大象传媒

My name is Henry Percival Pallett 鈥� married to Mary Alice at St George鈥檚 Church, Walthamstow, London E17 on the 28th October 1939.

I had already had my call up for military service, had had my medical and passed A1 and was accepted for the Royal Navy. I was told to await instructions. At that time I was serving as a Police Officer, War Reserve, with the Metropolitan Police Force, Warrant Number 743 WRJ.

I received my final instructions and railway warrant to report myself to HMS Raleigh, Torpoint, Cornwall on the 19th December 1940.

At HMS Raleigh I was first 鈥渇itted up鈥�, 2 blues, 2 whites, 2 shirts, 2 collars, 1 silk, 2 caps, 2 tallies, 2 pair boots, 2 each of socks, pants, singlets, blankets, 1 hammock, 1 greatcoat, 1 oilskin, 1 knife, 1 lanyard, 1 kitbag, 1 hat box, 1 housewife and was told 鈥淭his is your gear. In future you buy your own, for which you will receive three pence a day on your pay鈥�.

The three months at Raleigh I accepted and enjoyed and did well. The training consisted of drill with arms, gunnery, naval procedure, naval jargon, navigation, Morse, Semaphore, sailing, knots and splicing, ship and watch procedure. At the end of training I really felt that I could cope as a Petty Officer other than having sea experience.

It was usual procedure that all men were assigned to one of the Naval Divisions; Chatham, Portsmouth or Devonport, but not for us. This draft was destined for HMS Europa, Lowestoft. This was the Royal Naval Patrol Service. We had never heard of it. Have you? We soon found out. The RNPS was a navy within a navy. Mainly minesweeping, anti-submarine patrol ships. Boom defence and dog鈥檚 bodies working on converted fishing trawlers 鈥� coal burners. Our dreams of destroyers, cruisers, battleships, aircraft carriers, submarines had vanished. We were in 鈥淗arry Tate鈥檚鈥� Navy鈥�.

HMS Europa 鈥� The Sparrow鈥檚 Nest 鈥� The Lilliput Fleet 鈥� The Silver Bade Navy 鈥� Harry Tate鈥檚 Navy.

In 1938 it was known that in the event of war with Germany the small numbers of fleet sweepers could not cope with all the requirements of sweeping all of the sea areas of the UK and therefore, it would be necessary once again to revert to the use of fishing trawlers as in World War 1. These ships could be easily converted to sweepers and the larger deep-sea trawlers into anti-submarine escort vessels. In four weeks these ships could be converted.

A call to the fishermen, skippers, mates, engineers, stokers, cooks and seaman and to the Royal Navy Reserve was made. The response was overwhelming. Volunteers came from all the fishing ports of the land. From Lowestoft, Yarmouth, Aberdeen, Buckie, Clyde, Fleetwood, Liverpool, Swansea, Portsmouth, Dartmouth, Dover, Southend, Westcliff, The Hebrides, Orkneys and a large consignment from Newfoundland.

All these experienced trawler men, with the navy-trained gun layers, telephonists, signalmen, coders, wiremen, torpedo and depth charge ratings, stokers and seamen were linked into crews and formed into ships鈥� companies 鈥� and it worked!

In March 1941 I returned to The Nest from Chatham no O/S, G/L HP Pallett. I was called to the Drafting Master at Arms office and told to muster with full kit at 0800 hours next day 鈥� advance party to commission a trawler HMS Corcyra 鈥� together with coxswain, 1st and 2nd engineers, one cook, 2 stokers,1 L/D seaman, 2 seamen, one wireless operator, one signalman and myself as gun layer. Of these men, I was the youngest at 22 years of age. The remainder were aged between 30-45. Destination Hull.

I am told that Noah鈥檚 Ark was the first ship. I believe that the 鈥淐orcyra鈥� was the second. She was 120 ft long, painted black, coal burning with a large funnel before the bridge with a top speed of 8 knots. The armament was 12 pounder forward, Hotchkis machine gun each side of the bridge and one Hoffmans projector 鈥� the gunner鈥檚 nightmare 鈥� aft. It was then that I realised who and what was 鈥淗arry Tates Navy鈥�. This ship was the latest threat to Hitler!

Our CO, Skipper Jack Ellis, an excellent officer and seaman. I learned a great deal from him. Our job was to patrol the area of the Wash as an anti-invasion vessel. It was on this ship that I had my first action, firing at mine-laying enemy aircraft. No hits, but no damage to us or our escort.

My first experience of mine sweeping was on HMS Fazenta, out of Grimsby. The gun layer was inured and I replaced him. I did a few sweeps for acoustic and magnetic mines with her and was recalled to the Nest, given 14 days leave and told to report to Birkenhead for my next ship HMS Mariato. I was to serve on her for the next three and a half years.

When I first saw the Cape Mariator, I stood and stared. She was a real ship. A 500 tonner, coal-burner, 198 ft long and painted in the Arctic camouflage colours of green, blue and white. When she was finally re-fitted her armaments were a 4in gun forward, 3 Orlickons 鈥� one each side of the bridge and one aft 鈥� twin, point five machine guns aft, 4 dept charge rails, 4 dept charge throwers, and she could carry 100 plus dept charges. She was an ASDIC ship and also had a RADAR cabin bolted to the port side of the well deck. She looked like business.

The ships company, one CO, 3 officers, one coxswain, 3 L/Seamen, 6 seamen, one cook, one steward, 3 engineers, 7 stokers, 3 telephonists, 3 signalmen, 3 coders, 3 Asdic ratings, 3 Radar ratings, 3 depth charge ratings, one gun layer and 2 gunners.

Our first assignment was 6 months on Northern Patrol. Based at Seydisfjordur (Iceland) and patrolling the waters to the east of Iceland towards Norway. The weather was atrocious. It seemed to be gale after gale, and after 3 months with our plates buckled , we had to return to the UK for re-fit.

Six weeks after re-fit we were back on the Icelandic run. This time on convoy duty from the UK to Iceland and returning with ships from the USA etc, we must have done some 70 convoys during our Icelandic stint.

After leave, 1st September 1941, extra stores came aboard. Warm clothes, extra iron rations, survivor kits, heavy-duty watch coats, and fur hats for the gunners, signalmen and deck crew. We did not have to guess our next assignment! The Russian Run!

Having heard of the disastrous PQ17 the Suicide Run! We were the replacement PQ18. Best of luck lads! The Russian Run!

From Reykjavik, the convoy formed up. 43 merchantmen formed into line. Every ship fully loaded. Every inch of deck space used for tanks, lorries, aircraft parts. The ships lined up in columns of four. At the head of the convoy, 6 destroyers. On the port and starboard sides, 6 frigates and 6 corvettes. And with our four trawlers at the rear, asdic watching and to act as rescue ships. In the centre of the convoy, the Flag Ship HMS Scylla 鈥� Flag Officer Admiral Robert Burnett. The Scylla, an old cruiser, her guns taken off and replaced with batteries of twin 4.7 and all types of anti-aircraft machine guns, had been converted into an anti-aircraft ship. Without her 6 in guns she was known as 鈥淭he Toothless Tiger鈥�. The Allenbank was another anti-aircraft ship. There was also a Woolworth Class aircraft carrier, a converted fruit boat with her super-structure removed and made into a Flat-top. She carried 12 hurricanes and spitfires. There was a hospital ship, 2 oil tankers, (the white and grey rangers) our petrol stations, 2 submarines with the latest homing torpedoes and 2 motor minesweepers.

This group of ships was the Russian Convoy PQ18. When these ships were formed up in their columns, with escorts flanking them and with us in the rear, it was a sight to see. As far as the eye could see, these ships filled the immediate sea area. Station keeping was of the essence. If any one ship was out of station he was soon signalled to 鈥淟ine up 鈥� keep station.鈥� We could not afford to have stragglers or any risk of collision.

To the west of us, out of sight, we had a shadowing force. Should the German Fleet attack again, as it had the previous convoy, (I think that perhaps the Admiralty hoped that it would), the shadowing force could cope. There were 3 County Class Cruisers, the Sheffield, the Norfolk and The Cumberland and 6 destroyers all ready to pounce.

On the 12th September 1942, the convoy had been at sea for 6 days. High seas, low temperatures. A few U-Boat activities but no causalities. I was on watch on the after Orlikon gun platform early in the forenoon watch. I saw and reported enemy aircraft dead astern, a Fokker Wolf. During the night the destroyers were in action with U-Boats and I believe they had one kill.

Sunday 13the September on the 13th hour radio silence was broken. From the Scylla came 鈥淎ction Stations. 30 bandits approaching starboard side. Let them have it!鈥�. All guns opened up. All that day aircraft attacked in regular waves of twenty or more. I believe that the whole of the German might from Norwegian airfields was directed at our convoy. That day we lost 12 ships. Enemy loss, 20 aircraft destroyed and as many damaged and 2 u-boats lost. For the next six days and nights I was on the 4in gun platform with just relief for hot meals and perhaps a half hour鈥檚 sleep, while attacks came spasmodically. Only one other of our ships was lost, bringing our lost to 13. The remaining ships got through to Archangel and Murmansk, arriving on the 20th September.

All the escort ships returned to the UK as back-up force for operation 鈥淧edestal鈥�. The landing of our troops in North Africa. The 4 trawlers remained in Russia for three more months, patrolling and as a search ship for other of our convoys coming from the UK.

I had a few runs ashore at Murmansk Archangel and Nova Zemiya. I personally found respect and acception (sic) by the Russian people the conditions in Russia were extremely hard to say the very least.

On the 12th December 1942, I was called to see the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Clouston and was given a large tot of whisky and informed that I had been awarded the DSM and then had a second whisky with him. He has been awarded the DSO.

On 31st December, set sail from Russia. The four trawlers together. At midnight on the after gun platform with a shipmate Jock Laurie, we had no drink 鈥� no rum or beer 鈥� but with a cup of water we sang 鈥淔or auld lang syne鈥�. We arrived at Reykjavic about 9th January 1942.

Back to the UK and 14 days leave.

February 1942 : Canada

During the latter part of the previous year, German 鈥淯鈥� boats were operating in the areas of the St Lawrence River causing loss of shipping. Six trawlers were assigned to counteract. Cape Mariato, Cape Argona, Everton, Middleton, Northern Wave and Wolves.

These six trawlers were part of the escort taking a convoy of some twenty merchant ships bound for Halifax. Heavy weather, but no enemy action. One of the ship鈥檚 cargo shifted, causing her to list badly to starboard reducing her speed to five knots. The Cape Mariato assisted her until two deep-sea tugs arrived to two her to port. We arrived three days later than the main convoy, but all ships arrived safely. Mission accomplished.

Sydney, Nova Scotia was the base for us trawlers. Our job was to patrol the mouth of the St Lawrence and to escort ships up the river to Quebec and Montreal. This we did until February 1943. After this assignment we were back on the Icelandic Run.

D-Day and our group of trawlers were assigned to escort sections of the Mulberry Harbour to Normandy, after which we became Anti-submarine patrol behind the whole shebang.

7th May 1945 鈥� VE Day

At Reykjavik, alongside the quay, some of the crew were getting ready for shore leave (a run ashore) when orders came from the 1st Lieutenant 鈥渟hore leave cancelled. Prepare for sea immediately鈥�. It appeared that a merchantman bound for Akureyre had reported aircraft and 鈥淯鈥� boat activity in her vicinity. We were to 鈥渇ind and escort鈥�.

I was on the first watch as look out on the port side of the bridge 鈥� time 23.34 just 15 minutes before change of watch. It was a clear night, full moon and flat a-calm and we had our merchantman just ahead of us. The officer of the watch (No 3, a young Irishman) came from the bridge. I immediately reported 鈥淎ll鈥檚 well, Sir鈥�. He replied 鈥淭hank you, Guns, I hope so. There were rumours before we left Germany is about to capitulate.鈥� Famous last words. From the Asdic rating (George Baker from Dagenham), 鈥淪ubmarine bearing鈥� and giving position. 鈥淎CTION STATIONS鈥�. I run to the 4in gun platform with my crew. A torpedo had been fired from the submarine and struck the merchantman. The ship was damaged but was afloat and still making way.

The 鈥渟ub contact鈥� was a good one. A full pattern of depth charges prepared, two off the throwers and four off the rails. With 鈥渇ull ahead鈥�, the pattern was fired and dropped. Terrific explosions. Then we turned to search, but no signs of sub, oil or debris. Still anti-submarine sweep. Contact again. Another full pattern ready and a good run and drop. Six more explosions Turned to sweep and search for about one hour 鈥� but no trace 鈥� noting at all. A destroyer came out, said 鈥淭hank you very much. We鈥檒l take over鈥�.

Back to Reykjavik, somewhere about half past nine in the morning. 鈥淪tand easy鈥� and a tot of rum. The Commanding Officer and the 1st Lieutenant came back aboard ship from ashore, having given his report. He said, 鈥淕ermany has capitulated. This is the end of the European War鈥� and immediately 鈥渟plice the main brace鈥�. Once again, a double tot of the morning. This was the end of the European War.

It has been reported that at that particular time there had been two 鈥淯鈥� boats operating somewhere in the vicinity of our last engagement and that they had not returned to base. Of these two submarines we will never know. But one thing, I suppose, that we can be certain about. I wonder if this was the last sea engagement of World War Two, Europe? The action occurred in the early hours of VE Day itself. I don鈥檛 suppose there were many other actions at that particular time, the ending of the European War, 6th May 1945.

Back to 鈥淓uropa鈥�, where I learned that de-mobilisation had started fro the older groups and up to 鈥�9鈥� group. I was in 鈥�15鈥� and group and groups were being de-mobilised at about one a week, making me think that perhaps in eight or nine weeks time I could be on the way out.

However, at this time in Japan, the atom bombs were dropped. One on Hiroshima and the other on Nagasaki and consequently the end of the war with Japan. Even greater chances of the dream of home.

But the Drafting Master had a different idea. I was called to his office and told 鈥淧ack your kit, Gun, you are drafted to Harwich, Parkston Quay鈥�. I duly reported and was assigned to the MM289 as coxswain much to the delight of the old coxswain and also the gun layer. I replaced them both.

The MM 289 was a wooden motor minesweeper of acoustic and magnetic mines. Acoustic hammer on the bow, anti-magnetic LL sweep on the stern. These ships did not have names, just numbers. MM means motor minesweeper. These ships got the nickname of Mickey Mouse. Thus I was coxswain and gun layer of the MM289. The ship鈥檚 company 鈥� one commanding officer, 1st lieutenant and a crew of 24 ratings.

This ship was based at Ostend, sweeping the channels and waterways between Belgium and Holland. We did this duty for a few weeks. Then things went wrong. Our sweeping gear developed faults. Repair and replacement could not be had at Ostend. We had to return to the UK. At Yarmouth the MM289 was decommissioned.

Back to 鈥淓uropa鈥�. When I arrived my de-mob number was due. It was at Lowestoft, at the Brewery, that I received my new suit, shirt, tie, raincoat and trilby. Back to Civvy Street and home. The end of my service in the Royal Naval Patrol Service. The 11th December 1945.

The Silver Badge

It took the form of a shield, with a sinking shark transfixed to a marlinspike to symbolise the anti-submarine service. Against a background of a fishing net are two mines representing the sweepers, surrounded by a rope with two fishermen鈥檚 bends representing the fishermen, and topped by a naval crown.

This medallion was awarded to all Royal Naval Patrol Service men who had completed six month鈥檚 anti-submarine or minesweeping and is worn 4in above the cuff of the left sleeve and applied to officers and men.

The Memorial

Alongside 鈥淭he Nest鈥� in Belle Vue Park is an architect designed fluted column rising from a circulate base 40ft in diameter and surmounted by a bronze ship device (LYMPHA). The overall height, 50 feet.

Around the base are 17 bronze panels set in recess and bearing the 2385 names of the 鈥淓uropa鈥� men (including 49 from Newfoundland) who never returned to 鈥淭he Nest鈥�.

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