大象传媒

HMS Barham 鈥� Scapa Flow: August 25th 鈥� 26th, 1940

Before joining Vice Admiral Somerville鈥檚 鈥淗鈥� Force in the Western Mediterranean in late August 1940, HMS Barham spent two months at Scapa Flow. My father, Surgeon-Commander E.R.Sorley, RN was the Principal Medical Officer and during this period wrote numerous letters to my mother. Extracts from these letters to my mother give an insight to life on the ship during the months leading up to Barham鈥檚 first major action at Dakar. The Battle of Britain was in full swing.

25th August, 1940:

鈥淩otten weather today again. A cold drizzle interfered with divisions this morning. Later we had church on one of the mess-decks, with a 鈥渟queeze-box鈥� supplying the musical accompaniments instead of the customary marine band. It was, however, a very good service with well-known hymns, of which one was sung to the tune of the Londonderry Air. The appeal of this greatly increased the volume of singing, although there was an occasional 鈥渟lip-up鈥� in the scansion of the last line of the hymn. The sermon introduced mention of Helen Keller, whose life of courageous response to misfortune we have often talked about. I had read an account of her life, and the Padre鈥檚 discourse brought one again a sense of wonderment, at her having achieved so much after deprivation of almost all her special senses. The sense of touch and tactile discrimination, however, allied to the power of a keen brain with its magic of association of ideas, proved victorious over poverty of inlets from the outside world. It is a most inspiring story.

Did you see the full list of the 鈥淕lorious鈥�(1) casualties in the papers? Rather appalling. I didn鈥檛 know any of them, but I saw that one of the Paymasters was in Terror for three years, being relieved by Northcote; you remember the dark man, very good at bending his elbow. I expect you are very glad that I was not appointed to an aircraft-carrier, for such a craft is very vulnerable and cannot protect itself so stoutly as a battleship; besides a 鈥済etaway鈥� is not so easy.

I hope that you read Churchill鈥檚 speech in full. It is likely to take its place in history as one of the finest orations of all time. The chaplain undertook to broadcast it word for word over the ship鈥檚 wireless - an excellent idea. He delivered it very well too. And yesterday, he also broadcast some excepts from American newspapers relating to Churchill鈥檚 speech. I couldn鈥檛 help thinking what a pity it was that the lost airman鈥檚 letter to his mother was not disseminated in a like manner. Perhaps, it is not too late now.

There has been a great falling-off in the trips ashore owing to the development of exercise aboard. There is deck hockey - a dangerous pastime which provides a high incidence of minor injuries - deck tennis, and medicine ball. I have stuck to the latter so far. It is hoped soon to commence badminton. As usual, my cabin has been taken for granted as a depository for gear; a large number of badminton shuttlecocks have arrived there. And all because I was the first to organise a medicine ball campaign. 鈥淭orps鈥� Rodwell(2) is really the Sports officer, but I think he feels my cabin being near the quarter-deck is readily accessible to the husky guys when they wish to be energetic. I鈥檝e no objection, so long as things don鈥檛 go too far, and I鈥檓 not squeezed out of breathing space by medicine balls, rubber rings and so on.

Notes: (1) HMS Glorious 鈥� sunk in North Sea June 8th, 1940 with loss of 1207 lives
(2) Torpedo Officer

26th August, 1940:

鈥淚 have just finished setting an examination paper - on first aid - for the benefit of the 鈥渟notties鈥�(3). All good ripe stuff, as P.G.Wodehouse would say. Don鈥檛 suppose North Wales and district has progressed so far as to possess a first-aid 鈥渄rive鈥�, and your knowledge perhaps has become rusty. Still, you did so well in Singapore under the eagle eye of your husband that you must always retain the rudiments.

Our cinema last night was quite good - only quite. The film was wholly American, and covered the invention of the steamboat by Robert Fulton. We seem to be inundated with films about discovery and invention; last week, Ehrlich and his magic shots, last night Fulton and his river chug-chug. On the whole, our programmes are very good, the News being especially welcome. They always include many warlike scenes of convoys being bombed and of 鈥淕erman鈥� bombers meeting their fate.

The Battle of Britain goes quite well, so far as one can deduce from the news bulletins. Since the Blitzkrieg started, the Germans have lost over 1000 planes, which means close upon 3000 personnel and unless they can produce any devastating results, such losses are bound to get in amongst their morale. Apparently, the spirit of the people at home is tremendous, and it is getting ever increasing support from American opinion. The endemic of co-operation from across the Atlantic is most reassuring. You heard that the Bermuda House of Assembly has agreed to allow the Americans the use of aerodromes in the islands. A step in the right direction. As time goes on and as we get stronger, support from all over the contra-Nazi world will increase. I鈥檓 very glad to hear we have started to bomb Berlin. It鈥檚 now time that we stopped playing at gentlemanly war and got down to real rough stuff. If our women and children are getting killed, sentiment should not stop us from trying to wipe out the Nazi fraus and their poisonous brood. We鈥檒l have to do it sooner of later, so why not start now?

I hope you heard the advice given on the wireless about the correct way to answer a sentry鈥檚 challenge. Most important, as you may be motoring through England soon - through what is now a complete defence area. Here is what the wireless said.

Sentry:-鈥淗alt ! Who goes there ?鈥� Correct procedure. You:- 鈥淔riend鈥� (and you stop immediately, until the sentry speaks again). He then says:- 鈥淎dvance, and be recognised鈥�. This you do, bearing your identity card.

In the event of your not replying to the first 鈥淗alt, who goes there?鈥� he will say it again. If no reply is received to either challenge he will give two warnings that he is going to fire before actually doing so.鈥� There - do remember these points. I know you have plenty common-sense, but it is good to know the exact procedure.

Note: (3) Midshipmen

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