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Volunteered before my age group came up age 18.
April 1942 taken to Navy Hospital burst appendix had operation. July 1942 taken to Scotland with others to make the crew of a new ship HMS Cowdray a Hunt Class Destroyer for escorting convoys, Atlantic. 3rd September 1942 meet up with the assembly of Merchant and other escort ships. This convoy was known as PQ18 bound for Mermonsk. Mine and 3 others were details to be the close escort for 2 fleet oilers, Blue Ranger and Oligarch, we were known as the Spitgbergen Fuelling Force. We ensured that the other escort ships could refuel safely and continue to protect the convoy rather than being stranded in the artic. It was very cold inside the artic circle, we had to chip the ice off the upper deck so we didn’t go over from being top heavy. When I was on look out duty always scanning the surface for the track of any torpedo. Of the convoy of 39 ships, 13 were sunk, this was the largest of the war.
PQ 18 Convoy to Russia Sept 1942 — at about 1530 hours on September 13th the convoy was attacked by more than 80 enemy aircraft, 20 JU88 Dive bombers, 28 HE111 Torpedo bombers and 35 JU88 Torpedo bombers. I recall that they rose up on the horizon, black and repulsive. They came on in rigid line — abreast formation across the horizon and looked like strange things from another world. The scene became one of indescribable chaos. Escorts and Merchant ships fired their close range weapons, all combining to deafen and confuse. With this attack which lasted a mere thirteen minutes, eight ships were sunk for the loss of only five German aircraft. Many more were damaged and may not have made it home. The Aircraft Carriers Avengers and Sea Hurricanes were n o match for the heavily armed Germans. On the morning of the 13 September two ships were sunk by U Boats. By the end of the 14th September, 12 ships were sunk, but due to the escorts offensive role none were sunk of the 15th there were near misses.
Almost as cruel as the enemy during these Russian convoys were the sea, bad weather, intense cold and snow and fog. Ice made the ship top heavy so we had to chip off the upper works. But we made it home. Out of the main convoy of 40 ships, 13 were sunk.
1st October 1942 our next assignment was being sent into the Atlantic to meet the liner Queen Mary who was carrying about 3000 American servicemen from the middle of the Atlantic back to England. On the 2nd of October I was on look out duty on the bridge when I reported a cloud of smoke in the distance. We all thought liner had been torpedoed, but it turned out she had cut the escort cruiser in half due to a mistake in navigation. Of the crew of 430 men unhappily 338 lives were lost. My ship was detailed to go and pick up survivors. We picked up about 70 men. The liner was not allowed to stop owing to possible risk of U Boats. 9th October 1942 part of escort for aircraft carriers taking aircraft for the defence of Malta. 9th November, escort troops etc for the invasion of North Africa. At dusk on the 9th while searching for U Boats we came under attack from above. We were hit by a torpedo from a torpedo bomber. Six men were killed. Although the ship did not sink many of the crew including myself were in the water all night. Rescue ships came and told us to on till the morning. After being rescued were taken to Algiers to wait for transport back to England for two weeks survivors leave.
December 1942, sent to America with a few hundred other seamen aboard the Queen Mary. Not as passengers, we had to man the guns on the top deck, 4 hours on 4 hours off. After a few days we were taken to Baltimore, to take over command of L,S,T 414. After extensive trails, moulding the crew into an efficient unit, everyone knew what to do and where to go in the shortest possible time. 27 March 1943 after all the ships were ready we set off on the hazardous journey across the Atlantic Ocean. It can be very rough, many times we thought we were going over being flat bottomed. Through the Mediterranean past Port Said the northern end of the Suez, onto the other end of the canal to Port Taufig to unload our crates to go overland to Russia. Were not allowed to go ashore. Back along the coast of Egypt to Sousse to load up with vehicles to take across to Syracuse in Sicily. Back again across the Mediterranean to Bizerta to load up with tanks etc for Salerno, Mainland Italy. On to Naples, we were allowed a short spell ashore and just had time to have a walk along the street of Pompeii with Vesuvious in the background. Back again to Africa to reload again, the army were fighting further up coast of Italy. We were directed to Anzio beach head. We were constantly under attack from enemy planes but our combined ships guns kept them just out of reach while we unloaded our tanks etc.
After this we set off back to Africa to reload. 15 August 1943 we were in a small convoy passing Malta. My ship LST 414 had been towing LST 416 when at about 0430 we were attacked by a torpedo bomber aircraft. Evasive actions had been almost impossible with 416 in tow. The torpedo ripped into our midships. Fires started in the passenger equipment store and oil fuel on the tank deck caught fire. When the danger had passed I went to assist the fire party in the meantime my 414 had slipped her tow rope from 416 and had made an attempt to proceed under her own power, because of the damage to the hull and flooding of the auxiliary engine this had to be abandoned. LST 425 to us in tow towards Bizerta. A message came at 0605 that caused the captain to beach the ship at the earliest possible moment. The upper deck had cracked right across with a hole 50 ft long by 15 ft deep had been 10 ft into her. It was decided that LST be a total loss and be used as spare parts. Only one man had been killed. The crew taken back to England. Transferred to LST 405 Jan 1944 for the biggest operation of all, the invasion of France — Normandy 6th June 1944 after many trips backwards and forwards on 1st October 1944 taken off the ship by ambulance to a Naval hospital in land. On 31st Jan 1945 discharged as below Naval Physical Standard (no pension).

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