大象传媒

I was at A1 Okehampton, rank L/Obs when the opportunity was given to volunteer for service on ships during the Normandy operations. Instructions were to proceed to Bournemouth where civilian cars met us and we were taken to the Bath Hotel which was then occupied by the Canadian Air Force.
At about 11 o鈥檆lock after hanging around for a long while, we were issued with bedding and given quarters at the top of the building. Soon after turning in the siren sounded but some of us were loath to leave our beds as instructions were to assemble if there was a warning. The warden was soon up and ordered us to evacuate the building. The next night was a repetition of the first but no warden appeared. I was left by myself but a terrific thump close by caused me to dress hurriedly and scamper down the many flights of steps.
The day after arrival at Bournemouth we were given a recognition test of about 30-35 fighter film shots. This was generally agreed to be a fairly stiff do and very few had any idea how well they had done. We gathered some time later and were like sheep and goats-some were called, others were not. We were lucky enough to have got through-there was no second chance if one had failed.
Then followed a medical exam by a Naval Doctor who incidentally told me there would be action and pretty grim at that. I had been a bit off colour and although organically fit he failed me. This was a blow but with great daring I managed to waylay him at a mobile canteen the next day and persuade him against all rules and regulations to give me another trial. I went to other officers and managed to get my failed papers and kept an appointment with the Doctor who this time passed me through.
I had lost a day through these formalities and got out of touch with most Observers who had gone from the same area and hereafter was more or less dependent on casual friendships.
Eventually I pulled up with a Chief Observer from the Stafford area and we shared a room at the Royal Bath Hotel where we were presently transferred. He used to smoke at all hours of the day and night and when in bed would shy matches and fag ends in the wash basin from where I used as regularly to retrieve them. Apart from this he was good company.
A weeks special training was given at a specially equipped premises-East Cliff Court, where aircraft recognition was taught in many forms until you nearly saw Ju88s and FW1 90s and so on in every part of Bournemouth. Lectures were also given on such subjects as First Aid and the enemy use of guided missiles-particularly the radio-controlled bomb for attacking ships.
Our thoughts became more and more fatalistic as time went by.
A course of Naval Etiquette was also put over during which many a sleeping Observer was suddenly called to account by being asked by the Lecturer some pertinent question. Instructions regarding actions to be taken by Observers at sea were also given and these were rehearsed individually much to our embarrassment.
Yes! We had really joined the Navy, myself for an inclusive period of 2 months. We were given the rank of Chief Petty Officer and officially designated as 鈥淎ircraft Identifiers.鈥�
The special training being finished we were issued with special kit, much of our normal wear and personal property being left behind to be called for later-we hoped. It gradually dawned on me that my confederate was not in any hurry to be drafted so one day with consulting him, I managed to be included with a party going to London where we boarded HMS Chrysanthemum and were packed like herrings. We all toiled around with kit bags in which were hammocks which we had been taught to use but I preferred any old bench rather than chance the intricacies of slinging one and never used it.

From HMS Chrysanthemum where we first came under strict Naval discipline-saluting the quarter deck and so on, I was drafted to a Merchantman at I believe Victoria docks. She was called the 鈥淔ort Biloxi鈥�-a Canadian built 10,000 tonner and obviously mass-produced for this job.
We were 2 Observers to a ship and were to watch from dawn to dusk. It was early June and the hours were long. The convoy assembled at Southend at 11p.m. and after having boarded the ship by a ladder which seemed as high as Mount Everest and got acquainted with the Master and signed on, we inspected our quarters. We slept and ate with about 20-odd gunners-the roughest, most fatalistic and unimpressive crowd and as near animals as you could imagine. But personally I admired them-they never became really friendly in an outspoken way but would bring you cups of coffee on the bridge at 5 or 6 o鈥檆lock in the morning and whenever there was a call for action would scramble like fury for the guns.
The Bosun and half the crew were drunk when they came aboard, the Bosun falling off the ladder and next morning appearing with sticking plaster all over his face. We turned in as we would not be on duty till daylight but before we were asleep we heard the engines and knew that we were on our way.
We were just past the Straits of Dover where the normal 8 knots was considerably quickened when I came up for my first watch. On board were army equipment of all kinds-lorries, guns, radio vans and about 350 troops. We were the 3rd ship in the convoy and as far as you could see astern were ships, ships, ships.
We skirted the coast and saw an island which I thought was Jersey but no one could or would tell me. I have found since that it was probably the Isle of Wight. About 4 o鈥檆lock we neared the Normandy coast and my first impression was of a host of irritated wasps. This was our own fighter planes protecting the landing bases which had already been won. D-day was past and we were bringing the much needed reinforcements and supplies.
As Observers we had to stay on the bridge one on and one off and scan the whole sky. Only on one afternoon did I feel nervous about this. There were planes of all types at all heights and it was as much as we could do to cope. Many times I had seen the Soldiers look up at us quissically when some lesser known type passed over but they knew why we were there and if they saw that we had noticed they seemed content. We were caught in the storm which nearly ruined the whole operation and tossed about being unable to unload except spasmodically for day after day. I used to wonder why the troops paid so many visits to the side of the ship as apart from a meal or two which I left alone I proved immune from any effect.
Frankly I never recognised a single enemy plane so great was our air supremacy, but every night except one enemy raiders endeavoured to single us out for the kill. Our turn came one night after we had turned in tired as usual. We never undressed and kept our Mae West close at hand always. The electric bell which sounds throughout the boat started its urgent call-one Observer had to be on the bridge during alarm even at night.
I went up to find the whole ship lit by chandelier flares. Bombs were dropped around us but none hit the sitting target, no doubt owing to the ferocity of the gunners efforts from the Oerlikons, Bofors and 4 inch gun in the stern.
Our mission was one of restraint-many a friendly plane would have been fired on if we had not been there, as was proved when we retired a little early one night and the din started when two friendly Spitfires circled the bay.
One afternoon I saw a Superfortress in trouble, the crew baling out at about 8000 feet. The pilot came in and circled the coast but one wing turned up like a piece of cardboard and it was a strange sight to see it spiral down nose first enveloped in a sheet of flame on impact with the ground.
Another afternoon a force of Marauders came through a hostile box barrage-one noticed a lame duck with an engine smoking. When last seen it was left alone to try to win its way back to England.
The Rodney was not far from us firing continuously at distant targets and one evening a Corvette came near and through a megaphone an officers voice shouted 鈥淵ou are outside the protected area and will take what鈥檚 coming to you.鈥�
One morning about 8 am a ship nearby ran over a mine. Destroyers raced to her assistance and within a few minutes 2 more ships were seen to be in distress. The Master called the crew together and said 鈥淎 life jacket for me,鈥� but the sweepers came in majestically and stopped further trouble as the enemy was floating them down the Seine so I was told.
Mulberry Harbour was comparatively nearby with all its sunken ships. The sad evidences of the cost of invasion were still about and I felt I didn鈥檛 want to drown.
Ansons occasionally went to and fro to our amazement at first. Practically every night we put out smoke and became wrapt in a shroud of fog-this did not last over long but just during dusk when Jerry usually came out.
From a landing strip near the coast could be seen the dust raised by Dakotas landing and taking off.
At last the winches were going and troops and equipment unloaded we came home on a sea like a millpond. We came through the Straits at night, the sky lit by V1s with fiery tails stuttering along overhead to London. We saw an oil tanker on fire hit by long range gunfire and doodle bugs.
We returned on this trip exactly a fortnight after leaving and came into Tilbury. I discovered all my best sweets and soap had been stolen.
I went across London to stay with my brother at Catford. I slept in a Morrison and listened nearly all night to the new menace-waiting for motors to cut, and almost wished I were back at sea.

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