大象传媒

My father David Lewis joined the Navy at Devonport on the 31st of March 1943 22 days afer his 18th birthday. On the 2nd of August 1943 he joined his ship at Plymouth, HMS Grenville a new fleet destroyer.

On the 25th of August he sailed with the Grenville accompanied by the Canadian destroyer Athabaskan to join the first escort group in the Bay of Biscay. On the 27th they were attacked by Dornier 217's as a result Athabaskan was damaged and HMS Egret sunk by a radio controlled glider bomb.

Between September and October Grenville was involved in Operation Tunnel sweeps along the French coast, the object of which was to sink enemy merchant ships and their escorts. On the 4th of October Grenville took part in an action with enemy destroyers in which she was hit and suffered a small number of casualties.
Later the same month during another of these sweeps Grenville was with the cruiser Charybdis and the destroyer Limbourne when they were sunk by German E-Boats.

My fathers first few weeks aboard the Grenville were to say the least eventful!

In November my father with the Grenville joined the 24th Destroyer Flotilla Mediterranean Fleet. During their time in the Med they took part in the Anzio landings sunk an E-Boat and destroyed a train! near San Giorgio on the Adriatic.

In may 1944 my father and the Grenville returned to the United Kingdom and in June took part in the landings in Normandy.

At the end of 1944 after a refit on the Humber the Grenville with my father joined the British Pacific Fleet and commenced operations against the Japanese.

My father returned home in 1946 and enrolled in the Royal Fleet Reserve, before returning to civilian life. However his time in the Navy was far from over. On the 23rd of May 1951 he was called up for the Korean war being discharged on the 22nd of November 1952 his ship having never left Devonport dock yard.

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