A ship was simultaneously a sailor's home, social world, and weapon, ranging from a tiny vessel to a floating town of more than a thousand men. At sea, those communities could be isolated from families and the wider world for days, weeks, or months. Drafting orders determined not only the type of ship but also where and with whom a sailor would live for months. Firsthand reactions to the declaration of war show both the abrupt separation from family and the professional eagerness of newly trained officers to put their preparation to use.
Notable Point · 3:22:41-3:24:59
A Royal Navy ship as home, community, and weapon
The British Sailor of the Second World War frames a posting as entry into an isolated all-male community whose size, location, and mission could change a sailor's entire wartime experience overnight.