I Think I Prefer the Tinned Variety

I wrote in I Think I Prefer the Tinned Variety: The Diary of a Petty Officer in the Fleet Air Arm during World War II that when my dad was de-mobilised from the Fleet Air Arm at the end of World War II he received a war gratuity properly known as a Certificate of Post War Credit. The actual document was preserved amongst his papers.

I wrote in I Think I Prefer the Tinned Variety: The Diary of a Petty Officer in the Fleet Air Arm during World War II about some of the abbreviation's my dad had used in his diary. The most difficult to interpret was P.D. (See previous post). More on the subject of "pack drill". A member of the WW2Talk forum pointed me in the direction of Hansard (the record of Parliamentary debates which is available on-line) where there are a couple of interesting references. In April 1943, Mr Walter Edwards (1900 - 1964), the M.P. for Stepney and Whitechapel, asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if pack drill was being used as a form of punishment in the Royal Navy. The First Lord of the Admiralty gave him a categorical assurance that it was not and had never been used as a form of punishment   in the Royal Navy. In July 1946, Mr Jack Lawson (1881 - 1965), M.P. for Chester-le-Street and briefly Secretary of State for War (1945 - 1946) assured the House of Commons tha

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 joined a forum called World War Two Talk. I lurked around the site for several months before I signed up. It was here that I got my first clue as to why my dad had been sent to Freetown , Sierra Leone . Until I read about the convoy system on one of the WW2Talk threads I didn't have any idea about the strategic importance of the harbour at Freetown to the war effort. While exploring the site I realised that several members were asking for help with their enquiries into a wide range of topics. I had become stumped by several abbreviations that my dad had used in his diary and decided to see if any members of the site could help: so I signed up, introduced myself and posed my question. Within a couple of days most of my problem abbreviations were solved but one remained stubborn. "P.D." My dad had used the abbreviat

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 became very interested in the history of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. Amongst my dad's papers was a page from the weekly edition of The Times newspaper which included these images of life on an aircraft carrier. I speculated that it was after seeing these photographs that he decided that he wanted to join the Fleet Air Arm.  On board an aircraft carrier, Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm December 1940  On board an aircraft carrier, Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm December 1940  On board an aircraft carrier, Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm December 1940  Links to Kindle Store on the Amazon site for the 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 book page. http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009QXEUG2 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009QXEU

I wrote in I Think I Prefer the Tinned Variety: The Diary of a Petty Officer in the Fleet Air Arm during World War II about my dad's papers: "I knew that this was a collection of photographs and postcards that my dad had stuck in the book accompanied by captions in his tiny, precise handwriting. Folded into the book were lots of pages torn from an old diary for 1944 and several sheets of notepaper covered in that same spidery handwriting." To illustrate what his handwriting was like here's the page in his diary where he wrote about the fruits that had become available and includes the quote that gave rise to the title of the book. Sample of the diary pages that were part of Norman Buckle's record of his WWII experiences.

Name, Rank and Number Norman Buckle, Petty Officer, FX585169 This photograph was taken in May 1945 when Norman was based at H.M.S. Golden Hind (Sidney, Australia) before he went to join MONAB 4 at Ponam in the Admiralty Islands.

I am delighted that to-day exactly seventy years since my dad, Norman Buckle, joined the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm as a wartime volunteer I have published his annotated diary. Now available to download from the Kindle Store: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009QXEUG2 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009QXEUG2

In my book I Think I Prefer the Tinned Variety: The Diary of a Petty Officer in the Fleet Air Arm during World War II, I explain that in 1945 my dad was sent to a naval air-base on Ponam Island in the Admiralty Islands (part of present day Papua New Guinea). He was  a member of MONAB 4. The MONABs were Mobile Naval Operating Air Bases which were needed to provide repair, maintenance and servicing for the aircraft used by the Fleet Air Arm on board the ships of the British Pacific Fleet. The plan was that there would be ten MONABs in total. Each MONAB was given an H.M.S name that began with " Nab " to reflect the NAB in MONAB. Norman was attached to MONAB 4. All the war-time MONABs were based in or near Sidney or Brisbane in Australia . The exception was MONAB 4 which was to be based in the Admiralty Islands over two thousand miles from Australia in the Pacific Ocean. MONAB 1 - R.N.A.S Nowra (approximately 99 miles south of Sidney , New South Wales , Australia

In my dad's service records it says that he finally left the Fleet Air Arm in July 1946 and his pension records show that he went back to his pre-war job as a clerk before starting a course of study at Bradford Technical College. This photo is dated September 1946 and was taken at Filey. There was a Butlin's holiday camp at Primrose Valley, Filey, Yorkshire so presumably he'd gone there for a holiday before starting college. Strange to think that his war service started at the Butlin's at Skegness. I wrote in  I Think I Prefer the Tinned Variety: The Diary of a Petty Officer in the Fleet Air Arm during World War II that "on 15th October 1942 Norman had arrived at H.M.S Royal Arthur, a shore establishment of the Royal Navy at Skegness . Previously a Butlin's holiday camp it was commissioned as a training establishment in 1939 for new naval recruits. The holiday camp had opened in April 1936 and was the first of the camps designed by Billy Butlin to pro

Sunday 2nd September 1945 The formal surrender to the Allied commanders by the Japanese leadership took place on U.S.S. Missouri . These photos were in my dad's diary: The Japanese leaders at the signing of the formal surrender.   The signing of the formal surrender. The signing of the formal surrender. 

In 1945, Norman Buckle was stationed at HMS Nabaron on Ponam Island (Admiralty Islands) as part of the support network for the British Pacific Fleet. Ponam Islanders, Admiralty Islands. Ponam Islanders, Admiralty Islands. Ponam Island Ponam Islanders, Admiralty Islands.

In his diary my dad, Norman Buckle, had some photos of his Fleet Air Arm colleagues which identifies his group as the support unit MSR6 (Maintenance, Storage and Reserve 6) of MONAB 4 (Mobile Naval Airbase) which was stationed on Ponam Island in the Pacific Ocean. The base was known as HMS Nabaron. From the air Ponam Island looked rather like an aircraft carrier and the American SeaBees (CB's - Construction Battalions) had built an airfield on it using crushed coral for the runway. It was handed over to the Royal Navy with all services including the airstrip, aircraft repair shops and storage for aircraft parts, petrol and oil storage tanks, a control tower, jeeps and trucks, huts for accommodation, an officers' mess, dining halls, a hospital, water de-salination plant and kitchens (including an ice-cream maker). The U.S Navy also left behind a forty strong team of SeaBees personnel to maintain the island and its facilities. Norman 's unit M.S.R.6 was attached to H

My dad, Norman Buckle, was stationed at HMS Spurwing (Royal Navy air base at Hastings, near Freetown, Sierra Leone) from October 1943 until November 1944. After a period of further training in the U.K he was sent in March 1945 to join the British Pacific Fleet. He was to be based at the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm base on Ponam Island, Admiralty Islands known as HMS Nabaron. In his photo book he placed a map of Australia and indicated the location of Ponam Island. Map of Australia showing th location of Ponam in the Admiralty Islands. Even though it doesn't look like it on this map, Ponam was over 2000 miles away from Australia.

In his diary my dad, Norman Buckle, wrote: Saturday 22 nd April 1944 "A usual Saturday, enlivened by a display of tribal dancing at night. He then went on to write a detailed account of Tribal Dances given on “ Spurwing ” playing fields. HMS Spurwing was the Royal Navy air base at Hastings, near Freetown, Sierra Leone where he was stationed from October 1943 until November 1944. The dancers were accompanied by bands of musicians from all around the area.  The Programme for the event.  The Programme for the event

Sometimes at HMS Spurwing (Royal Navy air station at Hastings, near Freetown, Sierra Leone) there was entertainment provided by E.N.S.A but at other times they made their own entertainment. My dad wrote in his diary about preparations for a concert and despite his reservations it must have gone ahead because he had some photographs of the show. Friday 14 th April 1944 "Should have been dress rehearsal for concert at night but when we arrived at the Robangba Theatre found it occupied by a crowd of pissed up R.A.F chaps. Great difficulty in clearing them out but finally succeeded but the whole action made us so late that we didn’t finish until 23.30. Thursday 20 th April 1944 "Again seem to have got a day or two behind. Nothing much doing all day (as usual). Should have been a rehearsal in afternoon. But no-one turned up. As the entertainments officer, who is compering the show, has gone up country, perhaps it will die a natural death. I hope so anyway.

My dad wrote in the diary he kept while stationed at HMS Spurwing (Hastings, near Freetown, Sierra Leone): Sunday 26 th March 1944 "No transport so failed to go bathing to Lumley – first Sunday for some weeks now. Spent day reading month old newspapers." Lumley Beach was a popular place for bathing. Lumley Beach The road to Lumley Beach  There was an open air swimming pool at the naval air station (HMS Spurwing) at Hastings, near Freetown, Sierra Leone. The swimming pool at HMS Spurwing. Sports Day at the swimming pool, HMS Spurwing. The swimming pool at HMS Spurwing. Swimming pool at HMS Spurwing.

In his diary recording details of the time he was posted to the naval air base H.M.S. Spurwing, Hastings, near Freetown, Sierra Leone, my dad wrote about a visit to a village called Marampa about sixty miles from the base. Sunday 6 th February 1944 Expedition to Marampa "For a week or two now we have been anticipating this trip and when we awoke about 06.00 everyone was as happy as kids going to a Sunday School treat. Breakfast was soon disposed of and by seven we were on our way with all the food and drinking water stowed away. Drinking water had to be taken in old beer bottles because of the unhealthy water up country. Needless to say a few bottles of beer had been saved also from the week’s ration. When we set off the sun had not risen and the morning was extremely cold. On reaching the main road we turned in the opposite direction to Freetown . As the road has a very good surface we ran along at a good speed and consequently got colder and colder. The road ra