大象传媒

The following narrative was written by my father some two years ago. He sadly died last year but retained the minutest details of his WW2 RN service to the end. I am always touched by his almost passing reference to D-Day.

"I volunteered in 1942 and enlisted in July. I took a trade test in Portsmouth and was made a Leading Motor Mechanic (Diesel H.P.) and allocated to Combined Operations, with a Chatham Number CMX99890 C.O. After the usual 鈥淪quare Bashing鈥�, in November 42 passaged out of the Clyde to Halifax N/S on the Queen Elizabeth. Trained down to New Jersey and then to Boston.

Waited for a landing craft LCI(L)113 to be completed and commissioned in Jan 1943. No trials first boat for I/C engine room and we sailed to New York and then to Virginia. Gathered up a flotilla of 24 LCI for passage to the Middle East.

First stop was Bermuda. Journey should have taken 3 days but turned into 6 days: we were caught in the path of a hurricane. Two craft collided in the weather (which was atrocious), one damaged so badly it had to be left in Bermuda. 22, including my 113, broke our Main Deck Beams below the Wheelhouse. So we had them repaired by plates being welded in the I Section Beams. Rest of passage to Gibraltar was OK (some 20 days).

Went into the Med via Algiers, did some troop running up to the line. We were based in a small port 鈥淒jedle鈥�. I suppose the 鈥淔riendly Natives鈥� gave us away. We were bombed in harbour about 1a.m. and lost a craft and some crew (buried next day at sea). I then got a move and went from Algiers to Casablanca by train (very interesting).

Some 8/10 days later we entered New York Harbour to a Brass Band reception. Had some leave; went to Boston for 14 days. Went to USN Brooklyn Barracks for some 5 months, waiting for new craft to be built. A gang of us ran the Quarterdeck as we pleased the Master at Arms - was a good guy! I eventually went back to Boston to commission LCI(L)375 with same hull but new upper deck. Was a super little craft. With full tank, 52,000 galls, we could steam for 52 days if needs be.

Back to Bermuda and then to the Azores and onward to UK. Arrived 24 December 1943. Spent Xmas Day in the Irish Channel. Some 25 days.

Another move and in Jan 1944 after some home leave I took over LCT(R)438. This was a MkIII (Landing Craft Tank). Decked over and mounting 1100 5鈥� rockets fired at 100 per salvo in 10 second intervals. We carried a further charge in the magazine and did have a first class radar aiming and navigation set.

Went to Poole and formed up an Assault Squadron of LCGs, LCTs, FLAKs and 6 LCTRs.

Carried out D-Day with no problems.

The LCTRs split up. Two went to the South of France and two to Amsterdam. One was lost at Valcheran.

Went to the Tyne for tropicising and they made a first class job. We had extra power put aboard - fridge etc and double generating capacity. The Coxswain and me had our own cabin. Magazine was altered to take extra rockets and with the bank on deck covered with canvas, we carried some 3500+ - some bang if we were hit.

To save engines, we were transferred to Gibraltar in an LSD; could just get two Rs 438 and 460 in. We streamed through to Med via Malta, Port Said, the Suez Canal and Port Tewfik. We were towed by a freighter down the Red Sea to Aden and then to Bombay. Stationed in Cochin, India.

Eventually the A Bomb dropped but we carried on with our objective.

17 days journey to Malaya for dummy run in case of resistance. Then came a hurry up call to Singapore and we jettisoned all our rockets over the side, some 7000 between 438 and 460. What a waste. Arrived in Singapore, quite an open town, cleared the Dockyard and reopened RNB. Had a super time in Singapore, some 7 months. Lived aboard as C and M, quite close to Changi Prison.

My Demob came through and, guess what? I took passage on HMS Indomitable. I was senior P.O. on the Mess Deck so they put me in charge of the Ship鈥檚 Laundry! We made a profit and it was great fun.

One odd affair. Imprisoned in Changi prison were the crew of a German U Boat. Nobody knew what to do with them, so we took them aboard and they worked ship. They were very disciplined and like regular RN.

Enjoyed all my time in the RN - wouldn鈥檛 have missed."

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