大象传媒

This story was submitted to the Peolpe's War site by a volunteer on behalf of Stan Lovegrove and has been added with his permission. Stan fully understands the site's terms and conditions.
In June 1942, as a 17 year old lad, I volunteered to join the Royal Navy. Having completed my initial training at HMS Collingwood and at Greenock I joined the Fleet Air Arm, assigned to the AHP ( Aircraft Handling Party) on the 1940 Aircraft Carrier H.M.S. Formidable.
In October 1942, we were sent to the Mediterranean where we were soon in action supporting the North African landings in November 1942, the Sicily landings in July 1943 and the Salerno landings in September 1943.
In October 1943, on completion of our Mediterranean duties, we were sent to the much colder, Artic, performing escort duties to the Russian convoys.
Between the 17th and 29th August 1944 we became involved in the attack on the German Battleship Tirpitz in Norway where we lost one of our Alba core Bi-planes with its crew members. These torpedo carrying aircraft had replaced the good old Swordfish.
In September 1944, having been sent to the Far East via Gibraltar we joined the Pacific Fleet in April 1945. Here we were soon involved in air strikes against Okinawa and Sakishima Gunto using the new Barracuda and Corsair aircraft.
Between the 4th and 9th of May 1945 we were hit on at least two occasions by Japanese Kamikaze dive-bombers. True to her name, HMS Formidable survived the fires and structural damage but we did lose seven of our shipmates.
On 18th may we suffered extensive damage below the armoured flight deck when fires started down in the hangars where aircraft, bombs and torpedoes were stored. We pumped 3 feet of water into the hangars and survived despite a rather disturbing list to port. Nevertheless we were able to join in the attacks on the Japanese home islands until their surrender in August 1945.
We celebrated VJ Day in true naval fashion. I was finally demobbed in April 1946.

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