大象传媒

The Diary refers to this event in some detail, filling in further details such as the fact that, after the LST was torpedoed we had to chase off some German 'E' boats, causing us to nearly ram a convoy travelling in the opposite direction!! The decision to enter the minefield was an instant but conscious one on the part of the Captain and, either because of programmed behaviour established over many months serving on the 'Beagle', or because of the crew's confidence in the 'Skipper' (built on the memory of his skill and seamanship in avoiding torpedoes and mines etc.) we entered into this highly dangerous exercise with a certain amount of trepidation but, more importantly with an overwhelming desire to save as many American personnel as possible. Sadly we had to bury the non- survivors (at sea} on the way back to Portsmouth where there was a welcoming party of doctors, nurses and friends, ready to attend to our American friends; some were stretcher cases, some walking wounded and some were able to disembark unaided.
The picture is a drawing by William McDowell that he did for the Illustrated London News at the time, and it captures the moment dramatically. The caption used by the magazine was as follows, '- INSIDE AN ENEMY MINEFIELD OFF THE CHERBOURG PENNINSULAR. The destroyer 'Beagle' saves the lives of American soldiers from a tank landing craft.' A well-worded description follows. This incident was one of 'the most courageous and cold-blooded rescue ventures' that one war correspondent had ever seen at sea. American landing craft were going in to the beaches when one was hit by a shell. (My Diary records a torpedo!) The British destroyer's searchlights were switched on, illuminating the struggling American soldiers in the water. The blazing hulk of the landing craft made the destroyer an easy target. Men swarmed down the ladders, plunging waist-deep into the sea hauling out the soldiers, some of them required six or seven men to pull them out, so sodden were their battle kit and life-jackets.
I can still visualize the scene, albeit with the help of William McDowell's picture, and a kind of surrealism pervades my memories of this stark episode in the life of a 21 year old sailor. It is only in retrospect that one starts to consider how dangerous the situation had been and perhaps experience some of the feelings that were sublimated at the time. Lady
Luck must have had a hand in the proceedings at some point!
Peter Ward.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.