Share on Facebook
Share on X
Share by Email
Share on Google Classroom
In 2009, The Memory Project interviewed Alexander Hall, a veteran of the Second World War. The following recording (and transcript) is an excerpt from this interview. Hall was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1921, and enlisted in the Royal Navy in January 1940 at the age of 19, receiving his training in England. He was soon promoted to the rank of leading seaman. In this testimony, Hall talks about some of his missions during the war, such as travelling to Russia, Halifax, and Norway. He describes his involvement in Operation Claymore, a joint British/Norwegian commando raid tasked with blowing up fish oil factories; they returned to England with volunteers for the “Free Norwegian Forces”. He also describes doing escort duty on a ship which sank in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as participating in the (aborted) commando raid of Bayonne. Hall immigrated to Canada in 1946.
Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.
![]({"id":"185f8654-127e-4218-a1a7-46ffadb991bc","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"7735_original","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":318782,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T23:25:45.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T23:25:45.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #7735","alt":"","caption":"Mr. and Mrs. Hall with a World War II-era motorcycle and side-car at an VE-Day anniversary celebration in 1995.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7735 - Veteran #1859","source":"","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7735_original.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7735_original.jpg","credit":"","pivot":{"mediable_id":"78c798bf-8f56-434b-a3da-b8962464bac0","media_id":"185f8654-127e-4218-a1a7-46ffadb991bc","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":1},"translations":[{"id":"1cddb93c-7a28-4bfd-80b3-c69ff5711341","media_id":"185f8654-127e-4218-a1a7-46ffadb991bc","title":"Memory Project Image #7735","alt":"","caption":"Mr. and Mrs. Hall with a World War II-era motorcycle and side-car at an VE-Day anniversary celebration in 1995.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7735 - Veteran #1859","source":"","locale":"en","credit":""},{"id":"a50c524c-e344-4e9f-bf27-7d08ff9bf763","media_id":"185f8654-127e-4218-a1a7-46ffadb991bc","title":"Memory Project Image #7735","alt":"","caption":"Monsieur et madame Hall dans un side-car de la Seconde Guerre Mondiale lors d'une c\u00e9l\u00e9bration de l'anniversaire du 8 mai 1945, en 1995.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7735 - Veteran #1859","source":"","locale":"fr","credit":""}]} "Memory Project Image #7735"){kind=spacer}
![]({"id":"5864b108-bac5-42b9-a56b-25a21f3f4751","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"7734_original","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":146087,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T23:25:42.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T23:25:42.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #7734","alt":"","caption":"Young Alexander Hall, shortly after enlisting. He was 19 years old when this photo was taken.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7734 - Veteran #1859","source":"","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7734_original.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7734_original.jpg","credit":"","pivot":{"mediable_id":"78c798bf-8f56-434b-a3da-b8962464bac0","media_id":"5864b108-bac5-42b9-a56b-25a21f3f4751","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":2},"translations":[{"id":"b609b922-d4f2-4f38-ab1d-464cdd305c3d","media_id":"5864b108-bac5-42b9-a56b-25a21f3f4751","title":"Memory Project Image #7734","alt":"","caption":"Young Alexander Hall, shortly after enlisting. He was 19 years old when this photo was taken.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7734 - Veteran #1859","source":"","locale":"en","credit":""},{"id":"ae1dd424-2e44-40df-8297-cc5645060150","media_id":"5864b108-bac5-42b9-a56b-25a21f3f4751","title":"Memory Project Image #7734","alt":"","caption":"Le jeune Alexander Hall, peu de temps apr\u00e8s son enr\u00f4lement. Il avait 19 ans lorsque cette photo fut prise.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7734 - Veteran #1859","source":"","locale":"fr","credit":""}]} "Memory Project Image #7734"){kind=spacer}
![]({"id":"740b037d-e53a-4e9b-8ad9-f7c5cde8d0f3","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"7738_original","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":344129,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T23:25:52.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T23:25:52.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #7738","alt":"","caption":"Some of the crew of HMS Queen Emma. 1942.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7738 - Veteran #1859","source":"","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7738_original.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7738_original.jpg","credit":"","pivot":{"mediable_id":"78c798bf-8f56-434b-a3da-b8962464bac0","media_id":"740b037d-e53a-4e9b-8ad9-f7c5cde8d0f3","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":3},"translations":[{"id":"dbd72b1d-d010-4301-9f5c-5350607b50af","media_id":"740b037d-e53a-4e9b-8ad9-f7c5cde8d0f3","title":"Memory Project Image #7738","alt":"","caption":"Some of the crew of HMS Queen Emma. 1942.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7738 - Veteran #1859","source":"","locale":"en","credit":""},{"id":"fe0c1ae9-573c-4d8a-ab19-06d30a3e8e41","media_id":"740b037d-e53a-4e9b-8ad9-f7c5cde8d0f3","title":"Memory Project Image #7738","alt":"","caption":"Une partie de l'\u00e9quipage du HMS Queen Emma (Navire de Sa Majest\u00e9) en 1942.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7738 - Veteran #1859","source":"","locale":"fr","credit":""}]} "Memory Project Image #7738"){kind=spacer}
![]({"id":"87d55efc-2ff6-4bed-a502-aca8601d1a41","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"7736_original","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":196664,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T23:25:47.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T23:25:47.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #7736","alt":"","caption":"Church service held aboard the Queen Emma the day before the tragic landings at Dieppe. August 18, 1942.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7736 - Veteran #1859","source":"","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7736_original.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7736_original.jpg","credit":"","pivot":{"mediable_id":"78c798bf-8f56-434b-a3da-b8962464bac0","media_id":"87d55efc-2ff6-4bed-a502-aca8601d1a41","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":4},"translations":[{"id":"6eaa258a-3855-45b9-8169-692ab032d8d5","media_id":"87d55efc-2ff6-4bed-a502-aca8601d1a41","title":"Memory Project Image #7736","alt":"","caption":"Church service held aboard the Queen Emma the day before the tragic landings at Dieppe. August 18, 1942.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7736 - Veteran #1859","source":"","locale":"en","credit":""},{"id":"426dd711-0b32-405a-b6c3-eba9d93f974b","media_id":"87d55efc-2ff6-4bed-a502-aca8601d1a41","title":"Memory Project Image #7736","alt":"","caption":"Messe \u00e0 bord du Queen Emma, le jour des d\u00e9barquements tragiques, \u00e0 Dieppe, le 18 ao\u00fbt 1942.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7736 - Veteran #1859","source":"","locale":"fr","credit":""}]} "Memory Project Image #7736"){kind=spacer}
![]({"id":"dbb69e45-da7d-4711-924e-ce6593a63b0e","disk":"s3","directory":"The-Memory-Project\/image","filename":"7737_original","extension":"jpg","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","aggregate_type":"image","size":280226,"variant_name":null,"original_media_id":null,"created_at":"2022-08-02T23:25:50.000000Z","updated_at":"2022-08-02T23:25:50.000000Z","title":"Memory Project Image #7737","alt":"","caption":"Before the war, HMS Queen Emma was a Dutch passenger ship. For the war the ship was converted to a landing craft.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7737 - Veteran #1859","source":"","conversion_urls":{"original":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7737_original.jpg"},"url":"https:\/\/d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net\/The-Memory-Project\/image\/7737_original.jpg","credit":"","pivot":{"mediable_id":"78c798bf-8f56-434b-a3da-b8962464bac0","media_id":"dbb69e45-da7d-4711-924e-ce6593a63b0e","mediable_type":"App\\Models\\Article","tag":"gallery","order":5},"translations":[{"id":"282c2b67-b952-4865-8b87-3e0abbee875b","media_id":"dbb69e45-da7d-4711-924e-ce6593a63b0e","title":"Memory Project Image #7737","alt":"","caption":"Before the war, HMS Queen Emma was a Dutch passenger ship. For the war the ship was converted to a landing craft.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7737 - Veteran #1859","source":"","locale":"en","credit":""},{"id":"06e6c870-5009-42c7-bab4-975314567e3d","media_id":"dbb69e45-da7d-4711-924e-ce6593a63b0e","title":"Memory Project Image #7737","alt":"","caption":"Avant la guerre, le HMS Queen Emma (Navire de Sa Majest\u00e9) \u00e9tait un navire \u00e0 passagers n\u00e9erlandais. Pour la guerre, il a \u00e9t\u00e9 reconverti en bateau de d\u00e9barquement.","creator":"Memory Project Image #7737 - Veteran #1859","source":"","locale":"fr","credit":""}]} "Memory Project Image #7737"){kind=spacer}
Transcript
My name is Alec Hall. I was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1921, and I volunteered for the Royal Navy at the age of nineteen in January 1940. I did my training in England, and I finished my training the week before Winston Churchill passed, inspecting us. He asked me my age, and I don't think he believed me. I told him I was nineteen. After my training, I was sent to Portsmouth, and from there to Campbelltown, Scotland, which was a submarine base, attached to the "Terge-2". We made a 'run' from Scapa Flow to Murmansk and Odessa in Russia. After our return to base, I put through for promotion to become a Leading Seaman and I passed my Leading Seamanship badge. After that, I was sent back over to Halifax to take up fifty World War I destroyers from America. In my opinion, America should have kept them. Anyway, I came home on the U.S.S. 'Charlston', and later they used this ship to blow up the submarine base at Narvic. After that, I was sent on a destroyer, doing escort duty, and we were sunk in the Mediterranean. I spent four days with seventeen other survivors. After my time in hospital, my next step was to go back to Portsmouth, and then I was sent to re-commission the H.M.S. 'Queen Emma'. This was a Dutch passenger liner that was converted to a Mother craft to carry invasion craft. After we commissioned it, we were sent to the north of Scotland to train the 4th Commandos in doing some raids. We left there in February. We left Scapa Flow with our sister ship, the 'Princess Beatrice', and five other destroyers as escort. We did what they called the "Operation Claymore". We went to Norway, and we were commanded to blow up factories that were full of fish oil, which was used to make glycerine for munitions. Everything went well except the weather was foul and most of the soldiers were sick until the time came to land. A lot of the Norwegians volunteered to come back to Britain to join the 'Free Norwegian Forces'. Back home again, we went this time to blow up some radar stations on the coast of France, with the Commandos again. One particular raid was called 'Bayonne'. Two ships were disguised as Spanish trawlers, with tubular scaffolding and tarps painted. Everybody was sworn to secrecy until the war was over. This raid didn't come off because they miscalculated on the entrance to the harbour. They had put barriers across the opening.