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I was 15 years old when war broke out and had served a year as an apprentice bricklayer in my home town, Harrogate, Yorkshire. Work on private housing was stopped - all material going to build air raid shelters and Ministry work. I worked nights reinforcing buildings for Air Ministry machines etc. On one occassion I went to shore up a building on Duchy Road after one of our aircraft had crashed into it - the engines landed in front room. I had to take turn at joiners shop, Bower Road "fire watching"! One night I slept on after the regular man had gone home and was awakened by my employer at 9:00am, with the noise of joiners in full swing.

I had decided that when I had to register for service at 18 years I would like to join the Royal Navy. So with a boy called Harry Buck I joined the Sea Cadet force so as to have a better chance of getting in. We had to go for training at Commander Whitehead's house on Park Parade opposite Christ Church. we did arms drill and marching, knots and splices, etc.

1942

I volunteered for the Navy before I was 18 in May and had a medical at Leeds. I left Leeds for Plymouth supplied with a pork pie, an apple and a piece of fruit cake. Arrived at H.M.S. Raleigh, Torpoint, with lads from Leeds area, and we joined in with another lot of lads from Wales (volatile) and Cornwall.

We had to undergo 10 weeks' training: rifle drill, marching, boat drill and lifebelt drill, which entailed going to the bottom of a 16 ft. tank of water with the life belt on and letting yourself float up with the aid of the blown-up belt. This was meant to give you confidence in the belt if you needed it at sea. (I was a non-swimmer).

One day in the drill shed, after gunnery instruction, the P.T.I. asked me "how much does a 6 in. shell weigh"? Not able to remember, he said " pick that one up and take it to the end of the drill shed and bring it back. When asked again I replied "100 lbs." "Correct!" he said, "You won't ever forget."

1943

After a final parade, we were sent to barracks. I had made a choice of going to Portsmouth and, after a spell at Victory Barrack, was sent to a Camp at Havant to get out of the dock area of Pompey, in case of air raids. This camp was in a wooded area and consisted of Nissen Huts with duckboards between. The first morning, on going to the mess hut for breakfast, it had been a frosty night. I was given a Kipper, cold, and bread with an oblong of butter which was hard with been so cold. But the tea was hot and I was able to thaw it.

I was there about a week, then one day a call on the speaker system told me to report at the draft office. I was told I had to join a destroyer, H.M.S. Highlander, in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. This entailed a train journey to Stranraer in Scotland, then by ferry to Larne, Northern Ireland, then by train to Londonderry. On arrival at "Derry", I was sent to an ex-army barracks that the Navy had taken over, to await the return of the ship, which was out on a convoy escort duty (H.M.S. Ferret III)

During this waiting period I got an infected hand from the burst blister which was the result of peeling spuds in the galley. Not yet been fully operational, the barracks had a sick bay with a doctor (Dr. Robinson)and an S.B.A. who had to keep bathing and dressing the hand until one day he told the doctor that it wanted lancing. He sent me to an American Hospital at Cheaver, where it was lanced, watched by 3-4 staff. The Doc here was not well pleased with our Doc.

Returned to Ferret III: told stop in bed until hand healed, dressings' changed by SBA daily. Got impatient, decided to get some hot water and wash some vests etc. Got caught by doctor, who read the riot act, but the hot water seem to do more good for the hand and it mended quickly.

Back to duty, was sent on a shore patrol to local saturday night dance. Big fight started as night went on but did not get involved. Beer supplied for patrol so P.O. in charge said wait till it calms a bit then sort it out.

Went to unload coke for barracks when dock workers refused to do it - armed party kept guard! I met Lennard Denny, who lived on Quarry Lane he was serving as a DEMS gunner on coastal ship.

I was sent with a squad for funeral party, as guard and to fire volleys.

Sent to join Highlander on her return from convoy duty. Had four days before going down river Foyle to anchor and then to sea. Felt a bit funny while at anchor but felt terrible once at sea, did not eat for a few days, sick and felt it was the end. But got used to it shortly. Before sailing, I had lent a pair of boots to a Leading Seaman on HMS Beverly which was sunk. However, i got the boots back by post.

March 1943 was bad time to start sailing, the weather seemed to go from bad to worse. Had various action stations: -

1. On searchlight platform with old torpedoman, Jack Searle, and had to fire Snowflake rocket in night actions.
2. Loader on forward firing depth bomb.
3. Ammunition supply to 4.7 in. gun in forward magazine.
4. Ammunition loader, 20 mil Oerlikan gun.

We made up a Group of five to seven ships taking convoys of 40 to 60 merchant ships across the Atlantic. This took 14, 15, 16, 17 days, dependent upon the speed of the convoy and the weather. We got relieved by other groups of ships to take the convoy on to America. We then went to St. John's Newfoundland for five to six days to take on oil, food and ammunition etc. Sometimes went to Placentia Bay, which was a lease lend base run by Americans. We had a lot of nights of alarm bells ringing. Attacks by packs of U-boat's. Did quite a lot of depth charging but not much results. Fired 4.7 in. gun at distant U-boat on surface but it soon submerged.

New captain and a new convoy route to Gibraltar, which was a nice change to see the sun. Now we have Focke-Wolfe aircraft spotting for U-boat packs and they were able to launch aerial guided bombs at a safe distance. One came down in the sea, meant for us. It was floating in the water with wires attached. Our captain wanted to pick it up and take it back, to find out how it worked, but it was taking so long to retrieve, with all the wires, so we let it go. I was quite pleased about that after it had been banging on the side of the ship.

Swordfish aircraft from one of our carriers had a battle with German aircraft. One German was shot down and we went to pick up two airmen, they had burns but were all right. One of the Swordfish pilots came down and was killed. Our whaler picked him up and he was given a burial at sea - very sad.

One of the ships that sailed in the convoy was a Monitor (the 'Roberts' or 'Abercrombie'). An able Seaman had an appendix operation in the wardroom. A surgeon was brought from an aircraft carrier by Whaler as the seas were too rough to take the patient to the carrier (the operation was a success).

Gibraltar was a great change after Newfoundland. I climbed to the top of the rock with a Padre for a guide. Saw lava tunnels, workshops. Walked through tunnel to Bay to swim. Had a beer in the Alameda Gardens.

During one of the attacks by German aircraft, I was ammo loader on the portside 20 mil Oerlikon gun. The 4.7 in. gun was firing on its extreme bearing and the blast from its muzzle kept taking the gunner of the 20 mil off balance, so the gun kept cocking up in the air, with him on the deck. His language was terrible because he could not get a shot off.

After a few trips I put in to been AA3 gunner myself. Being at war, the course was split up. We had some training at Londonderry, some at Marine Barracks, Portsmouth, some at Liverpool. This entailed being billeted at Wesley Barracks and travelling on the old overhead rail along the Dock Road, taking dinner to 14 trainees in dishes which we had cooked at the gunnery school at Blundell Sands. We did some firing and went to a Pomme Teacher in Liverpool. Qualified along with a shipmate, Steve Watkinson, who lived at Sheffield. Returned to ship and back on Atlantic Route.

Returning with a convoy was able to see ships heading for France after D-Day. We left convoy and went to Belfast to load up with ammunition and medical supplies and blankets. We were told to stand by but were not needed. Back on Atlantic duties. Things much quieter on convoy until one night one of the escorts, a Norwegian Corvette was rammed. H.M.S. Rose sank but most of the crew were rescued.

When at Gladstone Dock, the King and Queen came to H.M.S. Duke of York before it sailed to the Far East and all ships provided seamen as guard. We stood for about two hours but could not see much of them on their arrival.

Things much the same at sea but in the spring of 1945 we had been relieved from our convoy and were going at a good rate of knots through pack ice until about one in the morning watch we came to a sudden stop. We had hit a growler, an iceberg low in the water. I was up on deck in record time. Most of the bows were gashed for 17 feet. We were towed backwards for thee days into the Bay of Bulls, Newfoundland, for repairs. Half of the crew went back to Britain, the rest stopped to bring the ship home.

VE Day came but it was a very quiet celebration. Came back to Portsmouth, went on leave and had just returned on board when VJ Day announced.

[An alternative view of the iceberg incident is provided in the draft of a letter Billy wrote, dated 3rd March 1985, addressed to the Editor of The Daily News of St John's Newfoundland. Unfortunately, his request for a replacement photograph could not be complied with as the newspaper and its owners, Tower Communications Associates Limited, had been placed in receivership less than a year before on June 4, 1984.)

Dear Sir,

Recent statements in the press regarding the 40th Anniversary of VE Day have prompted me to hunt out some newspapers I kept of that time. I served on H.M.S. Highlander, leader of an escort group which came into St. John's between convoys on quite a few trips. Some of the crew were local boys: Frank Brownrigg, Ray Byrne, Frank Walker, etc. Hope they survived O.K. Anyway, on the last trip we handed over to a Canadian escort group and then set off for St. John\'92s at a good pace through pack ice. All went well until early hours of the middle watch when the ships bows were holed by a berg low in the water. So after being towed by an ocean going tug for three days we entered Bay Bulls and into the care of the Canadian articifers who set about putting new plates to make us seaworthy.

It was during this time that the U190 was escorted into Bay Bulls by the Royal Canadian Navy after surrendering to H.M.S. Victoriaville. A naval officer and ratings left the Bay Bulls naval base in a ship's whaler bound from H.M.S. Highlander and to bring the whaler back to the ship, I and a Scot, Tom Macmillan went with the party to the sub in the traditional way, pulled by oars. While tied alongside the U-boat a press boat came and took pictures which were published in the Daily News, 15th May 1945. One photo shows the whaler alongside the sub with a sailor coiling a line with macmillan and yours truly in the whaler (This boat gave us a tow back to the base). Now I know it's a long time since but would it still be possible to get a photo as the newspaper that I have has faded with time. If it is possible I would be most grateful and would pay the expenses involved.

So hoping the Daily News is still going to Press

I am yours sincerely,

W. Wilkinson.EX. AB, RN.

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