大象传媒

I Joined the fast mine laying cruiser H.M.S. Ariadne as a petty officer radio mechanic as the rating was then called when she commissioned in Glasgow in October 1943 after having served on H.M.S Devonshire for two years.
Ariadne saw service in the North Atlantic and the mediterranean until February 1944 when she was loade with a full complement of mines at Milford Haven.We sailed out of Plymouth some days later in a westerly direction and one can imagine there was much speculation among the ship's company as to where these mines were to be laid obviously not the North coast of france or the sea defences aroud tho British Isles. Three days at sea and the captain,Lord Ashbourne, announced that the ship was on course for Richmond Virginia U.S.A.After a brief stay we sailed via the Panama Canal to Pearl Harbour where we witnessed the damage that had beeninflicted on the then U.S. Pacific Fleet. After some days and in the hours of darkness we slipped our moorings and sailed westwards along the coast to a point way offshore known as Weewak, still under Japanese control. It was here that the mines loaded in Milfordhaven were finally laid. One of the longest minelaying jouneys in naval history I should imagine!
Our loan service with the U.S.Fleet continued for some months after. until October 23rd when the Ariadne was deployed as an Assault Troop Carrier in the task force which comprised the capital ships of the 7th Pacific Fleet under the command of Admiral Chester Nimitz for the invasion of the Philippines at Leyte Gulf. The U.S, Ramgers that we carried were safely offloaded onto landing craft without incident, although many warships were severely damaged by Japanese Kamakazi suicide planes, including H.M.A.S. Australia whiuch was part of the invasion fleet.
We left Leyte on the 26th October after a bridgehead had been firmly established, and thereafter continued our loan service carrying out various escort duties until January/February 1945 when we left Woolamaloo Harbour, Sydney for the U.K.
I feel that this account might be of interest to your readers as, so far as I am aware, it is not generally known that there was a British presence involved in this historic action in 1944 all be that it consisted of only approximately 300 officers and matelots.

Peter R. Powell
August 2005

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