大象传媒

On the September 10th we arrived at Colombo for repairs in the dry dock. A wash house was set up on the dock side with a free gangway to visit it. All the water and waste pipes were shut off and the ship was high and dry in the dock. There was plenty of shore leave, just for the afternoon. The w/t (wireless/telegraphy) watches were closed down and a telephone was installed on board to cover in its place.

Whilst we were in dry dock the ship had her boilers cleaned and her bottom scraped and painted with red oxide.

Just before the Americans invaded the Philippines, the British Eastern Fleet took part in Operation Millet. The Eastern Fleet strike force consisted of:

2 x Illustrious Class Fleet Aircraft Carriers
Victorious, Indomitable
23,000 tons; length 753鈥�; width 95鈥�; draught 24鈥�
110,000 horsepower; turbines; triple screw (propellers); 31 knots
Dual purpose guns 16 x 4.5鈥� (anti ship and anti aircraft)
54 aircraft

1 x Battle Cruiser
Renown
26,500 tons; length 794鈥�; width 90鈥�; draught 25 戮鈥�
112,000 horsepower; turbines; 31陆 knots
Forced draught 126,000 horsepower; 32陆 knots
Main guns 6 x 15鈥�; dual purpose 20 x 4.5鈥� (anti ship and anti aircraft)
Light AA guns (anti aircraft) 3 x 8 barrel 2 pounder pom poms
Aircraft catapult; 1 sea plane

3 x Heavy Cruisers County Class
Cumberland, London, Suffolk
9750 to 9850 tons; length 630鈥� (London 633鈥�); width 68 录鈥� (London 66鈥�); draught 16 录鈥� (London 17鈥�)
80,000 horsepower; turbines; 31陆 knots (London 32陆 knots)
Main guns 8 x 8鈥�
AA guns (Anti aircraft) 8 x 4鈥�; 4 x 2 pounders (replaced?)
Torpedoes 8 x 21鈥�
Aircraft 4 (London 3)

1 x 5.25鈥� Belted (Belt Armour) Cruiser Dido Class
Phoebe
5450 tons; length 512鈥�; width 50 陆鈥�; draught 14鈥�
62,000 horsepower; turbines; 33 knots
Main guns 8 x 5.25鈥� dual purpose (anti ship and anti aircraft)
Secondary gun 1 x 4鈥�
AA guns (Anti aircraft) 8 x 2 pounders
Torpedoes 6 x 21鈥�

11 x Destroyers
Dutch Ship - Van Galen (Ex N Class Destroyer Noble 1942)
N Class - Norman
1690 tons; length 356 陆鈥�; width 35 戮鈥�; draught 20陆鈥�
Main guns 6 x 4.7鈥� (double turrets)
AA guns (Anti aircraft) 4 x 2 pounders; other smaller guns
Torpedoes 10 x 21鈥�
Q and R Class - Queensborough, Quiberon, Quillian, Raider, Relentless 1705 tons; length 358 录鈥�; width 35鈥�8鈥�; draught 20 陆鈥�
Main guns 4 x 4.7鈥� (single turrets)
AA guns (Anti aircraft) 4 x 2 pounder pom poms; 6 x 20mm Oerlikon single mountings (Quilliam 4 x 20mm Oerlikon twin mountings)
Torpedoes 8 x 21鈥�
Depth charges 1 rail; 4 throwers; 70 charges with T.S.D.S. (Quilliam 2 rails, 2 throwers, 75 charges)
Submarine Detector C.S.A. A/S (A.S.D.I.C. (Ping Pong))
W Class - Wager, Wakeful, Wessex, Whelp
1730 tons; length 362 戮鈥�; width 35 戮鈥�; draught 20陆鈥�
Main guns 4 x 4.7鈥�
AA guns (Anti aircraft) - various
Torpedoes 8 x 21鈥�
All N, Q, R and W Class
40,000 horsepower; turbines; 2 shafts; 36 knots
Submarine detectors C.S.A. A/S (A.S.D.I.C. (Ping Pong))

2 Submarines for air/sea rescue [I think ]

Operation Millet was an operation to carry out an air strike and bombardment of selected airfields and shore targets against centers in the Nicobar Islands. Relentless acted as escort to the two carriers and also took part in the bombardment of a radar station at Car Nicobar. The Nicobar Islands lie off the Burmese Coast. The Commodore (D) in charge of the British Eastern Fleet destroyers was Commodore (D) A. L. Poland. His flag ship, the Napier, an N class destroyer, was being refitted so he commandeered the Relentless to go to sea on. He brought his staff with him who did all the work, his communication ratings were as keen as mustard, they did not get the chance to go to sea much. They normally operated from the Commodore鈥檚 HQ ashore. .

. When they came aboard us we kept four watches, which was easier going than two watches which we had to do when we were on our own operations. There was a Warrant Telegraphist who came on board and ruled the W/T (Wireless Telegraph) Office when the Commodore was on board. He used to give us the run around. His rank was one above that of Chief Petty Officer Telegraphist.

There was a lot of saluting going on then. I never actually saw the Commodore. His staff quartered with us and it was very cramped. On the way to the Nicobar Islands various exercises were carried out. On one occasion we were detached with the two light cruisers and they seemed to 鈥渟how off鈥� to the Commodore by criss-crossing our bow at high speed. We could have left them standing because we could do 36 knots whilst they could only do 33. Perhaps we were conserving our fuel as they had bigger reserves than us. The planes took off from the carriers several times and made some sorties. When they returned there was usually a mishap. A plane would overshoot the landing deck and ditch into the sea. A launch would be lowered to pick up the pilot who seemed to be unscathed. The plane of course sank and was lost. Sometimes there would be two planes lost from one sortie.

When we got there, an air strike was made. Then the battleships cruised past firing their big guns, after that the cruisers did their shoot and finally the destroyers put in their pot shots led by the Commodore. A lot of trees were knocked down and a lot of grass was on fire. We saw 1 Jap plane shot down with the loss of 2 of ours. During the action the ships regular communications ratings (us) sat on top of the galley under the protection of the back of the bridge and had a grandstand view. It was like going to the pictures except it was for real. We were told to keep under cover by a roving Petty Officer, detailed to do just that because debris was dropping down from the skies, spent bullets and the like. One pilot was shot down in the sea and lost. The other pilot landed on the island and was taken prisoner and almost immediately beheaded on the shore.

One seaman washed his hammock by putting it over the stern on a long rope. He left it there all afternoon. It was very clean when it came out. I still had all my kit except my old blues which I gave to the gunners to clean their guns. Out of my clothing allowance of 5d per day I replaced my old blues. Also I had bought some personal gear, lightweight shirts, shorts, underwear and socks even some swimming trunks.

I caught ring worms, little rings of sores on the legs, arms, neck and face; also I had dobey rash in the crutch; in addition I had Chinese foot rot between the toes. Apparently all these sore infections came from profuse sweating. I had to report every day for a week to have them painted with a very strong solution that was bright purple in colour. The paint stung very much and was increased daily by the Petty Officer sick berth attendant who was determined to stamp it out. There were about half a dozen of us and we all stood in what sea breeze we could find and jumped up and down with our pants at half mast for 10 minutes until the sting, 10 times stronger than that of iodine, died down. I also caught 鈥淐rabs鈥�, little mites that burrow into the skin around the genitals. For that I had to shave off all the pubic hairs. Doing that sliced their heads off and cured the infection. After that it was no more sitting down on the lavatory seats. I had some trouble with one ear and had to have treatment for it.

There was not much to do on board ship in the way of recreation. A tom bola session was held every dog watch but that cost money. There was a ships鈥� piano but no-one played it. There was a ships鈥� library. I had enough clothes to only wash them every third day. They were washed in a bucket and hung up on the upper deck when fine or in the stoke hole when wet. My watch strap broke again, it rotted through with sweat. So I put my watch in the ships office for safe keeping.

. I had been drinking some ice cold water which was very nice but made one鈥檚 tummy ache. They must have installed an ice machine on board We only had to work in the forenoons, having every afternoon off - tropical routine, but had to keep watches throughout, normally four. Four watches meant you had four hours on and twelve hours off, except dog watches which were two hours on and sometimes ten hours off. If they did not have dog watches you would be on duty the same time every day which could have meant 12 midnight to 4 in the morning every day for someone. Two watches meant four hours on and four hours off which was grueling if you had to read Morse at 20 words per minute for any length of time.

Now we did a lot of sea time. We did various different jobs. A regular one was to escort troop ships coming up from Australia and see them safely into Bombay. It was usually one escort to one troopship. The troops were American.

On one occasion we went to Calcutta. We did not go into the harbour, we stood out to sea. Land was not in sight but one could see where the river ran into the sea which was yellow in colour, presumably that was the colour of the sand being washed out to sea.

On another occasion for some reason we stopped at Adu Atoll in The Maldives. The ship heaved to and we were given permission to go over the side for a swim. Two seamen were mounted with rifles one forward and one aft. Their job was to shoot any sharks that might appear. I did not know at the time but The Maldives was the home base for one species of sharks. When the tide came in the island we were next to was covered by the sea. Then we sailed on.

I had a weeks鈥� leave. The whole communications staff was transported in a launch round the coast from Trinco harbour not very far away. I think the destroyer was tied up alongside the Woolwich for another boiler clean. We were supplied every day by launch with our food. Canteen messing still applied so we had to do our own preparation, the leading hand did the baking and the hands prepared the basics, such as potato peeling.

We were on a beach under palm trees. There was swimming in the surf in a pleasant bay and games of football. I saw monkeys in the trees, mongoose on the forest floor, some deer, snakes and plenty of insects. Also here were sponges floating in the sea. A couple of natives came every day to wash our clothes for us. I bought three dozen bananas and ate them. We all had a lazy time even if we did get a lot of insect bites.

Our huts were made of dried palm tree leaves. Grog was supplied to all the others but I was under 20 so did not get any. On board I got lime juice but not in this camp. There was plenty of fresh fruit however. We were given instructions on something in the forenoon and dog watches. On rising we dashed down to the beach, five yards away and had an early morning swim in the beautiful bay. Breakfast followed having been prepared by one of the lads plus a native. After stand easy we would go for a walk in the jungle. Another walk in the jungle after dinner at noon, sometimes someone would have a firearm and take a pot shot at a baboon or two. Then there would be more swimming.

Our duty party that unloaded our provisions had to wade ashore with them in the surf. Sometimes the odd loaf was dropped and floated out to sea. We also washed our mess table and chairs in the surf. In the evenings we would stroll along the beach or have a sing song in the hut. We played football in a field not between the huts or the latter would have collapsed. This holiday would cost a lot of money in civil life but the trimmings would be of a much higher standard. It would be like going to the West Indies from Europe for a tropical holiday; or to Bali from Australia. It was idyllic, sea, sun, sand and surf.
After the leave we had at Trincomalee we went back to sea. One hard trip sticks out in my mind. A submarine was struck down with cholera just off the Burmese coast. We were sent out with a spare submarine crew, 80 men and officers and a captain who was senior to our own. The sea was heavy and east of 90 degrees east we were living like gypsies on the upper deck; all below was battened down. We lived on corned beef sandwiches which were good. The cook made them as he had no cooking to do and none was done. We went into two watches.

When we got to our rendezvous we could hardly see the submarine. The waves obscured it. In a very choppy sea the whaler was lowered and the doctor rowed across about half a mile. That was hard going for the five man whaler crew. It stayed for about half an hour then came back without the doctor. All that the submarine wanted was a doctor so we turned round and made for home (Trincomalee). The sea was green by the submarine that was reflected by trees. We must have been near the coast but we could not see land. The ship had been permanently closed up for action stations, everybody had been at their respective stations. All hatches were shut, all sea doors closed. The supply lines to the ships magazine were opened, which were intriguing. A series of pulleys and wires ran from the magazine to each gun going through decks and. Messes including the Officers Ward Room. There was an ammunition locker by each gun holding so many shells until the supply pulleys could be set up. These were for immediate use at ordinary times.

The forecastle must have been heading into the swell. At first the waves broke over the forecastle, then they broke over the bridge, after that water started coming down the speaking tube into the W/T (Wireless Telegraphy) office. Someone had left the cover off it on the bridge. I was on watch at the time and had ice cold water swilling round my ankles. It felt like ice cold water in the hot office. Not only that, the coder in the corner was as sick as a dog; then his vomit slapped around my ankles. It was the middle watch, my morale was low.

We altered course and the water stopped coming down the speaking tube. We were still not out of the woods. On the way back we had a line up the length of the ship to hang on to when going aft. One of the other coders was in the sick bay which was aft. When I was on cooks I took his meals to him, somehow I held his meal on a plate in one hand and held on to the rope (life line) with the other. What worried me was that the railings round the ship鈥檚 decks were deflected into horizontal position round the torpedo area, which was just before the aft mess house where the sick berth was situated. The ship鈥檚 railings were deflected into horizontal position around the torpedo tubes and the gun emplacements . It made for easier gunnery but was hazardous in rough weather when one could get pitched over the side. In the aft of the ship were more seamen鈥檚 messes, X and Y gun crew and torpedo men. In addition there was the Chief Petty Officer鈥檚 mess and two or three cabins for officers. Also I think there was a mess for Engine Room Artificers as the gear room was more aft than for鈥檞d. Eventually we made it back to Trincomalee none the worse for our ordeal.

The next trip was to take reliefs to a listening post on Cocos or Christmas Island, more likely the latter. This is to the south west of Bali where I went for a holiday years later. We took some telegraphists who could read Japanese Morse and a troop ship full of 200 marines to guard them. We were at the island for the day and a Jap plane came over to see what we were up to. It flew away after circulating round. I expected at least an air attack but I suppose we were not worth them expending their meager resources at that time.

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