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HMS Volage:
A crew member鈥檚 recollections.

Having cleared the Firth of Forth early morning, H.M.S. Volage, a destroyer, having had a boiler clean at Rosyth dockyard, and us the crew, had run ashore up the 鈥渘ew鈥� Edinburgh.

Whilst most of the ships company were at 鈥榤ake and mend鈥� (getting their heads down), I find myself standing up at the bull ring, forward on deck up on the bows, at the sharp end of the ship, on fog watch for 15 minutes duty. Blue watch having got the afternoon closed up on B gun cruising station (that is one third of the ships guns closed up) until 4pm (1600 hrs).

The ship was making its way back to Scapa Flow (Orkneys) anchorage to serve with the Home Fleet again, which was operating in the North Atlantic, Arctic and Russian convoys.

A quarter of an hour seemed endless, stuck up there on my 鈥楯ack鈥� alone, a hand on each rail, a steady swell, making the bow of the ship rise and fall some ten feet, my eyeballs standing out on sockets straining forward into the thick fog. Remember seeing Dab chicks (Guillemots) sculling away from the bow so as not to get run down.

Still feeling the effects of several Gins (were lucky to get any alcohol in wartime). Port watch must have dried out the beer ashore the night before, still a great time with the girls at the Y.M.C.A.

A tap on my shoulder, Lofty Eric Gates had come to relieve me (good ho!). I stepped to the left for him to take my place forward (as had been instructed) at the bull ring, so that a moment was not lost of a forward lookout.

As I turned to go back to B guns, he, Eric, shouted out 鈥淪hip dead ahead鈥�. I turned again to see a ship bearing down on us!!

Our ship head immediately turned to port and then converted back on our original course. A coastal merchant ship of five thousand tons (us only seventeen hundred tons) slid down our starboard side, a cables length away (hundred feet).

Merchant ship captains were not obliged to sail in convoy, in wartime, knowing the coast and shipping lanes well, they must have considered the fog an advantage to escape any enemy action.

Thank goodness for an open bridge, prompt action from the Officer of the Watch and wheel house crew to what could have been a sea disaster, with many lives lost.

鈥渂ye, he bye鈥�, that was the loudest I had heard Lofty Gates shout, even louder than when I asked him over to borrow his white dickey front to go ashore in, 鈥淒rop that and grab a scrubber!!!!鈥�, his reply.

Ex. A.B. John Mills
H.M.S. Volage

FOG IN SCAPA FLOW AUGUST 1944

An anchorage within the Orkney Isle

Boom! Boom! A noise in the distance, as I was on watch, as Quartermaster, on board H.M.S. Volage, a destroyer, I listened and tried to see through the thick fog at 23.30 hours (11.30pm) seven bells of the first watch that dark cold night in October.

The Fleet destroyers were moored to buoys line ahead near Flotta Island. All was quiet on board at that hour. I had piped 鈥渙ut lights, out pipes鈥� at 22.00 hrs, standard practice for the Royal Navy for all hands to be in their hammocks. Piping was done by walking through the mess decks, with the Bosun's Pipe, shouting out the order. The Officer of the Watch had turned in to his bunk.

Boom! Boom! Nearer now, still nothing could be seen through the fog. My oppo, who was also on watch at the sae time as me, had gone forward to the foc鈥檚le to see if all was well, inspected the cables to the buoy and checking the shackles were secure.

Whenever we could, we would pace up and down for exercise, not much room, only ten to fifteen paces each way, this was all the exercise that was possible on a small ship.

Boom! Boom! Louder still, when out of the fog. I see the Thurso to Kirkwall ferry boat coming straight for us, threatening to cut the ship in half. Throwing myself through the air for five or six feet to swing on the ships bell for all its worth! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Another Boom! On the ferry鈥檚 siren, which veered away, to my relief behind our stern and between the next destroyers bow.

Just another time, another incident of life on board one of his majesties ships of yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Lofty John Mills
Ex. A.B. Seaman
H.M.S. Volage
For the next chapter go to: A8890419

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