Peter Sykes in the Royal Navy

The contributor's dad joined the navy and became a naval commando. Aged 19 to 20, he was in control of a landing craft, having volunteered for this. He was managing crew double his age. He did not see action; he missed the fleet as his landing craft broke down. He saw Hong Kong liberation. His book outlined his experiences. He went to India and Sri Lanka - and enjoyed it. A bullet grazed his leg. Bedford got bombed. He was very independent. He got mugged in India and got knocked out. He trained in Scotland. There were four non-specific postings.

This story was shared during an in-person interview at a Digital Collection Day. A transcription of the interview is attached to this record.