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This story was submitted to the Peoples War Site by volunteer John C Haywood 大象传媒 Radio Lincolnshire Action Desk on behalf of Mr Ronald George Lamming, and has been added to the site with his permission. Mr LAMMING fully understands the site terms and conditions.

Monday 12th June 1944
On the Mine Sweeper HMS Orestes off the coast of France.
Captain: Lt Cmdr Adams.

At 8.30 we were attacked by one man torpedoes, one ship blows up and sinks, we detail HMS Sockerteice to pick up survivors. We steam full ahead towards Le-Harve which is the German naval base,after ten minutes we sight our first sub. We close and fire depth charges and the four inch gun, plus all the small arms fire. We see no sign of him after this, on we go and site number two, we give him the same treatment, he is on the surface and bales out and we see the torpedo go down. We pick him up, while on deck he stands to attention raising his arm and at the same time shouting 'Hail Hitler'he looked about sixteen years old. No wonder it's taking a long time to win this war. We removed his uniform and put him in the sick bay. He could not speak a lot of english, but he kept shouting 'Churchill has got a big mouth'. I took his clothes down to the engine room to dry out and then reported to the captain all that had gone on. After about forty minutes the captain told me to go down and get the prisoner dressed and ready for handing over. When I arrived at the engine room I found that all the badges on his uniform had been removed. I reported this to the captain who went berserk, he informed the ships company that all leave would be stopped until the badges were replaced. May I say that thirty minutes later all the badges had been replaced, and the prisoner was handed over well dressed and in good health.

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