大象传媒

Posted by Gillian Baker, daughter of Leonard and Hazel Benney.

My father died back in 1974. I am so glad I was one of those children who asked the immortal question "What did you do in the war daddy?" as the answer I got shows that amid the stories of bravery, terror, victory and defeat, there was another viewpoint.

Dad would have joined up around September 1943 so he had missed the early war years but as he pointed out, that just meant that the Germans had had 4 years of practice by the time he got there.

He joined the Navy. He said it was because he didn't fancy square bashing and couldn't fly a plane. He was promptly shipped off to the boiler room on board HMS ? as a stoker.

Why HMS ?? Because we still haven't worked out which one. We know he was on Wild Goose and Blyth. We have photos but no dates as yet. Anyway, whichever one it was, he can't have been on board for too long as both vessels took part in various noteworthy operations, none of which my father saw.

His longest post was on HMS Cosby. This proved to be the most eventful period of his war. Two things happened:

1. During a visit from the Queen, the chap next to him in the line-up was so nervous that he called her "SIR"

2. They hit something. They have no idea what but debris floated to the surface.

In May 1945, the Cosby was the first vessel to liberate Jersey. Well, that's a notable event you might say. Well yes it was but by then my father had been transferred.

His last posting was to HMS Gabbard as Stoker 1st Class where, once again, it was all quiet on the Baker front. When asked for his worst memory of the war he said "being violently sea sick".

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