大象传媒

This a summary of a recorded interview with Mr John Groves.
Recorded on the: 15 December 2005

My name is John Groves I was born the 24th April 1925. I lived at 13 South Street off Regent road, Salford, I lived there until I married. There were 6 in my family, 4 children, mother, father 鈥� 1 brother died at birth 鈥� 1 sister died when she was 5 years old.
My Father was the head celler-man at Victoria station, responsible for supply of all beers, wines and spirits to train dining cars and railway hotels. My Father served in the 1914-18 war.
My mother was a silver service waitress in restaurants, she also worked for the Greengate and Irwell Rubber company.

I went to Trafford Road Boys School and went to work for Middleburg鈥檚, Cobden street, Pendleton and at a subsidiary called Valstar. Making rubber dinghies for airman when they ditched in the sea. They also made the fins for barrage balloons, I was 14 years of old. War was about to start.

I volunteered for the Navy in Nov. 1942 when I was 17 years old, the recruiting office was in Dover Street Manchester. I was called up in Feb. 1943 and reported to HMS Collingwood, Fareham Hants. After 10 weeks initial training, I was moved to Stockheath, in the South of England and then to HMS Foliot in Plymouth where we started landing craft training. I was then moved to the Royal Naval Collage, Dartmouth where I volunteered for the Naval Commandoes. I then moved to Scotland, Ardentinny, HMS Armadillo for another 10 weeks of intensive training. then to Padstow, Cornwall. Working with 鈥渢he boffins鈥�, they were collecting data around the coast, about wave and surf behaviour and movement, prior to Normandy landings. This involved either standing out from beaches, in the sea, until the water came up to my chin or swimming further out in the sea, holding poles marked red and white, we did not have wet suit. Our uniform, was, soldier battledress but with sailors hat. It confused the civilians. Our barracks were good, the food was. good 鈥測ou got the best of food in the Navy鈥� At this time there was a ban in leave time but for some reason my unit got leave. I then moved to Lowestoft, HMS Mylodon and then to Greenock, Scotland where I boarded ship, it was called the SIBAJAK. It had been a Dutch passenger ship, converted to carry troops. There was a mixture of forces on board. We did not experience any problems with our convoy. We sailed for 4 to 5 weeks, arriving at Bombay, HMS CHEMBA, here we did more training.

We were moved to Madras, We went on leave to Ootacomund in the hills. The trains travelled so slowly, that I could drop down from the carriage that I was in, run up to the engine to get hot water to make tea and then wait to get back on to my carriage. We were moved to COCHIN. Then back to BOMBAY where we boarded a troop ship to CYLON. Then another troop ship across the Bay of Bengal where we landed on RANREY? Island. By this time the Japanese were giving up. It was a mopping up operation, we met little resistance.

Our job, was to keep the beaches and harbours clear of obstacles. After a month we boarded the SYLVIO bound for RANGOON. After landing the troops,the boat hit a mine as it was going out of harbour, thankfully it was not badly damaged. We were stationed at Elephant Point, clearing the dockside and harbour of all hazards, armaments and the like. This is where I heard the news about VE day. I got drunk (not the first time) celebrating, we got the rum bottles out, if the Japanese had come in that day, they could have swept us up. Japanese soldiers were trying to get across the Malaka Strait and our patrol boats were intercepting them.

When we were in Rangoon and Japanese prisoners of war were marching past, we had to salute them, in some camps they had Japanese guards, guarding their own soldiers, they did not bother us, but we felt uneasy, we were annoyed, we didn鈥檛 think that it was right.

On VJ day I was back to COCHIN in India. By this time I was a leading seaman with combined operations service rate (rank). I had to wait an extra six months for my good conduct stripe, because my first six months of service was counted as boys service and that could not be taken into account.

We then moved back to BOMBAY where I became ill with dysentery, I was in hospital for 5 weeks. When I came out of hospital, my unit had been disbanded. For the next six months the navy sent me to various locations (one of the boats I travelled on was a Japanese boat, we had to cook own meals using a solid fuel block 鈥� put down on the steel deck 鈥� light the block and cook the food). I eventually ended up in charge of the guard at the Singapore Barracks.

I came back to England on the Dutch liner CIRCASSIA, we had our own steward, hot salt water for showers and baths, we dined with the captain, we had to be properly dressed for dinner. Disembarked at Portsmouth 鈥� train to Scotland 鈥� became naval policeman for a few months. I was discharged from the Navy on the 9th October 1946

I returned to my old job but had a disagreement with my employer. I then went to work for Metropolitan Vickers in Trafford Park and retired after 40 years of service.

I ware my medals with pride: 1939 - 45 Star. The Burma Star. The Defence Medal. The War Medal.

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