大象传媒

The text below is copied from a speech delivered by me at the May 1997 final gathering of the survivors of HMS Edinburgh.

A TIME TO REMEMBER

A Tribute to All Those Who Took Part in the Convoys to Russia

Yes the month of May is the most important month of any year for me. It is the month in which I was married in 1940. It was the month I was saved from an icy grave in 1942. It is the month in which I travel every year to Plymouth to pay my respects to my lost shipmates on HMS Edinburgh and to shake hands with the few survivors who have made it. It is a month to grieve and to relive memories that unfortunately can only be sad ones of others who lost their lives when the ship was sunk.

Of the 28 merchant seamen who from their Russian hospital were going home at last and were carried on board. Of the more than a hundred survivors who never made it home. Of the bravery of the ships who came to our aid and made it possible for many of us to continue our lives. Yes the month of May is a time to remember.

On the nearest Sunday to the 2nd May we take our medals out and polish them.

Unfortunately there was no Russian Convoy campaign medal struck by the British Government to honour the service and bravery of the Merchant Navy who suffered appalling losses and the Royal Navy who escorted them. The route to Russia was known as the 鈥済ateway to hell鈥� and the convoys made their passage in the world's most hostile environment. A few minutes in the water and you were dead, a few hours on a lifeboat or raft and you had frostbite. But somewhere on our chests will be a medal presented to us by the Russians in appreciation of the efforts made by the Merchant Navy and Royal Navy to bring succour to their stricken country.

As in every year, the Church will fill with an ever diminishing number of survivors, of a son and daughter who lost their father when the third torpedo struck and the relatives of those survivors who have since passed away. This is a solemn occasion.

It is a time to pay our respects; it is a time to grieve.

The names on the Roll of Honour are read out. I know only one; Chief Cook "Dolly" Gray. There are others who spring to mind. Boy Seaman Nash, Stoker 2 Beattie and many others. They were so very young when their lives were ended so abruptly. As the names are read out and the organ and voices of the choir fill the Church, the memories flood in. Of the 28 merchant seamen who had suffered so much and were to suffer again; of two of the seamen who had their legs amputated on the first day out and other amputations planned during our journey home. It was not to be. Edinburgh left Murmansk on the 28th April; she was hit by two torpedoes on the 30th April - one blew the stem away and with it two of its four propellers. The second torpedo struck amidships under the stokers mess deck and in the ensuing two days in her vain attempts to reach Murmansk she came under attack from three heavy German destroyers and was hit by a third torpedo which struck amidships on the port side. Conditions were pretty bad.

It was snowing; the temperature was down to 29 below. The sea had calmed a lot since we were first hit but there was quite a swell, which made it difficult for the minesweepers to come alongside and take off the wounded. The first to be taken off were the merchant seamen and I will always be haunted by the suffering both mentally and physically of those brave unfortunate seamen. For them to undergo the sinking of their own ships, severe frostbite and its terrible consequences, the pain and agony of their hospital treatment in Russia (which to say the least was sadly lacking in both medicines and practices) and then to suffer again in Edinburgh; then to be returned to Russia and subsequently to return to the UK on another convoy.

Over many years of enquiries it was not possible to make contact with any of these seamen.

We also pray for and remember over a hundred of our shipmates who perished on the perilous trip home and I am vividly reminded of this when I think of Engineer Warrant Officer "Bogey" Knight. His wife and mine were directed into wartime work with Scottish Aviation at Prestwick. He was also a survivor and gave me a message and a letter for his wife saying he missed her, was well and would soon be home. I learnt after that he had taken passages on HMS Niger which ran into our own minefield off Iceland and sank with the loss of her captain, 80 crew and 39 Edinburgh survivors taking passage home. There were no survivors.

We also remember the ships who came to our aid when we were attacked by the three German destroyers, of Forester and Foresight who in protecting Edinburgh themselves were hit with subsequent loss of life and casualties.

Of the minesweepers Hussar, Harrier and Gossamer who stayed with us throughout the destroyer attack and took off the wounded and eventually the rest of Edinburgh's ship company.

Each year as the notes of the bugle fade into the distance and the skirl of the pipes echo through the Church, I glance at my wife. For a moment the years seem to slip away and I am back at the altar of St. Albans in Portsmouth in May 1940 and I say 'thank you' God for allowing me to enjoy these past years.

Many were not given that opportunity. Yes, I was a survivor. Yes for me, the month of May is certainly a time to remember.

This section below describes the TRAGIC LOSS OF H.M.S. NIGER that was transporting some survivors of the Edinburgh, back to the UK from Murmansk.

Convoy QP13 (35 ships) sailed in two sections from Archangel and Murmansk to form up as one body on 28th June 1942. The Escorts comprised five Destroyers, including the Flotilla Leader INGLEFIELD, one Anti Aircraft Ship, and eight smaller ships, including the 'Halicons' NIGER and HUSSAR, the Free French Corvette ROSELYS, and the Trawlers LADY MADELAINE, and ST ELSTAN.

Thick weather prevailed for the duration of the voyage and the convoy was not attacked although enemy aircraft reported the convoy in the vicinity of Bear Island. On the 4* July off north east Iceland the convoy was again divided into two parts, one of 15 ships heading for Loch Ewe, and the other of 19 ships sailing for Reykjavik. The latter part sailing in five columns protected by NIGER(SO) HUSSAR, ROSLYS, LADY MADELAINE and ST ELSTAN.

The overcast weather persisted and maximum visibility was one mile, the wind was north east force 8, and the sea was rough on the evening of 4th July. No sights had been obtained since the evening of the 2nd July, at 1910hours the Reykjavik portion鈥檚 front was reduced to two columns to allow the passage between Straumnes and the British minefield to the north west of Iceland. Course was altered for Straumnes Point while the convoy was in position estimated from soundings only. At approximately 2200hrs NIGER, who had proceeded ahead to find a landfall (HUSSAR maintained visual link with the convoy), sighted what was thought to be the North Cape at a distance of one mile. The convoy altered course accordingly. The sighting was in fact a large iceberg, and at 2240hrs NIGER blew up, and sank in position 66.55N 22.20W just after she had realised the mistaken landfall and signalled the Commodore. The error had caused the convoy to enter the British minefield. Fog further reduced visibility to 500 yards, and the Merchant Ships thought a U Boat attack or Surface Raider attack was in progress. Four Merchant Ships were sunk by mines, and two more seriously damaged. The Escorts bravely carried out their rescue task. ROSLYS, whose Commanding Officer had appreciated that his ship was in the minefield remained in it for six and a half hours while she rescued 179 survivors. HUSSAR eventually obtained a shore fix and led the remaining ships out of the minefield to safety, reaching Reykjavik on the 7th July.

The Commanding Officer, eight Officers, and 140 ratings perished when NIGER sank. The large casualty list was due to the large number of survivors she was carrying home from Russia, 39 were survivors of H.M.S.EDINBURGH. A letter dated September from Tiny Peebles, the Petty Officer Gunners Mate on NIGER at the time reveals that there was actually 8 survivors from NIGER of whom one was a survivor from EDINBURGH.

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