大象传媒

HMS Barham 鈥� Lead up to Matapan

The following are extracts from censored letters written from the Barham by my father, Surgeon-Commander E.R.Sorley, RN. in the lead up to the Battle of Matapan on March 28, 1941.

3rd March, 1941: Alexandria preparatory to being at sea

鈥淚 hasten to write a letter, as we may be going on another ramble into the blue. We all feel quite happy about it, because the weather here is not even pleasant enough to benefit us ashore for games, even on those rare occasions when duty does not bind us to our steel prison walls. A little spot of excitement will do us all good.

I saw Toby M. a few days ago. He "said goodbye" to his ship suddenly - all he managed to save was what he stood in - monkey jacket and grey flannel bags - and of course, his life - the main thing. He hopes to get home to his Nell, but I doubt if his plans will be successful, as he had only done about 1 1/2 years in the old ship or vessel. By the way, all our other friends are all right too.

Our Admiral (Pridham-Wippell) is a very pleasant man - a truly natural host with practically no shyness; in this he scores over our skipper (Cooke) who is naturally reserved and has to force himself into any social glow that may be necessary. The Admiral, too, is fairly knowledgeable on many subjects. He often buttonholes me and questions me upon medical topics, such as tuberculosis, sterilisation of the unfit? - neurological problems of the war and so on. His knowledge, of course, is completely superficial, but at least his interest is intelligent, which cannot be said for all executive N.O.s. in their approach to my profession.

I have had no further news yet of that refund of passage money(1) promised to me by the accountant people some months ago, and I am beginning to fear that a Nazi may have put the claim to the bottom of the sea. If I don't hear soon, I'll write again, enclosing the copies of the passage chits. But the mails outwards have been so sanguinary that I need not despair yet.

Do try a monthly airmail letter. The blokes in the mess who had advised their wives or sweeties to use this are now reaping the benefits. Some of them have had letters up to 20th January, whilst poor I have had nothing later than 29th November. Notable amongst the lucky airmailers are Jasu Pitts, Brian Stringer, Nuts Brodrick and Gerald Ellison(2).鈥�

Notes: (1) Probably the travel costs for bringing the family back from Singapore in January 1940
(2) Later became Bishop of London

13th March, 1941 - U.S. Congress passes 鈥淟end Lease鈥�:

鈥淯nexpectedly, I had two letters from you a couple of days ago, the dates being 11th and 15th December. One of these was numbered with the figure 8, so it seems that there must be some missing unless your system of numbering has fallen down. The last letter (15th December) enclosed a pictorial masterpiece by Graeme, depicting the festive occasion which was soon to come. I wonder what that can be. We heard that the airmail which left England on 10th January had met with disaster by enemy action; but that report has just been contradicted, and the mail (such as it is) awaits us somewhere.

I am so glad that you sound so happy and busy, and that the bombers are not shaping your lives too much. It does me good to know that you are getting out and about, and meeting people. It is not pleasant to be marooned within a tiny circle in these times. That is perhaps the disadvantage of ship life, although most of us make strenuous efforts to widen the circle or break through its boundaries, or failing that, to cram within its compass as much interest and incident as possible. Some of us had a poker session on the night before last. Six made the school which was held in the rather ill-ventilated spaces of Bert鈥檚 cabin. The six were, apart from myself, Bert, Brain Stringer, Copland-Griffiths, Tony Macan and Torps(3) (the bearded wonder). The latter bears a shaggy aspect, since his beard has never really become disciplined; waggish people say that on the strength of it, goats and other fauna sidle up to him in a companionable manner when he sets foot ashore - a legitimate comic exaggeration. Anyway, to get back to the poker. We began at 9.30 p.m. and finished at 1.45 a.m. - excellent fun despite the atmosphere into which any visitors to our midst could only make entry by a process of struggling, and violent arm movements. I was lucky and made a humble 10/-. We had a system by which big losses or gains can be modified at the end of play, so that there is no chance of broken fortunes, and the bitter mirthless laugh of the ruined officers. This was the first poker school we have achieved so far, but I hope it will be repeated. It is a pleasing change to roulette.

Having finished 鈥淩obinson Crusoe鈥�, which did me a power of good in isolating me from the miasma of war, I came back by reading: 鈥淥ne Man against Europe鈥� by Konrad Heiden - a story of Hitler, his rise and his policy. I am now reading 鈥淭he Mysterious Universe鈥� by Sir James Jeans, who has the gift of popular exposition upon scientific subjects. His book gives one a new angle upon our lives, and emphases again the futility, puerility of wars in the light of our knowledge of the universe and its story. War seems such a puny unnecessary scrabbling of mites on a plate, when we consider that our world is but one grain of sand amongst the billions moving through space.

However, since the war has to be and affects us in our little span of laughter and lives and loving, let us talk of it for a spell. The passing of the 鈥淟ease Lend鈥� Bill by the U.S. senate is a great step forward for us. The Nazis must see the writing on the wall and that no matter how long we have to strive; the job will be finished - against them. America will be the arsenal, granary and oil-field of Democracy, and against the mighty resources of that continent the power of totalitarianism must break in the end. Our main concern at present is the menace to our shipping by submarine and bombing plane, but we conquered the peril in 1917-18, and I am sure we shall do so again. Epic stories like that of the Jervis Bay make me realise that our power at sea must take a deal of breaking. The Jervis Bay episode will take its place in the history of heroism alongside Scott鈥檚 last expedition, and the Charge of the Light Brigade. Its action in protecting its convoy has been described as 鈥渓ike a hen protecting her brood of chickens against a great tom-cat.鈥� The Commander read a complete description of this great happening over the ship鈥檚 radio yesterday. The German reaction to the Lease Lend Bill is significant; they (the Germans) say that the effect will be to lengthen the war and that an early victory for them is not so likely. Which brings us to the question of staying power and this has always been 鈥渢he long suit鈥� of the British people. The Italian bubble has been pricked all right now - in Albania, Libya, Somaliland and Abyssinia, the sorry tale has been written. Some of the yarns of the desert have been interesting. Especially I like the story of how the Australian charging into Benghazi were met by hordes of surrendering Italians with hand held aloft, but so determined were the Aussies to have a bit of fun and 鈥渂lood for supper鈥� that the upraised hands were ignored and the wretched 鈥淚talians鈥� found themselves being pursued relentlessly by tough guys set upon experiencing just once the plunge of bayonet into flesh. No wonder the Australians are the terror of faint hearts.鈥�

Note: (3) Torpedo Officer

To be continued

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