大象传媒

Not the Russian Convoy

This is an extract from the memoirs of Stan Hook transcribed from an interview tape by Byron Whitehead of the Folkestone Heritage Team. The account and has been added to the site with Stan's permission. Stan fully understands the site's terms and conditions鈥�

Stan Hook was also a motorcycle messenger boy in the Auxiliary Fire Service. His account of the London Blitz, especially the bombing of Docklands and the City of London, has been published in "We Remember the Blitz" compiled by Frank and Joan Shaw.

I was determined to get into the services. I was 18/18 and a half and I wanted so much to get into the services. And I applied in the end. I wanted to get into the Navy. [Stan is a descendant of Sir Francis Drake!] And I went and they said "No you can't come in the Navy.... [But you can join the] Airforce."
So I said "Alright." So I had a medical, went into the Airforce and then the Navy said: "Oh... we can take you."
I went into the Navy, but then some [RAF] military police came down to the house and tried to arrest me [according to Stan's mother.] I wasn't there! I was in the Navy ... They thought I had gone from medical at the Airforce and joined. But of course, being the war, signatures didn't really matter. I was only 18 anyway. Only a kid really.

I was in the Navy then anyway. I did six weekes up at what was called HMS Royal Authur. It was Butlins at Skegness. It was an old holiday camp that they transformed into a Naval barracks. It was a good place. We were there for eight weeks. They made "Sprogs" of us- that was the slang word: Sprogs, people that had just joined the Navy. We did some square bashing.
They told me " You can't be a sailor you have to be a mechanic."
I said. " Oh well, I wanted to be in the navy."
They said " Well you're in the navy... You're what we call a PEM"[Probationary Electrical Mechanic]
So I went on a six month course fitting Rolls Royce engines and learning about Diesel Doxfords and things like that. That was in London which was great, because I lived in London. Then, of course, I was in the Navy proper.
I was on sweepers [and] escort work on the Atlantic convoys. Russian convoys. I was never actually on a Russian convoy. ...when they sent a convoy to Russia it used to go up the Baring straits to what we called the Skaggerak... What isn't written in history is that... in order to draw the German bombers they used to go up the outside and we used to go up the inside... We used to take a load of old Tramps [steamers.] We were were a dummy convoy really... So, while the real convoy went through, we would go out and then we'd turn round near Norway somewhere and come back again.
It was really cold and if too much ice formed on top of a boat it would capsize. So everybody, the skipper included, would have to spend 2 hours a day chipping ice....

I asked for a transfer and they put me on Sweepers, to teach me a lesson I think! If the [convoys were] dull, mine sweeping was even worse. Just going up and down and up and down the same strectch of water for weeks on end. We used to operate out from Hull. It was awful. One day a notice went up on board. VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED FOR COMBINED OPERATIONS. I didn't know what combined operations were but we all volunteered down to a man, anything to get away from mine sweeping!

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