大象传媒

This story is told by my father re my grandfather (mother's side) George Hines.
George Hines was an Able Seaman on board the HMS Skipjack Minesweeper when it was sunk on 1st June 1940.

The Skipjack was picking up troops from the beaches when the Stuka's started bombing. The Skipjack was hit and turned over as it was heading for the open sea.
George found himself in the sea surrounded by burning fuel oil, he was taken to the Devonport hospital for treatment.

He resumed his service on board the HMS Nigeria and this was torpedoed in the Med when it was on the Pedestal convoy to Malta. The ship fortunately never sank and it made its way to America for repairs. George had a great few months in America.

George finished his service off the coast of Burma on the HMS Nigeria. He was offered a flight home which he refused as he felt safer on the Sea's and returned home on board the HMS Queen Elizabeth in 1945.

Another interesting story is my father was on a Supervisors course in Rugby where he started talking to a chap who had been in the Royal Lincolns during the war. He was rescued at Dunkirk by the HMS Skipjack only to be sunk soon after with terrible loss of life. It's a small world!

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