Oral History Gallery

Routines at sea 3 - Typical day on HMS Victorious, 1960s

George Hampton

Service: 1949 - 1979

Rate: Warrant Officer Sick Berth Attendant

George joined the Navy as a Sick Berth Attendant (SBA) in March 1949 and specialised in operating theatre work. He served in Royal Naval Hospital Portland and in RNH Bighi in Malta. Whilst serving at Malta he embarked in HMS Daring and assisted with the provision of humanitarian relief after an earthquake on the Greek island of Cephalonia.

Listen to George's memories of a typical day in the sick bay onboard HMS Victorious during the 1960s.

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Extract Text (Duration 1.05)

We had a variety of things to do onboard. We carried over two thousand people onboard the ship at the time, that's when the squadrons were onboard, and we had daily morning surgery which the three... two doctors mainly took part. The other doctor would probably be on the flight deck if we were flying, and we had, I suppose, anything up to 50 patients to see during the morning and then the treatments afterwards and the in-patients varied according to the various problems, I mean coughs and colds and, hmmm, trauma or whatever it might be.