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My father Eric Bell (but sometimes known as Bill or Eric) was born in 1922 and grew up in County Leitrim, Republic of Ireland. He enlisted in the Royal Navy on the 31 August 1938 aged 17 years and 4 months. My father died in 1984 just one week after his retirement. He spoke little about his wartime experiences. Last year, I came across my father’s naval papers and I decided to research this period from my father’s life.

My father received his basic training in HMS Wildfire in Sheerness. This was a shore based Boys Training Establishment.

After his training, he was assigned to HMS Drake (a shore establishment in Devonport) as an Ordinary Seaman and thereafter to HMS Jackal (a J-class destroyer) for the next 2 years and 4 months. On the 17 June 1942, he was assigned to HMS Zulu (a tribal class destroyer) based at Gibraltar.

During my research mostly via the Internet, I discovered something about the experiences of my father’s service on HMS Zulu.

.....For the better part of 1942, ZULU was attached to Force H at Gibraltar, striking against Axis supply convoys. ZULU and SIKH’S final operation together was the commando attack on Tobruk, Libya on 13/14th September 1942. As a result of attacks by JU87’s and JU88’s, ZULU was hit . Her crew had been at full watch since dusk on the 13th and daylight on the 14th did not bring any rest. In spite of surviving multiple bomb attacks during that day, ZULU was mortally wounded at 1600. A bomb from an enemy aircraft had pierced her side and exploded in the engine room, thus flooding it along with #3 Boiler Room and the Gear Room. She stopped dead in the water and settled two feet deeper. HMS CROOME came along side to take off any remaining personnel except for a towing party. ZULU was taken in tow by HMS HURSLEY. By 1900, and only a hundred miles from Alexandria, Egypt, she was sinking fast. The towing party was rescued after a strafing pass by an enemy aircraft. Suddenly, ZULU rolled to starboard and sank. In both attacks, twelve men had been killed, twenty- seven went missing and one was wounded.

Source: ^{About links} Paraphrased from "The Tribals" - Biography of a Destroyer Class (pages 246 — 250) by Martin Brice. Viewed 23rd January 2004.

From my father's Naval papers, I have an original Certificate for Wounds and Hurts issued to my father that states the following:

"Whilst manning tow rope stopper on HMS Zulu was wounded by shrapnel during action."

The date of the Certificate for Wounds and Hurts is 14th September, 1942, the date that HMS Zulu was sunk.

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