大象传媒

My story starts well before the 2nd. world war as in 1935 aged 16yrs my parents apprenticed me in the merchant navy for 5yrs. in future hopes of my becoming a ships officer or captain.
However after 2yrs. i persuaded my parents to let me be released from my indentures as my two brothers had also left the seafaring life some time before, settling in ashore quickly i obtained a job in an aircraft factory as store keeper and was happily doing this when in June 1939 the British Govt. ordered all men aged 20yrs. old to register at the labour exchange with a view to being inducted into one of the armed forces, Born in Sept. 1918 it meant me so off i went, at the interview it was pointed out in view of my merchant navy experience i was a prime candidate for the Royal Navy, from that moment on i was a member of the Royal Naval Special Reserve to be called up for service in case war broke out in the future.
Well you know the result by now as on Sept. 3rd. 1939 we were at war with Germany, this meant i should have reported right away but in my innocence and still working in the aircraft industry i did not think it meant me, this is where fate stepped in as the day a German plane bombed the factory(aprox. 40 killed and many injured)i had been sent to another factory to wire up a Mosquito bomber as a sample for others to copy,in the future, getting over the nightly bombs and air raid alerts etc. my life went on until one day in Feb. 1941 i received a letter from the registrar of shipping stating that i must either obtain a merchant ship position or receive my calling up papers for the Royal Navy immediatly!!!
My parents advised me to go in the R.N.as there would be at least some guns to protect me,advising the registrar of my decision my papers arrived to report to barracks in Billy Butlins Camp at Skegness on May 21st. 1941 where i duly arrived.
After 4 wks. squad drill i got posted to Chatham in Kent and finished my seamans training by Oct.1941, Unfortunately my Father passed away in Sept.so after 48hrs. leave for funeral it was back to barracks ready to be posted,this duly came about and with some of my classmates we were off to Durban in Sth. Africa, fate steps in again as arriving in Freetown West Africa we were unloaded on to H. M .S. Vindictive to await any R.N. ship short of complement.
On Christmas Eve 1941 we were rowed out to of all things a merchant ship the very thing i had turned down back in May!!! however all was not lost as this merchantman had plenty of guns to protect me being an Armed Merchant Cruiser it had 8x6inch.guns(4either side)2x3inch.guns. 2multi pom poms and a seaplane(Kingfisher with 2 floats to land on the water) the ship had been a passenger cargo in peace time but was now H.M.S. Cilicia, we patroled Nth. and Sth. Atlantic looking for contraband runners with rubber and tin etc. for Germany, also doing convey escort duty as needed,
It turned out to be a wonderfull turn of fate as it was a happy and lucky ship with a great Captain,and best of all shipmates who were loyal and great to serve with until we de commisioned in 1944 at Halifax Nova Scotia Canada.
A lot of us were then sent by train across Canada to Vancouver where we picked up an escort aircraft carrier to carry on the struggle which is of course another story for the future.
In conclusion i often wonder if i had gone in the merchant navy would i have been torpedoed in convey? drafted to H.M.S.Prince of Wales and lost with it? with no merchant navy experience pre war, in the Army at Dunkirk and captured or killed? like i said at the begining fate is or was a strange thing during W.W.2

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.