大象传媒

The Early Days 鈥� Basic Training 鈥� August 1943 - March 1944

Listening to the announcement that we were at war with Germany on September 3rd 1939, whilst living with an aunt and uncle and at the age of 13, did not mean much at the time other than the prospect of some restrictions and food rationing eventually. However, the opportunity of giving up Wednesday afternoon鈥檚 sports at school (King Edward VI School, Lichfield) in order to cultivate an allotment was certainly something I welcomed and received more praise from the Headmaster for producing good vegetables (Dig for Victory) than I would have had from the sports master by playing cricket and rugby!

I left school at the age of 15 having completed a modest Cambridge School Certificate and decided I was not academically inclined so didn鈥檛 stay on in the sixth form but went to work in a drawing office at the local Cannock Chase Colliery. The uncle I lived with was the Chief Engineer and he paved the way for my employment but I had proved to be a capable draughtsman at a much earlier age and loved technical drawing. One was ever shocked at the headlines in newspapers and how the war was creating so many casualties and many local mothers grieved for their sons who went missing or were killed in action and wives whose husbands were never to return or were POWs. for the duration.

I had personal reasons for such sympathy as my mother had lost my father when I was 5 years old as a result of war wounds he suffered in the Great War of 1914-1918. She had to go back into nursing to afford to raise both my brother and myself and the uncle and aunt mentioned looked me after and my brother went to live with grandparents. Mother nursed, and eventually became Matron in the local Cottage Hospital and this was eventually to be 鈥榟ome鈥� whilst on leave from the Navy.

I organised dances and played the drums for a small dance band at a local village hall to raise money for Forces comforts but little did I know that that experience was to stand me in good stead later on. Coalmining was one of National importance and I could have remained in the drawing office and made a contribution to the war effort in that way but I decided to enlist in the Navy. Why the Navy? I cannot say 鈥� I lived landlocked in the middle of Staffordshire - had never been to sea or even sailed inland though I gather my father had sailed sometimes.

I joined the ARP as a messenger for a while and used to cycle to the local ARP post as soon as there was an air raid warning and learned some basic first aid. Living relatively close to Coventry and Birmingham, we were an area for jettisoned bombs especially as the large reservoir alongside which we lived was a due north/south landmark when moonlit. This reservoir (Norton Pool - now Chasewater) was eventually covered with railway sleepers attached to hawser wires to prevent enemy seaplane landings!
I enlisted in the Air Training Corps as an opportunity to get some experience of discipline, marching and rifle drill and achieved the rank of corporal but I never intended to join the Royal Air Force.

I volunteered to join up in advance to make sure of getting into the Navy as opposed to waiting for conscription and being placed where the need was considered greatest. I enlisted as a 鈥榊鈥� Scheme entrant but not before having to have special medical tests - ostensibly as sugar in the urine was discovered. Again, my mother had to pay a specialist鈥檚 fee for a certificate to say that I was, in his opinion, grade A1. I recall him saying that the crews of the Oxford & Cambridge always passed sugar in their urine immediately before the boat race 鈥榓s a result of being nervous and excited鈥� and I was not to concern myself! This certificate must have been necessary after having already had the first medical in the process of Naval recruitment and the M.O. discovering the symptoms.

So, (sixty years ago!) in mid August 1943 I was posted to HMS Collingwood, Portsmouth for basic training as an ordinary seaman and 鈥榊鈥� scheme entrant. I remember the train journey from Birmingham, Snowhill station, the parting from a tearful mother, changing at Reading and the eventual arrival at the shore based 鈥榮hip鈥�. I remember one recruit arriving in chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce. As 鈥榊鈥� Scheme entrants we were allocated three to a hut, one in overall charge the other two as subordinates with added responsibility of organising various activities including, as I recall, cutting the grass outside with a jack-knife to while away time whilst the inspecting officer was doing 鈥榬ounds鈥�. Kit inspections were the order of the day and folding bell-bottoms so that they had the obligatory (seven) creased rings was vital. We wore white headbands as a distinction and, I suppose attracted the extra attention from C.P.Os. and officers. I disliked all the physical training- shinning up scrambling nets and vaulting over them, raising sheer legs for hoisting heavy loads but other activities such as sailing and rowing were enjoyable. As an aside I remember some very well built men keeling over at the thought of some of the 鈥榡abs鈥� being revealed by the M.O. prior to additional medicals.

The kit inspections, the hut cleaning and not allowing anyone to sweep anything 鈥榰nder the carpet鈥�, getting impetigo and the application of gentian violet as an unsightly facial treatment and the basic training of drill, seamanship, signals, knots and P.T. eventually ended and we were sent to Leith, Scotland for sea experience. This was a revelation - arriving at the base very early on a Sunday morning after a very long and very slow train journey to a breakfast of porridge and 鈥榶ellow peril鈥�. I was used to my porridge being made with milk, laced with golden syrup and carnation milk as an added luxury. The porridge on offer was so thick and horrors 鈥� made with salt! 鈥榊ellow peril鈥� was, of course, smoked haddock. We were soon on board the ship on which we were to learn practical seamanship. There were three training ships 鈥� two old 鈥楧鈥� Class Cruisers and S.S. Corinthian. Thankfully, the friend at Collingwood from the same hut and also in the 鈥榊鈥� scheme was allocated the same ship as me 鈥� the S.S. Corinthian. Some of the seamanship instruction was qualified by 鈥� this is a merchant ship and some things are different from those of a R.N. ship鈥� so what we learned had to be 鈥榰ndone鈥� when related to naval ship. It was my first experience of sleeping in a hammock - learning how to sling it and stow it in the morning was very precise. One of the more hazardous aspects of this period was painting the ship鈥檚 side and one was very dependent upon a colleague to ensure that we lowered or raised the plank together.

I remember talking to a friend whilst admiring the sunset and leaning over the guard rail when we were screamed at by the Captain who said we were not on a cruise ship and to get off the rail and make oneself scarce! Another recollection was taking turns at collecting the meal for the table, clearing up and washing all the plates and utensils and on tipping the waste water down the gash chute there was a horrible clanking sound 鈥� yes I had disposed of all the knives, forks and spoons! I cannot recall what happened by way of reprimand or even whether I was put on a charge. This sea time was enjoyable but marred somewhat at the end because the ship was coal-fired and before we finished training we had to 鈥榗oal ship鈥� and clean up afterwards. Of course, this was a feature we were not going to be faced with in 鈥榩roper鈥� ships of the fleet.

The first short leave was a relief though I still bore the marks of impetigo and that was an embarrassment. There was a problem in the journey from Birmingham Snowhill station to the hospital in Hammerwich (where mother nursed) very late at night, no buses to Walsall then Chasetown and taxis were not allowed to travel more than a few miles. I recall we (mother and a cook from the hospital for company) were deposited in the country at the end of a taxi journey and had to walk several miles before hitching a lift in a lorry for some part of the remainder of the journey. It was a fact that vehicles were more likely to stop and offer a lift to someone in service uniform than in civvies. On leave, the first question generally posed by friends was 鈥榳hen are you going back鈥�!

After leave, I was posted to H.M.S. King Alfred at Hove 鈥� another land-based 鈥榮hip鈥� and this was to complete the training as a potential RNVR officer. Although there were the usual rifle drills, stripping down a Bren gun for example, marching, Morse code (concentrating on a small blinking lamp in Lancing College where we were based and taking down messages) was more 鈥榚ducational鈥� in content and might I say a more 鈥榗ivilised鈥� existence. I was in the 鈥楴elson鈥� Division along with some 115 others not all of who would eventually 鈥榤ake the grade鈥�. We were schooled by a CPO for seamanship, a Sub lieutenant for drill - usually in the underground car park of the swimming baths at Hove 鈥� a Lieutenant schoolmaster for 鈥榚ducation鈥� and a Lieutenant RNVR as C.O. Our ages ranged from 18 to late 20s and from all walks of life and, thankfully, I still enjoyed the friendship of Peter Guly (he became a life-long friend) who had been with me since the first day at Collingwood. This was a period to test leadership qualities as much as extending knowledge of seamanship and navigation - (if both lights you see ahead, starboard wheel and show your red!) and appropriate further education. One of the features was 鈥榚nd of term鈥� when the outgoing Division had to entertain subsequent Divisions by a concert or play as a display of initiative and enterprise. The previous Division had put on a marvellous show; the finale being a brass band marching through the audience and the blare of a sousaphone on that occasion is still a vivid memory. We knew this was going to be a hard act to follow but my having organised a dance band proved to be useful and I played the drums for part of the entertainment. Songs such as - (Red Sails in the Sunset 鈥� The Stars at Night!) There must have been other acts to follow or precede us but the memory has dimmed somewhat though I recall that the C.O. complimented us and we must have passed that particular 鈥榯est鈥�!

We were allowed some leave at one stage but not permitted to travel far and I was able to spend one weekend with Peter whose family lived in North London and was within limits. I did take a risk on one occasion and went 鈥榟ome鈥� to Staffordshire but with a great deal of trepidation in case I was challenged by military police during the journey.

Eventually, the day of reckoning came when lists were posted of successful candidates and to my great relief I was promoted midshipman and enjoyed the thrill of getting my new uniform and enjoying a short leave before being posted to a ship. (The RNVR midshipmen lapels were maroon as distinct from the RN Midshipmen who wore white lapels and would have been trained at Dartmouth Naval College.) I was posted to The Royal Naval College at Greenwich for a short spell and this was a superb few weeks. We were called in the morning with a cup of tea made and brought to our 鈥榗abin鈥� by Wrens and they served meals in the great Painted Hall. Not all the officers from King Alfred were sent to Greenwich and I am not sure what selection process was involved which gave me such a privilege.

War service at Sea 鈥� April 1944 鈥� August 1945

During leave from the RN College at Greenwich I received my posting to HMS Whelp and had to report to a dockyard at Hebburn on Tyne. At the time I didn鈥檛 know what type of vessel she was but relieved to discover it was a newly built 鈥榃鈥� class Destroyer. After sea trials she was commissioned on the 17th April 1944 as R37 and assigned to the 3rd Destroyer flotilla Home Fleet.

The Captain in command was Commander G.A.F. Norfolk R.N. who was very senior in his rank and was therefore second in command of the flotilla and the ship had its funnel painted to denote the fact. He once remarked that he was the same age as the ship鈥檚 pennant [R] 37. The First Lieutenant was Philip, Prince of Greece & Denmark (later Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh). There were six other officers plus a Medical Officer and two midshipmen. A guestimate of 135 NCOs and ratings made up the ships complement.

The wardroom was given an original of 鈥楯ane鈥� the scantily dressed cartoon character in the Daily Express as the ship鈥檚 Captain or his wife knew the cartoonist and I鈥檓 sure there was a reference to Whelp but cannot recall the caption.

There were exercises in Scapa Flow to track submarines, set and drop depth charges and target practice for gunnery - both towed targets by sea and drones towed by aircraft. I was in charge of 鈥楤鈥� Gun deck, which fired star shells for nighttime attacks when instructed by the gunnery officer. Some modifications were made during this bedding-down period. I remember one of my tasks was to sit and relay messages from the Asdic operator, (underwater detecting device) by way of a voice-pipe in the lower well of the bridge to the Captain standing above and whilst conning the ship who would kick me in the backside when he wanted another reading. In due course this particular voice-pipe was extended to the binnacle so that he, or the officer of the watch, could take a bearing and give instructions to the Asdic operator at the same time.

There was one unfortunate incident by one of our sister destroyers in that having completed an attack with depth charges came to anchor in Scapa Flow and in doing so brought the ship astern over its own depth charges due to orders fore and aft being misunderstood. She was out of commission for some months having broken her stern in the melee but did eventually join the British Pacific Fleet. (I believe it was HMS 鈥榃rangler鈥� since she didn鈥檛 arrive in the Far East until June 1945 and took part in the re-occupation of Hong Kong).

On 12th May we left Scapa Flow to escort and screen a battleship (HMS 鈥楻enown鈥�?) for an unsuccessful operation 鈥楤rown鈥� which was to attack the German Battleship Tirpitz. In early June, still in Scapa Flow, we witnessed a huge fleet being assembled prior to D-day landings but were not aware of the significance until very early on the 6th June. Scapa Flow was deserted but for us - a lone destroyer 鈥榯o protect the northern approaches鈥� so we were told - and a few boom defence ships which were permanently on station. A disgruntled ship鈥檚 company were none too pleased at not being able to take part in the landings at Normandy.

In mid June we left Scapa Flow in the company of HMS Belfast (a cruiser) and one other destroyer in Operation DB to relieve the garrison in Spitsbergen (Norwegian territory which had been occupied by the Germans) - by taking stores and personnel and I remember being in charge of a motor boat ferrying stores back and forth to a jetty. I did not land as such but the operation meant that we crossed the Arctic Circle to reach Spitsbergen and the ship鈥檚 company had a 鈥楤lue Nose鈥� certificate to commemorate the crossing. Sadly, I lost mine though I believe I did the artwork for it based on copy provided. In due course we also had a certificate for crossing the Equator along with the appropriate ducking if it was the first time across but again I lost my certificate.

There was an opportunity whilst in Scapa Flow to go aboard the German supply ship Altmark (the ship in which many merchant seamen were imprisoned through ships sunk by the Graf Spee) that had been rescued from a Norwegian fjord in early 1940. I recall that the officers鈥� quarters were quite palatial and the wide staircase to the upper deck was reminiscent of a trans-Atlantic liner.

We were intended to join the Eastern Fleet and on the way east through the Mediterranean covered US Army landings in Provence, escorting capital ships (HMS Ramilles?) through the Gibraltar straits at night to avoid spying eyes on Spanish territory. En route we called at Algiers and then Malta for a brief shore leave where the famous oil tanker Ohio was berthed. It was this oil tanker that was heavily bombed in the convoy bringing desperately needed fuel for aircraft in defence of the island and was badly damaged and had to be towed into harbour but achieved its mission.

We called at Alexandria en route to the Suez Canal, then the Red Sea and a brief stop in Aden then on to Bombay before arriving at Colombo (Ceylon). On the 26 August 1944 we were assigned to the 27th Destroyer Flotilla, Eastern Fleet and were based at Trincomalee. A Captain (D) in Kempenfelt led this flotilla but all the other destroyers had names beginning with 鈥榃鈥� 鈥� Wager, Whirlwind, Wessex, Wrangler, and Wakeful and us 鈥� Whelp. We had a brief shore leave in Trincomalee in what could be described as a holiday camp with sheltered accommodation on the beach and the climate was sub-tropical and an opportunity to relax. Other officers went up to Kandy for a short leave but either I declined, wasn鈥檛 permitted, or couldn鈥檛 afford to go.

Lord Louis Mountbatten (Supreme Allied Commander South-East Asia) visited the ship either when we were in Colombo or Trincomalee (presumably to see Prince Philip) but on my being introduced he remarked 鈥渢hat I was lucky to be in a Destroyer as opposed to a Battleship where there would be many midshipmen aboard in the gun room as he had experienced鈥�!

In October 1944 we took part in Operation 鈥楳illet鈥� which was to be a diversion for the US landings on Leyte (Philippines) and the task Force attacked the Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean. In mid November we escorted the RFA Wave King (which was a oil tanker for refuelling ships and aircraft fuel) in Operation 鈥極utflank鈥� - an air attack on Pangkalan Brandan (NW Sumatra) and in December an unsuccessful attack in Operation 鈥楻obson鈥� 鈥� Task Force 67 鈥搊n Belawan Deli (N. Sumatra) and Medan. In early January 1945 we escorted the task force which attacked the Pangkalan Brandan oil refineries codenamed Operation 鈥楲entil鈥�.

One of the more memorable incidents was to rescue one of the submarines (HM Sub. Shakespeare) in January 1945. This sub. had been badly damaged by gunfire off the Malacca Strait and her sister sub. (HM Sub. Stygian) stood by her until we took her in tow some 200 miles east of Trincomalee on 3rd January. We picked her up in darkness and in fairly heavy seas but the problem was securing a tow as all her crew were either wounded or too exhausted to make a line fast on deck. It was too hazardous to launch a motorboat and a Leading Seaman volunteered to swim to her with a line attached and haul on board a stronger line then secure a towing hawser. The volunteer was Leading Seaman Shreeves who for his exploit and courage was eventually awarded the BEM and promoted Petty Officer. We arrived back in Trincomalee on 8th January this mission successfully completed.

On the 16th January we left Trincomalee with Task Force 63 and transferred to the British Pacific Fleet as Operation 鈥楳eridian鈥� which was to continue attacks on the Japanese Oil refineries on Sumatra after which we were transferred to the Pacific and routed to Australia calling at Fremantle en route to Sydney. We had shore leave in Sydney and some alterations made to the ship. There was one period when we took on board several specialist officers 鈥� medical, engineering and radar and I had to give up my shared cabin accommodation for them and had to sleep on a camp bed in one of the cabin 鈥榝lats鈥�. I cannot recall the precise occasion but I think it was during this journey from Trincomalee to Sydney. I recall that the engineering officer discovered that one of the ventilating fans was operating in reverse!

On the 18th February we were assigned to the combined US & British Task Force CTF 113 and our identification was changed to US pennant D33. We took on board an American Lieut. (Jg) USN who was a signals officer and had to interpret US Fleet signals both visual and radio since the RN and USN systems were different. He was a most jovial officer and was not averse to slapping the Captain on his shoulder with a 鈥榞ood morning Cap鈥檔鈥�. We left Sydney for Manus (Admiralty Islands) with HMS Howe - a battleship. In March we took part in Operation 鈥業ceberg鈥� (attacks against Formosa and Sakishima Gunto islands) which precluded the attack on Okinawa in support of landings by the US. This task force sailed in a large circle formation with destroyers screening the outer perimeter and the carriers in the centre, which, in turn were surrounded, by battleships and cruisers. Often our radar was suspect and we were detailed to station ourselves astern of the carriers - the actual centre of the fleet - and pick up aircrews that ditched on landing or were injured and couldn鈥檛 make the flight deck. In an earlier operation we rescued Sub Lt. (A) RNVR Roy 鈥楪us鈥� Halliday from HMS Victorious who was shot down after a second strike on Palembang refinery. He eventually became a Vice Admiral KBE DSC and commanded the British Naval Staff in Washington D.C. and subsequently was Deputy Chief Defence Staff of Intelligence.

Sadly, on one occasion we rescued a pilot who was badly injured and died on board later in spite of very good medical attention and was buried at sea - our first and only experience of such a tragedy. I remember the vivid green colour of the water surrounding him that was, I understand, a repellent against sharks released by aircrews on entering the sea when ditched.

We developed faults (with radar) on 25th March 1945 and rejoined the Task Force on 30 March. On the 1st April we witnessed the Kamikaze (Divine Wind) attacks on aircraft carriers and on Easter Sunday I personally saw one Kamikaze hit one of them whilst I was operating the plot for incoming 鈥榖andits鈥�. The remarkable thing was that aircraft were able to fly on and off again with a short time and maintain their position in the operational line (as opposed to American carriers which a Kamikaze would damage a flight deck and put them out of action for a considerable time). It was this aspect of British construction of armoured flight decks that impressed the Americans and they requested that Task Force 57 strike at airfields on Formosa that were considered to be where the most effective suicide units were based. At action stations I was responsible for maintaining the plot of aircraft from radio reports and relaying the information to the gunnery officer and I always remember that it was an Admiralty directive that this task should be given to a young officer 鈥榳ho displayed manual and digital dexterity鈥�!

We left Leyte for Sydney in early May 1945 to be refitted but were re-routed to Melbourne where we stayed until July. This was an opportunity to meet with Australian families on shore leave and I remember escorting a young Australian girl around a suburb of Melbourne to be asked if I was in the Fire Brigade! I was wearing long 鈥榳hites鈥� with the midshipman鈥檚 lapel on the tunic collar but it was an odd remark that has stayed with me 60 years.

Later on I was commissioned as Sub Lieutenant RNVR and gained a full watch-keeping certificate though there were always two officers on the bridge on watch. I recall the concentration of having to change course both in direction and time to create the zig-zag patterns selected at random and agreed with other ships in formation.

We left Melbourne for Sydney and Darwin, travelling up the Great Barrier Reef to eventually join HMS King George V (Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser) and screen her (with Wager) en route to Tokyo Bay to witness the surrender of the Japanese. We oiled from KG5 at one stage, at the same time as Wager, and I have a photograph of this occasion being the method all ships oiled at sea generally from an oil tanker of the Fleet Train. The Fleet Train was a vital aspect of replenishing ships with food, ammunitions, spares, oil and not least mail but it was a triumph of improvisation stretching thousands of miles from Australia to wherever the fleet was operating and had only existed a year before the end of the war with Japan. It was fitting that the Fleet Train was present in Tokyo Bay to witness the surrender.

After the war ended we came home via Sydney, Melbourne, Fremantle and Hong Kong where we spent a spell patrolling the harbour for Japanese 鈥榩irates鈥� who might be operating under the pretext of fishermen in Chinese Junks. We sank one accidentally and, thankfully I was not on watch so couldn鈥檛 be blamed! The awful crunch came, as I was relaxing in the wardroom, on a break after having been on the bridge for my watch.

At sea or in harbour, and apart from when at action stations, I always kept the afternoon and middle watches that meant that I never had a long period of unbroken sleep. Dinner in the Wardroom was usually after 8pm when the Captain joined his officers for a social drink beforehand and after the meal I had to try and get some sleep before the middle watch (midnight 鈥� 4am) and by 8am was expected to undertake other responsibilities 鈥� chart corrections etc. and then I was on watch again from 12 noon to 4 pm (afternoon) when others could relax. I once complained to the First Lieutenant but it was dismissed with some reason or other. At times I was able to share a cabin aft with the Warrant Officer 鈥� Mr. Page, Gunner (T) but was the first to have to give up that luxury when the occasion demanded and had to sleep on a camp bed and was kicked awake at 8am in the morning by officers coming off watch.

Life on board ship had its high points 鈥� in harbour or when alongside replenishment ships - when we were able to hire films that were shown to the ships鈥� company on the fo鈥檆鈥檚le. I enjoyed the wardroom food and was introduced to savouries instead of pudding and eventually reached an age when I could have a mess account for drinks other than soft ones! The issue of limejuice was always very welcome and I became adept at making good cocoa during midnight watches. I was always very enthusiastic and my drawing skills were put to good use in navigating and chart corrections and the plot at action stations. I was the youngest officer on board so after the loyal toast 鈥� traditionally given sitting down in the Navy 鈥� I toasted 鈥榯o our wives and sweethearts鈥� and the response was 鈥榤ay they never meet鈥�. There was always a bible on the bridge as a ready reference for quotations that were the basis of signals between ships on appropriate occasions and competition between Captains to get the better response was intense.

I was commended for a medal and to this day I don鈥檛 know what it was though peers subjected me to a lot of snide remarks but I was completely ignorant of their knowledge. I understand that it was changed to a Mention in Despatches (of which I am immensely proud) published in the London Gazette on 11th June 1946.

Homecoming and flying the paying-off pennant was emotional. We arrived in Portsmouth, from Gibraltar on 17th January 1946 - one of the 鈥楩orgotten Fleets鈥� and I remember on returning from a day鈥檚 shore leave that sea conditions were too bad to get a liberty boat back so I spent the night in Nelson鈥檚 cabin on board HMS 鈥榁ictory鈥�.

I finished post-war naval service in HMS Fencer a converted 鈥榃oolworth鈥� American escort carrier and our task was to ferry colonials (inc. Belgian White Fathers) to Mombassa, East Africa and then go to Ceylon and pick up personnel for demob. and homecoming. I left the ship and was demobbed before she was crewed to return her to the US though I did have the opportunity of sailing with her and it is of some regret that I did not do so - the return journey was on one of the 鈥楺ueens鈥�!

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