大象传媒

I thoroughly enjoyed my naval training at HMS Collingwood near Portsmouth. I got the impression that it was all sailing ship oriented because as a group of young civilians we looked up at the towering masts and rigging, which very soon we were expected to climb (and did at the double), and that was the bye word wherever we went. We only had a few weeks in which to learn Naval jargon, signals, life-saving i.e. tying a bowline on the bight(?) under water, firefighting, seamanship, drilling, street fighting, self-defense, assault courses. We then attended "Gunnery School" and were taught the full range of weaponry.

Whilst at a nearby transit camp. HMS Collingwood suffered dead and injured at the hands of the Luftwaffe, as did Portsmouth.

'This story was submitted to the People's War site by Gareth Watts of the CSV Action Desk, Leicester, on behalf of Teddy Briggs and has been added to the site with his permission. the author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.'

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