大象传媒

This story was submitted to the people's war site by a pupil from Swavesey Village College on behalf of Jim Bacon and has been added to the site with his permission. Jim Bacon fully understands the sites terms and conditions.

I had just had my 13th birthday on the 30th of May, 1939, and in September I recall hearing the then Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, broadcast on radio the news that Britain was at war with Germany. The schools were closed down, and children were evacuated away from the London area, because of expected air attacks.
My family decided to stay together and with no school and my family all working I spent most of the time amusing myself.
During the next few months most houses were provided with air raid shelters in the garden. When the air raids started, much time was spent in these shelters. During the day I spent hours watching the bombers with just my head outside the shelter. Some form of schooling commenced again, in early 1940, with an after school youth club and later incorporating a navel cadets corps. I joined this, had some radio operator tuition which enabled me to join the Royal Navy quickly about my 17th birthday.
Following training, I qualified as a Telegraphist and joined an American built destroyer's escort, HMS Tyler, in April 1944. We were soon involved escorting merchant ships in the Battle of the Atlantic. Hundreds of German U-boats were causing havoc and immense loses of shipping. It was a horrifying spectacle to 'one minute seeing a ship in sight and then an almighty explosion as, hit by a torpedo, would become an exploding wreck, particularly if it was carrying oil or ammunition.' On our ship we were immediately at action stations trying to locate the U-boat from the calculated direction of the torpedo. Asdic detectors would be used to locate the submerged submarine which would then be attacked with depth charges. The difficulty was locating them! HMS Tyler was eventually transferred to the final preparation for the D-Day landings, escorting troop ships and landing craft to the beaches and then back with casualties.
When the beaches were established we patrolled the area against any German U-boats or aircraft or torpedo boats attempting to attack the supply craft.
For a short period HMS Tyler was anchored near HMS Belfast a cruiser which was firing continuous salvoes, of 16 inch shells to behind the beaches with pinpoint accuracy causing havoc to the German troops and supplies.
Following German surrender, HMS Tyler sailed to Kristiomsand, Norway, to escort back to SCAPA FLOW a number of surrendered German U-boats. They travelled all the way up on the surface. The weather was atrocious; normally they would be submerged in such conditions! It was pitiful to watch, knowing the discomfort and damages faced by the crews. Still they all survived the journey.
Following some shore duties I was eventually released from the Navy on the 27th of November 1946 just a few months out of my teens.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.