大象传媒

In February 1940, we were drafted back to Plymouth. It was the longest train journey I have ever done. My main memories of this journey was being pulled by the Flying Scotsman, getting my fingers trapped in a train door. Also an elderly lady when she saw I was a sailor asked me if I know her son, who also was in the Navy. I asked her what ship he was on and her remarks were 鈥淲hy, are there two鈥�. That was Carlisle. Without any proper sleep and not being able to wash we eventually arrived in Plymouth and 7 days leave 鈥榳hat joy鈥�. From that leave Nancie and I, mainly Nancie decided she wanted a baby. Hence Pam was conceived. After a marvellous time, those 7 days were something out of this world, after all the hardships it was just pure luxury.

After that it was back to the Barracks at Devonport with more training, but by now I was a sailor with sea time etc. But all the time we were there, we were waiting in trepidation for the loud hailer to sing out your name, to report to the Draft Office. It was rather strange how my next draft came about, and the laugh was on me. One day whilst we were in class, the Draft Officer came in and asked if any rating wuld like to go to WHITEHALL!
Thinking in terms of London, my hand went up quickly. The Officer then said 鈥楻eport to the office at once鈥�. Down I went to the Draft Office. Then my heart sank into my boots, when he said 鈥淥K H.M.S Whithall is tied ;up in Devonport docks, get aboard as soon as you can鈥�. I was rather careful about volunteering after that!! She was an old V&W Class Destroyer. I did just one trip in her into the Western Approaches then back to Plymouth and the barracks. She was a happy ship but discipline was slack.

My next draft was up to Rosyth in Scotland and to Captain of Destroyers staff. It was my job to relieve any telegraphist who was ill or was on leave. My first job was on a Dutch ship JAN VAN BRAKEL. I learned how to eat bacon raw and to like a very nice dish called Ricestaffel. The ship was convoy duty up the east coast on down to the Thames Estuary. We were attacked many times by aircraft but were not hit. I had pneumonia and was drafted to shore.

My next ship was H.M.S VALOUROUS, I cannot remember much about her. From her I went to H.M.S WOLFHOUND. She was another happy ship but with no distinct memories. From her to H.M.S.VANITY. This ship was a very happy one and I was very sorry to leave her. The next one was H.M.S LUDLOW an old ex American destroyer. The one thing I recall most vividly was the way she rolled. She would dip her crosstrees in the sea either side. I think I was the only one aboard who was not sick. These ships were up and down the coast with the convoys. Our main enemy was not the German! Although we were bombed and straffed and chased by 鈥楨鈥� Boats but the terrible weather. My next ship was H.M.S EGRET then a very modern sloop, but like all the R.N Ships not very comfortable for the ratings. It was aboard this ship that I was put on charge for spitting in the sea and my punishment was seven days 10A. This was cleaning the bulkheads and deck and other jobs which nobody wants to do. I was rather unhappy aboard her and deliberately missed her when she sailed from Rosyth. I spent a week in Glasgow and Dunfermaline wondering what to do, whether to go back and face the music or desert. However, I decided to go back and was put on open arrest pending my ship coming back to harbour. She came back and so I came up before the Captain and he was quite reasonable. He gave as a punishment 14 days stoppage of leave and 14 days 10A, which wasn鈥檛 too bad. During my period being under open arrest I had occasion to go aboard H.M.S HOOD with messages. She was shortly to be sunk but what a great and glorious ship she looked in harbour. She was immense tied up alongside the quayside.

My ship was then ordered to Plymouth and it was on this trip after a lot of sleepless nights with enemy action and bad weather I fell asleep on watch, which in the Navy is a very serious crime punishable by death. I was due to be court-martialled but when we arrived at Plymouth my draft was already in motion for me to retun to Rosyth. I was very lucky to get away without punishment of some sort. Returning to Scotland by train I took a chance and came via Birmingham when I as just in time to find Pam had been born and I was one of the first people to hold her, and so next day it was away to Rosyth. Getting there I was immediately drafted to Govan Barracks in Glasgow to await my ship H.M.S FORESIGHT. This was at Christmas time and the people of Glasgow and Govan were very hospitable, especially New Year which they call Homanay. However, my ship had not arrived and the powers that be decided I should be sent to the Orkneys to join her there forthwith. So I headed for Kirwall on the train to catch the ferry. It was here I tasted the most beautiful glass of beer it was a delight to taste, of course home brewed. Then to the ferry. I got on board late at night. I felt very alone and down. Every time you go aboard a ship you have to find your own niche, to make friends etc. I hated it every time I had a new draft. However, they were not a bad crowd. We weighed and on the next day and the 鈥榖uzz鈥� (slang for rumours) was we are going to Russia. Nobody liked that, we had got no special clothing, the ship was not insulated, all we had for warmth was an electric fire in the mess. We sailed on and found ourselves in the Sedia fiord, Icleland. We stayed here 2 days waiting for the convoy to arrive, and so we gathered them altogether and set out. This convoy was PQ11 going and QP12 coming back, that is if any did come back!

We left Iceland, all wondering if we would ever see land again. It was a beautiful picture of snow clad mountains and deep blue fiords, something to recall in the months ahead. The first dew days were quiet, apart from the weather which deteriorated into very low visibility with snow squall and ice forming on everything. The temperature was dropping very quickly and it was well below zero. We did not mind too much because it kept the German aircraft away.

During this period H.M.S EDINBURGH a modern cruiser had joined us and H.M.S FORESIGHT and our sister ship H.M.S FORESTER were assigned to her as close escort. It was so difficult now to wash and to keep ourselves clean. We had all stopped shaving. Had you gone on to the upper deck after shaving, irisiplis would have set. You would have been a goner. We certainly looked like a crowd of pirates what an assortment of beards. The messes were so cold. The condensation on the deck head and bulk head froze so we had a lining of ice on everything. We never took all our clothes off, just in case we had to abandon ship. The temperature was now about 40 below. The rigging was frozen to more thank double the size and the ropes and wires were so cold, if you touched with your bare hand your skin would peel off, like being burned. It was hell, the happy moments were when the rum was served. A tot of neat rum was a wonderful tonic and so we sailed on.

Then panic. We had a signal from Admiralty that 3 Heavy German Destroyers were approaching our position looking for the convoy. H.M.S EDINBURGH who was Senior Officer told FORESIGHT and FORESTER to spread out and look for the Germans. It was no easy task because of poor visibility and the cold was getting worse, 50 below now. With no proper clothes it was a terrible job for the lookouts on the bridge and the deck hands. In those days there was no cover on the bridge and it was all open to the blizzard. Then came that terrible signal that told us that EDINBURGH had been torpedoed by a submarine and had her stern blown off and could not steam or steer. We were ordered to assist her and stand by. We eventually found her. Her X and Y guns at the stern were pointed upwards being blown that way by the force of the explosion. Then started an absolute nightmare. Our Captain decided he would take her in tow and endeavour to get her into Murmansk. He ordered every man on the upper deck and so we tried to get tow wires attached but every time we did they would snap with the enormous weight of the tow. Can you imagine the circumstances. The cold was now 60 below and with the wind, its chill factor would be lower. With just ordinary top coats we struggled with these tow wires, we were frozen, tired, hungry and quite desperate slipping and sliding on the frozen metal decks, knowing all the time it was a futile gesture, it could not be done by us. However, we did try. But, then a signal from Admiralty saying the Germans were close by. That we were to take everybody off EDINBURGH and sink her at once. It was an awful sight to see our torpedoes tear into her, and she sank in minutes taking with her (we know now) millions of pounds of gold bullion and the sailors who had been killed in the first explosion at least the Germans did not get her. During all this time the convoy sailed on losing one ship after another by submarine torpedoes. One merchant ship was sunk and a few or her crew were picked up. One, a young boy of 16, had been in the water for half an hour. I learned later that he had both legs and arms amputated because of frost bite. Later on we visited him in a Murmansk hospital and he was incredibly happy. We never saw him again, I often wonder what happened to him. However, after we sank the EDINBURGH our ordeal had only just started as dawn was breaking, we could hear the sound of shells, straddling us, although we could not see them then we knew the Germans had found us and were firing at us by their direction finding gear. The alarm sounded and we went to action stations, which started the most traumatic times of my life up until then.

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Anastasia Travers a volunteer with WM CSV Actiondesk on behalf of George Green and has been added to the site with his permission. George Green fully understands the sites terms and conditions.

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