大象传媒

My Father joined the RNVR in about 1934/35, he joined the old HMS Calliope moored on the Tyne near Vickers Armstrongs Elswick works.

( This was used as a moored training ship)

He was a member of the Scotswood rowing club, Single Scull i think he termed it, he was acepted with glee into the Calliopes AB Mess as they needed a good stroke oar for the forth coming rowing Gala held yearly with a rival ship down river at South shields HMS Sattelite i think they called her.

He progressed through his training and reached the dizzy height of Able Seaman Gunner, he was assigned to various ships over the next few years including the HMS Barham, Hms Exeter, and HMS Hood.

This was for his anual training stint (Two Weeks) each year apart from some added courses he done when he could get away from work.

He once told me with some pride that he took the wheel of HMS Hood whilst in the north atlantic during one of his anual training stints, and he remembered with a smile, whilst under going traing in A Turret, he was told by the Officer in charge of the gun to climb up on top and spot the shot,! he came down quite quickly after a while and when asked why he nearly broke his neck getting down, he had to inform the Officer that B Turret was training around behind him and he did not fancy being knocked off his perch, if it opened fire,!
(he reckoned they were just trying to give him something to do being RNVR (cheek).
I think the year would be about 1936/37, because when war did break out, he presented him self to the appropriate authorities but was turned down because he was a Deputy in the Coal Mines, and this was classed as reserved occupation.

He did try on more than one occasion to join up, with no avail, he was told not to waste their time any more or he would be in trouble.

The sinking of HMS Hood had a terrible effect on him, i remember my mother told me that when he came in from his shift she waited until he had had had his dinner, then sadly informed him that there had been a some information on the wireless that HMS Hood had been sunk, with only three survivors.
She said his reaction as he flopped into the chair was "the rotten swines would'nt let me go".
he lost a few mates on it, and as he said at the time, "half of Benwell Village has gone down with it" which was his home at the time.

His war was fought as a miner producing coal for the war efford.

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