大象传媒

It was May 1941, father was "somewhere in the Middle East" where he had already been reported missing believed dead but later turned up. No longer being tied to London by my father's job my Mother had sublet our London flat and rented a house in Scotland. I was rising 4 and my sister was a year older.

Meanwhile one of my Uncles was plucked from his final year at medical school and told that he was now a Naval Doctor on a destroyer. His squadron was enjoying a short rest in Arbroth harbour and we were all invited to tea on the destroyer.

A tender met us on the jetty and took us out to the ship, where we climbed a gangway. We had tea and chocolate biscuits in the wardroom. Chocolate biscuits were a rare treat in war time. After tea I was being shown round the bridge by the Captain when a signal arrived saying that the Bismark had broken out and all ships must immediately put to sea to look for her. The destroyer steamed immediately seawards, and the tender rushed out from the jetty catching up with us in the harbour mouth. They lowered the gangway as far as they dared and all three of us were carried by seamen to the end where we were literally thrown off the end to be caught by other seamen in the tender. They then joined the hunt for the Bismark.

Father eventually returned and my Uncle also survived the war having had three ships sunk under him

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