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Kenneth Harman

I was conscripted into the Navy at the age of 18. I was sent to HMS Raleigh and did 10 weeks basic training. I was then granted 10 days leave, which I spent at home in Hull with my parents.
I was then posted to an armed merchant cruiser HMS Alaunia, joining the ship at Liverpool. We were then sent on two Atlantic convoys. From there I went out to the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf, sailing for around two and a half years. We were also in South Africa (Durban) and Ceylon.
Once I recall going ashore in Bombay. There were 32 persons aboard a cutter, when a Whaler run into us and turned our boat over. We all swan to different ships which happened to be anchored in the harbour. I chose to swim to the gangway of a Dutch ship. All the various ships in the harbour had put different boats down to help us out of the water. However, despite all this, unfortunately 7 men were drowned, and these men are now buried in a Bombay cemetery.
After two and a half years I came home and signed off the HMS Alaunia and was sent to barracks. I came into Hull for three weeks leave. I then went back to barracks (HMS Drake) and was sent to HMS Valkarie to do a course on radar. On returning I was waiting to the posted to an aircraft carrier. This eventually happened, but in the mean time I was sent over to Normandy on a barge, carrying ammunition, which was supplies for the HMS Black Prince. Our barge arrived at the Utah Beach and our delivery of these high explosives was a success.
When I came back to England I was then posted to HMS Slinger (an aircraft carrier) and was sent to bomb the large German Battleship ‘Tirpitz ‘. However, on the way there our ship hit a mine and was damaged. As a consequence we turned back and headed for Woolwich Dry Dock, as our ship had to be repaired. After 6 weeks we sailed towards the Pacific to Sydney (Australia). On entering the harbour I noticed HMS Howe was berthed by the wall. Imagine my surprise at being re-united with my brother Bernard. I had not seen him for 6 years. When I had joined up he was still at school, but had volunteered as soon as he was of age. A message was sent ship to ship to arrange our meeting at the Prince of Wales Steps the next day. To say that we had a good night out is an understatement! Unfortunately Bernard’s ship sailed out the following day and we didn’t manage to meet up until after the war finished in 1945.
While we were in Australia we were sent to many of the small islands surrounding and encountered a few skirmishes. Our ship remained in this area until the end of hostilities. We were then sent to Hong Kong and picked up 24 Australians, who had been incarcerated as prisoners of war, and we brought them back to their home country. Whilst on board the mess supplied them with clothing and we had a whip-round and gave them £200 (which was a small fortune in those days). I recall being paid only about 6d. a day at the time so it was quite a large effort to collect such a sum. At the end of August, 2005 my wife and I intend visiting the area. This journey has been organised by ‘Hero’s Return’ a lottery funded organisation. We are looking forward to hopefully meeting up with old friends and shipmates.

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