大象传媒

Unfortunatley, "Warspite", a first war battleship, was hit but luckily remained afloat, although there were some casualties.
The situation at the Salerno beachead bacame touch and go for our forces, and it was decided therefore that further army reinforcements should be landed. Three sister light cruisers "Dido", "Cleopatra" and "Eurylus sailed to Tunis in North Africa and each picked up 200 soldiers for transport to Salerno.
The troops were still convalescing from the Sicily campaign, and were armed with .303 rifles. As one can imagine with 200 extra men aboard, one made one's way from A to B by stepping over bodies laying everywhere. The army boys did not take too kindly to shipbourne life - far too hot (especially below decks) and seasickness, which did not fare them well for their future action against the enemy.
A Sergeant Major's remarks were to the effect that he did not think much of naval life, because when one was being bombed there was only the lenght of the ship to run! However,I watched him and his comrades go over the side and land at Salerno where they were under constant aerial bombardment, having had a tot of Navy rum before disembarking. I shouted to the Sergeant Major as he left the ship "you can keep your Army; I'll stick to the Navy". (Horses for courses I suppose).
There followed allied landings at Anzio, which proved successful.
One other event brought a sense of satisfaction to the Fleet, the ship's company, and the Maltese population. The acceptance of the surrender of the Italian Fleet under the walls of Valletta, the capital of Malta.
Subsequentley, "Euryalus" returned to the UK (Greenock on the Clyde) in 1944. How green the countryside looked! I had been away nearly 3 years! My teenage years had been quickly swallowed by premature manhood. I was 20 when I returned to the UK. However, unlike many others, including a number of Boy Seamen from the "Barham", there was no return for them.
The Admiralty, in its infinate wisdom, decided on our return, that the lenght of our leave should be determined by either; 2 weeks for every year of foreign service, or 2 weeks based on the total of survivors leave, but not both. Obviously, we chose the greater of the two. Would one get away with that today I wonder?
Following leave, I returned to HMS "Ganges" (a stone frigate) for a course for subsequent promotion. HMS "Ganges" was where it had all started for me. I was then shanghaied into the Fleet Air Arm, eventually joining my first Aircraft Carrier for subsequent service in the Far East; our enemy being the Japs! However, that is yet another story. I am now in my 58th year of borrowed time!
The official naval photographer on the "Queen Elizabeth", the leading battleship, filmed the sinking of the "Barham".
The TVS/Meridian video shown in 1986, was made by Ron Lobeck, the former TV weatherman, who himself had been in the Royal Navy as a Met Officer/"Schoolie". Fred Tobin and George Tapsell, who had appeared in the film, have since crossed the bar. John mackenzie has, I believe, emmigrated to canada.
The original copy of the video I lent to a friend, and it was damaged. Ron Lobeck kindly obtained another copy for me.
About 40 years later (1982?), after our paths had crossed many times without actually I was able to meet up with my old shipmate, Sandy Powell. He, ike myself, was a boy seaman at the same time, and survived the sinking and was the youngest survivor (he beat me by 2 months). On meeting, we had a bit of a "rave".
Sandy was lucky to survive (at least in the Mediterranean Theatre). Served on HMS "Eurylus", (a Monitor - a sort of miniature battleship) and HMS "Jervis", a destroyer.
Sandy resided in Scotland, but has now crossed the bar (Jan 2005).

George Knott.

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