大象传媒

From the age of 11 years whilst still at school, I had an ambition to go to sea. I had a great urge to travel, I felt I had to be on the move all the time, my mother remarked 鈥測our trouble is that you have itchy feet鈥�.

I finally left school in 1932 at the age of 14 years and got my first job as a junior clerk and messenger boy for a manufacturers agent in the city. My job consisted of taking clothing samples to various manufacturers in the London area, as well as some routine office duties. I stayed with this employer for a year then I decided I would get another job.

I took various jobs until 1936, at the age of 18 years, I made up my mind to somehow or another attain my strong ambition to go to sea. I cycled to Tilbury Docks from Tottenham, where I lived at the time and called at the mercantile marine office there and applied for a job at sea. I was told that the first step would be for me to have a medical exam. I was sent to see the medical officer aboard the S S Maloga (a P&O boat that was docked at the time). The medical officer passed me fit and conveying his report to the person who had sent me to him I asked when I could go to ea. He replied, before being appointed to a job at sea, I would have to 鈥渨ork by鈥�. This involved unloading unwanted stores from a boat in dock, and helping to prepare it for its next trip by loading stores aboard.

As one ship left for its voyage, another came into dock. I slept aboard during this week and went home at weekend.

On Friday 20th October 1936, I was delighted to hear I had been appointed as Bell Boy on the P&O passenger line 鈥淪.S. Strathmore鈥� which was to sail the next day on an express run (16 days) to Bombay. I was informed to collect my belongings and be aboard by 09-00 hours the next day, (Saturday 21st October) having in the mean time signed the 鈥淪hips Article鈥�, being an agreement legally binding.

On arriving home to collect my belongings and inform my mother she tried to get me to change my mind saying, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think you will like it鈥� but she was unable to change my mind, which in any case I was unable to do as I had signed an agreement. On the Saturday we sailed from Tilbury at 1 pm and I felt on top of the world as we progressed down the Thames and into the English Channel.

On the Sunday we were in the Bay of Biscay and experiencing one of the October gales and I, like many, was seasick. This lasted the whole day until the Monday morning by which time we had arrived at Gibraltar where the sea was quite calm. It was at this time that an old sea dog who had noticed I had been seasick said that he would give me some useful advice regarding seasickness. He said when it got rough to put some cotton wool in my ears and go with her when she pitched and tossed and then I wouldn鈥檛 get seasick. I can鈥檛 remember whether or not I followed his advice, but I do know I was never seasick after that.

My job as a 鈥淏ell Boy鈥� was to answer calls from passengers in their cabins, each cabin having a bell that, when pressed, came up on a board covering about 50 cabins. There were of course many of these boards aboard and two or three Bell Boys were allocated to each board.

On arriving at Bombay we spent ten days in dock. The crew were split into two 鈥渨atches鈥� (Port and Starboard) and allowed time ashore accordingly.

Following a further run to Bombay, followed by a cruise to Lisbon, I was transferred to the Australian mail runs. These were five-week journeys from London to Brisbane stopping at various ports en route such as Marseilles, Naples, Port Said, Suez, Aden, Colombo, Freemantle, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Overall each trip involved three and a half months from home allowing for the stays in port.

I made several more trips to Australia until June 1939 when the Second World War became imminent.

About this time our Seaman鈥檚 Union Rep told us that if we wished we could volunteer to serve in one of the armed forces if we so wanted to, but could carry on in the Merchant Service, in the event of war it was a matter of choice.

At this time I was single and living with my mother and felt that if anything happened to her in the event of war, that I wouldn鈥檛 be of much use if I happened to be in Australia at the time. I therefore decided to apply as a volunteer for the Royal Navy Patrol Service, which was to become a wartime branch of the Royal Navy. I felt that this would be a coastal service and I would be handy for compassionate leave in the event of trouble.

I therefore decided to work ashore in the meantime and got a job working for the NAAFI at one of their supply depots in Cardiff.

Following the outbreak of war in September 1939 I was called up on April 1st 1940 of all days, (talk about Harry Tates Navy!!!). I finally arrived at Lowestoft from Cardiff at about 5pm and with others was met there by a PO who herded us onto a van and we were then driven to the Nest. After being kitted out we were then driven to a billet, the various landladies being asked 鈥渉ow many do you want here Ma!!!!鈥� I spent about two weeks at the Nest before being drafted. Apart from taking part in Divisions and 鈥済etting fell out on the lawn鈥�, (although no grass was visible most of the time), I was hanging around in the concert hall.

On hearing my name called for draft, I informed the drafting officer, that unlike those who were conscripts, I had not had any rifle training. His reply being that I had been to sea before. My reply to this was that we weren鈥檛 taught to fire rifles in the Merchant Service. His retort to this was 鈥測ou鈥檒l soon get the hang of it!鈥�.

I was drafted to Dover with eleven other ratings aboard the HMD Eileen Emma, an old wooden Lowestoft Drifter. There was very little space aboard and I had very little room to move in the galley. As the ship鈥檚 cook I got the usual remark from some of the crew, i.e.: 鈥渨ho called the cook a xxxx鈥� Who called the xxxx a cook!!!鈥� But generally we were very much a family and got on well together. The facilities aboard were very frugal and I wonder now how we managed as we did. There were no flush toilets and there were carbide gas lamps, and the rates could be heard squealing aboard especially at night.

At this time we were well into May and the Dunkirk Evacuation was looming, the Germans having driven the allied troops almost to the coast of France and Belgium.

The fleet of drifters and trawlers in Dover at that time numbered about 20, when we were sent to Dunkirk and other French ports to pick up the troops from the beaches. The bigger vessels laid off as they hadn鈥檛 a shallow enough draft to get near enough to the beaches.

At this time we were being dive bombed and machine gunned so we were running the gauntlet for the bigger vessels. As the Germans increased their attacks it became more and more terrifying and the ship鈥檚 rum was made available to give us Dutch courage and so able to carry on. We were like zombies. Our task involved rowing to the beach, then picking up 20 troops and rowing them back to the Drifter. Then after five trips the Drifter being full we sailed to the larger vessels laying off, and off-loaded them. Our tasks meant we were engaged for two days at a time then we were allowed back to Dover for a rest.

One of the dock buildings had been arranged for us to rest for two days and was known as the Transit Camp. We were sent there for 48 hours rest. I well remember during one of these spells being woken by a PO who told me that a boat going over to Dunkirk was short of a cook, that I was needed. I told him that I had only had about 6 hours sleep, he said 鈥淚 know but I promise it will be the last time I ask you鈥�. My reply to that was 鈥渢hat鈥檚 what I鈥檓 afraid of!!鈥�. I did as he requested and took part in rescuing more troops from the beaches.

Most of the troops having been rescued from the beaches, we now had the Germans sniping from under the pier. The mate handed us a rifle each to return fire. I informed the mate I had not fired a rifle before. His reply was 鈥渋t鈥檚 you or him!鈥�. One of the crew, a Scouse, showed me the drill and I eventually fired the gun although I had no idea where the bullet went. As the troops had all been taken from the beach, we were ordered to return to Dover, where after a further few days we were given special leave, whilst our boat was given a special refit having received shrapnel damage during the evacuation.

On arrival home my sister introduced me to a friend of hers, who was to become my future wife. We took to each other immediately and decided that we would get married at Christmas. In August 1940 I applied to see the base Commander at Dover for leave to get married at Christmas. Leave at that time could only be granted on compassionate grounds, due to the threat of invasion by the Germans. The commander had his quarters well under the cliffs, well away from the danger and the noise of shelling. On making my request to him, his reply was 鈥渄on鈥檛 you know there鈥檚 a war on?鈥� I felt I should have asked him that, but had to button up or I wouldn鈥檛 have stood a 鈥済host in hells鈥� chance of getting leave. He then asked what I wanted leave for, I told him I wanted to get married, his reply was 鈥渄o you have to鈥�. I replied that I wanted to. After strutting up and down for a minute he told me I could have 48 hours leave, from the time I left Dover until I returned aboard ship and if I wasn鈥檛 back by then I would be in the rattle.

At 1 pm on Christmas Eve 1940 I commenced my 48 hours leave. At this time there being an imminent threat of invasion the Germans had commenced to fire shells across the channel, some of which were landing as far as Canterbury inland, this resulted in the trains having to reduce speed and travel at about 20 miles per hour, resulting in more time spent travelling.

I eventually arrived at Waterloo at 7pm in the evening and being in the 鈥渂lack out鈥� travelling home became more hazardous and I finally arrived home at about 10.30 pm. My mother had been understandably worried and I explained about the cross channel shelling delaying the trains.

This next morning our wedding was to be at 11am at the local church, this was straight forward with no hitches, and following the ceremony we arrived back home at about 12.30 for the reception of the guests, not however until the priest had said 鈥渕ay your troubles be little ones鈥�! After having spent about three hours with the guests, I had to start my return trip back to Dover to ensure being back by the 48 hours I had been given. The train service at this time was chaotic and time had to be made to allow for last minute cancellations, however I eventually got back aboard with about an hour to spare. In May 1942 our first child, a daughter 鈥淵vonne鈥� was born.

Not long after Dunkirk my health had deteriorated and I had been diagnosed as having a duodenal ulcer and after hospital treatment had been made 鈥渟hore service only鈥� (category C) as it was then known. I acquired a furnished flat in Pakefield opposite the Cemetery, the rent 22 shillings weekly. My wife was able to claim billeting money as were the landladies of the other naval ratings.

My shore service duties were as house help to a lieutenant commander and his wife, who shared a house on the Yarmouth road and involved cooking and generally keeping the house tidy.

My general health problems continued to deteriorate and by October 1943 following further hospital treatment, I was medically discharged from the service. From then and until the end of the war I worked for the Ministry of Supply, a Government Department supplying the Armed Services of their requirements.

Finally in 1967 I had a stomach operation that I feel I should have had years before. My health as a result was vastly improved.

Quite by accident in 1982 I became aware that an association known as The Royal Naval Patrol Service Association had been formed at Lowestoft which was our base during the war. In that year I attended my first Reunion, held annually at Lowestoft and met other ship mates there, some of whom were local and I made the suggestion of getting a local branch going in North London.

I subsequently wrote around and in 1984 we were able to form a branch. We have been successful in continuing as a branch, understandable some of our shipmates have 鈥淐rossed the Bar鈥� since, but we are still managing to keep going 鈥淭hank God鈥� and I am proud to be one of that number.

In conclusion I am happy to have achieved my life鈥檚 ambition of going to sea, and feel were I given a second chance, I would not have done anything different.

Shipmate Harry Knight

Ships at Dunkirk

RN
The Cruiser Calcutta
38 Destroyers
6 Corvettes
Total 45 Ships

TNPS
100 Minesweepers
18 Asdic Trawlers
80 Assorted craft, i.e.: launches, ferries, paddle steamers etc.
Total 187 Ships

I believe these numbers to be authentic

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