I Think I Prefer the Tinned Variety

Photo credit: Malindine, E G (Capt), War Office official photographer [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons A couple of months ago I discovered some fantastic drawings by official war artist Antony Gross. They are a record of a voyage he made on a troop ship in 1942. ( Read my earlier blogpost here for more information .) I've been looking at the drawings again today and am really impressed by them. You can see all the drawings on the Wikicommons website as the Imperial War Museum has placed the series in the public domain. I think some of Gross' drawings enhance the comments my dad wrote in his diary. Monday 25 th October 1943 "Arrived at Casablanca about 10.00. Stayed two hours while our escort destroyers re-fuelled. Continued to sea. Changed to tropical rig in afternoon – khaki shirt and shorts. Many comments at this from R.N. chaps as the Fleet Air Arm is the only branch of Navy allowed khaki in the tropics. The nights are extremely

When the war in Europe ended, my dad was stationed at a transit camp in Sidney, Australia waiting for onward transport to join his unit in the British Pacific Fleet. He wrote in his diary: On Tuesday 8 th May 1945 the newspapers were head-lined "It’s all over in Europe" and gave histories of the last five years. Flags were flying in Sydney but no crowds surged through the streets. We made sure our rooms were booked at the British Centre and went for a drink to celebrate Victory. A couple of drunken sailors were the only signs of the momentous day it was. At seven o’clock we were steaming out of Central Station just as the city began to warm up and celebrate. Australian trains are horrible. They are uncomfortable, slow, draughty and Heaven knows what else, in fact not a patch on the good old L.M.S. [London, Midland and Scottish Railway.] The only interesting part of the journey was an old man of 83 who got on at Penorth and who had emigrated here when h

I've recently discovered an amazing official war artist named Anthony Gross. In 1942 he was sent on a troop carrier, the m.v. Highland Monarch, from England to Egypt via Sierra Leone and the Indian Ocean. He made a series of drawings during the voyage, which took around eight weeks, which are a fantastic record of daily life on board. Some of Gross' drawings have provided me with real in-sights into my father's diary. For example, on Thursday 14 th October 1943 Norman recorded: "Transport arrived, picked us up and dumped us on the wharf alongside " S.S. Orbita " an armed merchant cruiser used as a troop carrier. Climbed the stairs (damned if I know the nautical name) and then, after finding ourselves on the top deck, tried to find our mess, which we were told was "just forrard". Eventually discovered it and found it to be a place about the size of a single tennis court where 360 of us were to eat and sleep for Heavens knows how

I was delighted to notice a few days ago that another review had been posted on the Amazon site for  I Think I Prefer the Tinned Variety: The Diary of a Petty Officer in the Fleet Air Arm during World War II by N. Buckle & C. Murray. So pleased you liked the book G.P. Walker and many thanks for adding your comment to the Amazon site.  Indeed, thanks to everyone who has posted a review. If you're wondering why the price of the book has increased it's all to do with V.A.T. Until Jan 1st this year V.A.T. on ebooks in the U.K. was levied at 3%. Changes in tax rules mean that V.A.T. is now being levied at 20%. Paper books continue to be zero rated. Why ebooks are discriminated against beats me but there you are. All our ebooks are under £1 at the moment. Why not take a look at Spurwing Ebooks ?

Over on the Amazon Book Page there's a new review for I Think I Prefer the Tinned Variety. A reader called Maisie's Mum has enjoyed reading the book and very kindly taken the time to write a review.  I loved this comment:"Readin g between the lines, Norman emerges as a sweet, thoughtful young man determined to do 'his bit'." For me that sums up everything I've ever read about the lives of ordinary people during that era as well as my dad. You can read a sample of I Think I Prefer the Tinned Variety on the Amazon Book Page  and get the download for your Kindle. If you don't read with a Kindle did you know that there is a free Kindle App for tablet, mobile phone, iPad etc which works just as well as a Kindle. You can find out about it here on the Amazon website. If you would like to read more of my Family History stories please come and join me on my website Writing a Family History .

In recent months I've been researching the lives of some of my ancestors during the First World War. You can read about them at Writing a Family History First World War Stories if you follow this link . When I was researching the background to  I Think I Prefer the Tinned Variety: The Diary of a Petty Officer in the Fleet Air Arm during World War II I learned how the Fleet Air Arm contributed to the First World War: The Royal Navy had an air section from 1903 which was utilised during the First World War for spotting, signalling and reconnaissance. It was combined in 1918 with the Royal Flying Corps to form the Royal Air Force. By 1919, naval air power had been hugely reduced to a very small number of aircraft:  reconnaissance planes, torpedo bombers, fighter planes, sea planes and flying boats.  And how it evolved in the years prior to WW2: In 1924 there was a policy change at the Admiralty and it was decided that all observers and 70% of pilots of navy planes wou

On 19th May 1945 Norman embarked on H.M.S. Arbiter , an escort carrier, to start the 2000 mile journey to Ponam. On June 1st they arrived at the island of Manus, the main base, before going on to Ponam. The next day Norman wrote: Yesterday we weighed anchor in the morning and a few hours sailing brought us to Ponam, a small island just off the main one, two miles long by six hundred yards wide. Highest point above sea level 6 ft. About 12.00 we came ashore in the cutter and surveyed our new home. To look at it is a typical desert island complete with lagoon, coral and wind swept palm trees.  Vegetation found growing naturally appears to be coconut palms, wild orange trees, bread fruit with a few tropical flowers and grasses. The seasons appear to be two – wet and dry. (Now we are at the end of the wet). Rainstorms are fairly common. The main island of Manus lies about a mile across the straits and is fairly large. I judged it at some ten miles long; the ground rises to a r

I explained in this blogpost how my dad, Norman Buckle, came to be in Australia in April 1945. He was waiting with his unit M.S.R.6 to be sent on to Ponam in the Admiralty Islands (present day Papua New Guinea) to join MONAB 4 (Mobile Operating Naval Air Base). An extract from his diary describes his first day in Sidney where he was to remain for almost six weeks. On the morning of the 9 th April we arrived at Sydney, largest city in Australia and second largest in British Empire. Before entering the great harbour the sea was very choppy but once inside became calm and we moved alongside without incident. The main impression I now recall is the first view of the magnificent bridge across the harbour. About the middle of the afternoon we disembarked and travelled to a Naval Air Station a few miles outside the city which was to be our home for the next few weeks. We settled down and that same night caught the electric train back into the city. Our first call was an eating

Earlier in the blog I wrote about my dad's war-time experiences when he was stationed at H.M.S. Nabaron  http://tinned-variety.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/hms-nabaron-monab-4-msr6-1945.html on Ponam Island in the Pacific Ocean. When I was researching the background for I Think I Prefer the Tinned Variety I read several books and websites that had a few references to H.M.S. Nabaron - but not a lot (as someone famously once said). Nevertheless, from time to time, I continue the search and yesterday stumbled upon this fantastic insignia which seems to really sum up the place and the situation. You can read more of the story in   I Think I Prefer the Tinned Variety: The Diary of a Petty Officer in the Fleet Air Arm during World War II by N. Buckle & C. Murray at  http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009QXEUG2  and http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009QXEUG2