethyst; story of joining Amethyst at Barra Rock off coast of Brazil. Aspects of operations as bugler with Royal Marines aboard HMS Amethyst in South Atlantic, 1916-1918: first impressions of ship; ironing uniform; duties as coal bag handler; crew; gun drill and action stations; role of Amethyst stopping and searching ships; daily routine and duties as bugler; problem of cockroaches; opinion of rations; description of ship; speed; armaments; further comments on rations; food and water supplies; medical facilities; description of stopping and searching ship; composition of crew.
REEL 5 Continues: description of trades; recreational activities; memory of biscuits and cocoa; visit to Montevideo; state of health; VD cases; attitude to sex and use of brothels; shore leave; relations with local civilians; memories of Rio de Janeiro; currency; refitting of ship; news of war; communication with home; story of sugar; description of voyage back to GB via Gibraltar and Sierra Leone, 1918.
REEL 6 Continues: Aspects of operations with 6th Bn Royal Marines attached to North Russia Relief Force in Russia, 1919: reason for posting to Russia; description of voyage to Murmansk; climate; description of HMS Glory; description of train journey; memory of Russian choir; story of crossing lake; memory of Serbians; icons; description of village; duties in listening post and patrols in forest; casualties; description of engagement with communist forces in forest; opinion of Serbian troops; reaction to being under fire; guard duty in front line trench; death of Captain Burton.
REEL 7 Continues: relations with Russian peasants; description of defending village and covering retreat of main force; memory of Russian school; entrained to Murmansk; washing and sanitation in forest; climate; sleeping arrangements; iron rations; water supplies; casualties in 6th Bn; morale; opinion of officers; reception for Relief Force on return to GB; question of success of operations in Russia.
REEL 8 Continues: further memories of Captain Burton; use of camouflage. Aspects of period with Royal Marines in GB, 1919-1920: various memories of Netley Hospital; story of grandfather; problem of hammer toe.
REEL 9 Continues: question of remaining in Royal Marines; operation on foot; social life and recreational activities; daily routine and duties in barracks at Gosport; story of losing bugle in Russia; reason for re-mustering as marine; tests; sporting activities; posted to Deal barracks; close order drill; physical training; competition rifle shooting; opinion of officers and NCOs; pay.
REEL 10 Continues: description of duties guarding collieries in Scotland during coal strike, 1920; relations with miners; billets; attitude to guarding mines;. Aspects of training with Royal Marines in GB, 1920: posted to Gosport for naval gunnery training; turret drill; description of loading and firing guns; competition rifle shooting at Bisley and other sporting activities.
REEL 11 Continues: drafted to HMS Queen Elizabeth. Aspects of period as marine aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth at Invergordon, Scotland, 1920-: various memories of regattas and sporting activities; gunnery practice; messing arrangements; discipline and punishments; comparison of peace and wartime service; daily routine and duties; painting and maintenance of ship; watch duty; story of Admiral Fisher; messing arrangements and cooking own food; sleeping accommodation; fights between crew members; voyages to Malta and Gibraltar.
REEL 12 Continues: shore leave; watch keeping duties; problem of lack of sleep. Aspects of period as marine aboard HMS Revenge and HMS Centaur, 1924-1927: story of gambling; rum ration; memories of Invergordon Mutiny, 1931; naval insignia; importance of naval tradition; messing arrangements aboard HMS Revenge; opinion of food; accommodation in casement; recreational activities; various memories of crew members.
REEL 13 Continues: story of visit to Algiers; memories of taking part in regattas and races; physical training; ship's mascots; recreational activities; further comments on accommodation in casement; daily routine and duties; divisions; painting and maintenance of ship; story of death of stoker; captain's rounds; accidents; description of role in magazine room during action stations.
REEL 14 Continues: shooting competitions; transferred to HMS Centaur, 1926; musical and sporting activities; living conditions; question of promotion; description of training as signaller at Southsea and Chatham, 1927; story of voyage to Malta aboard HMS Revenge, 1929. Aspects of period as NCO signaller with Royal Marines in Malta, 1929-1931: role of marines in fort St Angelo; daily routine and duties as signaller; staff; posted to Castille, Valletta.
REEL 15 Continues: story of football cup; description of house in Malta; further comments on duties as signaller; living conditions and social life; promoted to corporal; story of winning prizes in shooting competitions.
REEL 16 Continues: story of being transferred to HMS Hawkins as machine gun instructor. Aspects of period as NCO aboard HMS Hawkins in Indian Ocean: based in Trincamalee, Ceylon; description of duties and travel between various islands in Indian Ocean; operations in Persian Gulf; memory of concert party; problem of leeches; accommodation aboard /ship; sick bay; role as barber for officers; story of Snake Island; description of return voyage to GB.
REEL 17 Continues: Aspects of period as NCO signaller with Royal Marines in Alexandria, Egypt, 1938-1939: description of role and duties at Post Office; living conditions; problem of scorpions; question of preparations for war; various memories of Alexandria; story of volunteering for prison service in Malta, 1939. Aspects of period as prison warder in Malta, 1939-1942: attitude to role as warder; relations with prisoners; problem with Irish prisoners; description of detention barracks; casualties during air raids.
REEL 18 Continues: daily routine and duties; length of sentences; memory of outbreak of war, 9/1939; duties at detention barracks; description of internees; interrogation; problem of spies; attitude to prisoners; special category prisoners; story of escape of German pilot; recreational activities for prisoners; story of being attacked by prisoner; air defences on Malta.
REEL 19 Continues: living conditions for civilians; problem of food shortages; air raids; story of concert; morale among civilians; attitude to fear; memories of French submarine commander; story of violin; transferred to civil prison; description of prison and duties; story of code; comparison of detention barracks and civil prison.
REEL 20 Continues: story of transfer to new naval prison; description of duties on airfield; memories of Operation Pedestal, 8/1942; reason for leaving Malta and story of voyage to GB, 1942.
REEL 21 Continues: Aspects of period in GB, 1942: description of duties as Quartermaster Sergeant at Eastney Barracks; various memories of friends; daily routine issuing clothing and supplies; air raid precautions; comparison to conditions in Malta; preparations for Normandy landings, 1944; posted to HMS Scylla, 1944. Aspects of operations as Company Sergeant Major aboard HMS Scylla in English Channel, 6/1944: description of channel crossing to Normandy and landing beaches, 6/Jun/1944; memory of rocket ships; deployment of Royal Marines; role of HMS Scylla in sealing off Le Havre and problem of German E-boats; reaction to VI raids on London; opinion of beach-masters; memory of German POWs; opinion of strategy.
REEL 22 Continues: story of HMS Scylla hitting mine, 23/Jun/1944; question of German air attacks; towed back to GB; description of VI defences; memories of German POWs; description of duties as Company Sergeant Major aboard HMS Scylla; morale aboard ship; weather conditions. Aspects of period as Quartermaster Sergeant with Royal Marines in GB, 1944-1945: posted to Towyn, North Wales; duties in stores; memories of Royal Marine commandos; recreational activities; opinion of Russians; description of camp at Towyn.
REEL 23 Continues: attitude to Germans following liberation of concentrations camps; memories of VE Day celebrations, 5/1945; returned to Eastney Barracks; question of remaining with Royal Marines at end of war; demobilisation, 1945. Post-war life and employment. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Stovold, Jan R | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
|
|