207690 Sub.Lt.Writer. Joseph Harold Nield Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve HMS Aurora from:Bournemouth My father, Harold Nield enjoyed his sea time on Aurora, necessary to get his commission which, he avowed, was offered to him because he could type, he was Ships Writer. He remembers Kenneth More (the actor who was, I believe, Jimmy the One) and his signature is on Dad's Crossing The Line Certificate. The captain was Captain Agnew (not sure if that was his rank then) who later was the first captain of the battleship HMS Vanguard. During his time on Aurora, Dad was at Oran and later told me the French had larger shore based guns than on Aurora. He joined shortly after Aurora sank a number of Italian Merchantmen during one engagement, during which Penelope did not get one!( according to Dad). He said HMS Aurora was a happy ship.
My father later, with his boss Commander Godfrey, was one of the two officers who set up RNAS Cullum, near Oxford which accepted aircraft into naval service from the manufacturers.
|