WW2 Memoirs

The adventurous life of Peter Hammond, Part 1: 1923 - 1946

In Part 1 of his memoires Peter Hammond describes the growing pre-WW2 tension in day to day life in England, his time in London as a fire-watcher during the German bombing raids, his adventures as a "head-ache" operator listening to enemy communications in the Royal Navy and being stationed in post-war Germany as a naval intelligence officer interrogating Soviet spies. Peter Hammond, born 1923 in Rotterdam, moved to England at the age of 11 after his father died. At 16 he left home to start an apprenticeship in London and during the nights he was on fire-watch duty to extinguish the blazes caused by German bombs. He then joined the Royal Navy and was stationed on several ships as a "head-ache" operator. Speaking Dutch, he quickly learned German and decoded transmissions from enemy vessels attacking the Royal fleet. After the war he was posted to Cuxhaven and describes the desperation of the beaten German people and the search for Soviet spies in the occupied country.