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| HMS Spurwing based at Hastings, near Freetown, Sierra Leone. |
This is a photograph of the playing fields at H.M.S. Spurwing situated at the village of Hastings, near Freetown, Sierra Leone. In his diary, in 1943, my dad wrote:
"The first object that catches the eye is the range of mountains from which Sierra Leone takes its name (Lion Mountain). The reference to Lion is obscure as there is no visible resemblance, but a possible explanation is that the thunder in the rainy season is like a lion’s roar."
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| Charlie Perry and Dick Treadway, Norman Buckle |
Norman Buckle is the tall chap on the right; the other two are Charlie Perry and Dick Treadway but it isn't clear from his diary which is which. They are standing outside their accommodation at H.M.S. Spurwing "Mess No. 4".
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| Mess No. 4 |
This blurry photo is of the interior of "Mess No 4" which was where they were accommodated. Note the mosquito nets.
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| Bathing facilities |
Bathing facilities were somewhat basic! This apparently is Dick Treadway and Jack Douglas in the tub. Their "mess" is in the background.
In the introduction to 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 my father, Norman Buckle, was one of thousands of young men who not only had never left Britain before but had rarely visited anywhere in their own country either. The vast majority of those war-time recruits including my dad had no sea-going experience: naval shore bases and the ships of the fleet were alien environments with their own customs, vocabulary and technologies. However, despite being thousands of miles from home and living in a hot and humid tropical climate, some things didn't change as these next photos show!
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| The canteen |
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| The canteen |
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| Petty Officers' Mess |
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| Petty Officers' Mess |
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| The canteen on Monday night. |
