大象传媒

This story has been submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by a volunteer from CSV Berkshire on behalf of Henry Smith and has been added to the site with their permission. Mr Henry Smith fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

Within hours of the German entry, a contingent of Glasgow ships company were landed, carrying rifles and 100 rounds of ammunition plus some depth charges, to blow up bridges. The 2nd day of the landing we were suddenly told to keep quiet and out of sight. From where I was I could see a column of lorries tanks and gun corteges passing along the top of the ridge. The Germans were moving much faster than anticipated. That night the Glasgow came back and picked us up. Boy! Was I thankful! I鈥檒l never forget that day. A few days after this episode the ship travelled at high speed up a fiord, where we came to a city and docked alongside a jetty. All hands were mustered on deck where I was astonished to see what appeared to be a whole city ablaze. Apparently it had just been heavily bombed. The one building that sticks in my mind, I assumed it was a church, it was well on fire inside, it was an awesome and frightening sight, the flames silhouetting its outline. We were not allowed to stand and stare. We were formed into a chain and then gold bars were passed along the line. The gold was stored in one of the ships holds as the gold was passed from hand to hand, shouts were being made 鈥榯ake that gold out of your pocket that man!鈥� some hopes, they were too blooming heavy. The loading didn鈥檛 take all that long to finish even though there was quite a lot of it.

Whilst taking in the wire ropes securing us to the jetty, a German fighter plane came over us, guns blazing. Suddenly I slipped and then recovered. When I got down to the mess deck I found my shoe full of blood. A bullet must have clipped my left leg on the outside of the knee. Well that鈥檚 what I have always thought. There were no other casualties from the attack. The Norwegian Royal Family had boarded by the after gangway whilst the gold was being loaded aboard.

It was almost hair raising. The speed we went back down that Fiord. Especially harrowing the fate of the city behind us. In the open sea we rendezvous with H.M.S Cumberland. The Norwegian Royal Family were transported across to the more elaborate quarters aboard her. We then proceeded to Immingham (Not sure of place name 鈥� unclear) where the gold was off loaded. We would all have liked to have nicked one of those ingots. Dream on Macduff!

A few weeks later we were patrolling the flanks of the little ships, busy rescuing our army off the beaches of Dunkirk. An excellent job they made of it. Well-done lads.

After that things seemed to quieten down a little as far as Glasgow was concerned. We did do at least one artic convoy. Later on into 1940, I left the ship and went on one weeks leave after joining the Portsmouth barracks. I stayed at an aunt鈥檚 house, one of my mother鈥檚 sisters, living in Sudbury Hill. Although feeling OK I went to bed early. When I woke up the next morning my aunt, told me with wonder in her voice that I had slept for 36 hours or so. No wonder I felt hungry. That leave finished all too soon. I returned to barracks, not remaining there very long. I was drafted to H.M.S Formidable (not sure if name of ship accurate) a newly built aircraft carrier, but about a month before joining the ship I鈥檇 been on a fire-fighting course that I鈥檇 passed with flying colours. The reality on board was that whilst the aircraft were landing or taking off I was dressed in an asbestos suit miles too big and in which I could hardly walk. Within days they picked a man sized man able to wear the suit. Shortly after that the fireproof suits were dispensed with altogether. I was assigned as 鈥榖atman鈥檚 assistant鈥�. This consisted of me running out a green flag if the plane coming into land hadn鈥檛 got the landing hook down. Daytime only of course. But we had a few excitements; one in particular comes to mind. The aircraft an Albacore was approaching to land on deck, despite my having the flag out since the plane was still over 2 miles or so out, still no hook down and no attempt to turn to go round for another approach. 400yards out, the batman said 鈥渋nto the safety net鈥� rather urgently. I practically dived for it, with the batman into his net. The next second or so the plane practically landed on us then straight into the sea. He had hit the deck with his starboard wheel, which fell into the net forward of ours. The plane went under the ship that was making a high-speed turn to port, this meant that the rear end was slewing away from the plane. I don鈥檛 think any damage was done to the ships screws or rudder. But the plane and its crew were lost. They were the ships first fatalities. Shortly after Formidable was sent to join the Mediterranean fleet. That is yet another story.

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