- Contributed by听
- Thanet_Libraries
- People in story:听
- Peter Harvey
- Location of story:听
- Cape Finisterre
- Background to story:听
- Royal Navy
- Article ID:听
- A2697627
- Contributed on:听
- 03 June 2004
D-Day minus 4
We were in a task force off Cape Finisterre, the object being to bomb and bottle up any U boats in St Nazaire. We had a squadron on board and were in company with other aircraft carriers, destroyers and other warships.
D-Day minus 3 night time and I was on my bunk asleep (bunks as opposed to hammocks because it was an American ship and we had all the American facilities on board, eg canteen, small hospital etc). I was woken by an horrendous noise and shudder. The gongs went off and I went up to action stations. The ship was at a standstill and I imagine we had been hit by a torpedo. I got to the flight deck and saw another Canadian ship, which we had rammed by mistake. It had been following a zigzag pattern in front of our ship to track U-boats. The distressed ship was almost cut in two! We saw to our amazement 2 Canadian sailors in a rubber dinghy floating past shaking their fists and cursing in fluent Canadian!
D-Day minus 2, on our way back to Liverpool for urgent repairs because we had a hole in the bow of the ship which meant we were a liability where we were and so withdrew from any further action.
D-Day minus 1, going home on leave.
D-Day in London on leave!
PS Coming back from leave in dry dock repairs being made to the ship, the other watch was on leave and due back when the dockyard workers dropped the ship鈥檚 screw which meant it was useless. All went on leave again while they got another one.
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