大象传媒

HMS Barham 鈥� Back in the Mediterranean

The following are extracts from censored letters written from the Barham by my father, Surgeon-Commander E.R.Sorley, RN. After two months undergoing repairs in Durban, South Africa, Barham sailed on July 31st, 1941 to re-join the Eastern Mediterranean Fleet. She arrived back in Alexandria on August 16th.

7th September, 1941: Alexandria

鈥淚 had an airmail letter yesterday, the first from you for many moons, although, of course I know the delay is no fault of yours. The letter was dated 27th July, and it enclosed the snapshots of the children.

I do hope that Gable Cottage(1) won鈥檛 be requisitioned by the brutal and licentious soldiery; that would be a grave injustice. You still make no mention of the perfume, which was in Bert Moncrieff鈥檚 charge. He left us from here on 10th May, but would seem to be an unconscionable time in arriving in the U.K. Still, I have heard of people taking 3 months to get home, so I won鈥檛 despair. We have had some sadness here of late. As you must have seen in the news, raids have been frequent, although not very damaging. However, Cresswell of Gerry Weldon鈥檚 ship was killed ashore last week, and Ray Nesbitt (Surg. Commander in Crean鈥檚 ship) was killed two nights ago. Well, poor Cresswell is away from his worries now. He was having a drink in a local hostelry when he bought an H.E. Nesbitt was asleep in his bunk when a splinter stuck in his head - very bad luck indeed! Despite all these happenings, we are having quite a happy time; I am having regular exercise, and plenty of sunshine and very little alcohol.

On coming back after a (cricket) match, I was bidden to dinner with the Vice Admiral Pridham-Wippell. He was entertaining his staff. I was the only one who had served with him before(2), so we had many things to talk about. After dinner, we played 鈥� Rocken鈥� and the air raid rattlers went in the middle, but at the Admiral鈥檚 request we jolly well stayed where we were and got on with the game. P.W. has n鈥檛 changed much, at least in spirit, but is looking very much older. He is very popular. It is Sunday morning, and the band has begun to play vigourously, so I suppose I had better be social and enter the Wardroom. I鈥檒l resume this later.鈥�

Notes: (1) Family home (2) On HMS Enterprise

10th September, 1941: Alexandria

鈥淭his is a furtive letter, squeezed into the week. As you know, we are allowed only one letter card per week, but last week I had held one in reserve and here it is. It is unlikely that the censor (Padre) will spot the fact that I have posted two this week. So here I go again, with my green barrel pen in my hand, doing my stuff. I'm continually meeting Naval Officers who have n't been actively engaged in the scrapping, and I suppose I must consider myself fortunate in having seen more of the war than most. From September 1940 to the end of last May was as hectic as it well could be, and I would feel conscious-free if a shore job at home could come my way. Around Christmas, I'm going to write to the appointments bloke at the Admiralty and suggest that some keen young and as yet "unsalted" Surgeon Commander should take my place and let me do some work at home. But I don't harbour any real hopes of that request being granted.

Without boasting, I think I can say that I have been able to sponsor the adoption of plasma transfusion in the fleet here. My article to the Naval Medical Journal created some attention, and evoked favourable replies from the blood bank people here. Barham was the first ship to use plasma transfusion in action, or immediately after action. Even old Greeson(3) was complimentary.鈥�

Note: (3) Surgeon-Captain 鈥� Senior Medical Officer

14th September, 1941: Alexandria

鈥淭hese letter cards ought to be rolling in to you by this time, and a goodly flow of airgraphs should have reached you. Since we returned here on 16th August, I have maintained a pretty regular service. I have n鈥檛 had a airgraph from you yet but I appreciate that there may be difficulties in obtaining forms and their distribution in a small place like Pangbourne. I am so anxious to hear of you, and news of the presents which I dispatched by diverse routes from Durban. The mails really are rotten. I hope yours are better. Life with us is very cheerful.

The war news is reassuring, what with the Russian resistance and Roosevelt鈥檚 鈥渟hoot on sight鈥� warning to the U-boats. Next winter may be a hard one for Britain, but it will certainly be a depressing one for Germany, and altogether there is considerable hope for better news in 1942. Even Hearson is fairly optimistic. Here we are having a relatively quiet time, apart from air raids, which are part of the nights鈥� work."

To be continued

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