- Contributed by听
- L Jackson
- Article ID:听
- A1113887
- Contributed on:听
- 18 July 2003
An account by my father, Jeffrey Jackson:
'We sailed for Egypt in October 1940, probably from Greenock, on the Oronsay, to which I took an instant dislike.
The morning after our departure, we found ourselves in the middle of a storm just to the west of Ireland. The order came for everyone to get out on deck, at which time a German aircraft that I didn't see dropped several bombs.
None actually hit the ship, but they were close enough to damage the engines and prevent us from keeping up with the convoy, which, together with its escort, sailed on and left us to be sunk by any German aircraft or submarine that felt like doing so. However, I was so seasick that I didn't care what happened. Others must have felt the same, because not a shot was fired by anyone at the German bomber.
To my surprise, nothing happened, the engines were restarted, and we sailed back up the Clyde, which I was delighted to see again. Our return also gave me the chance to reorganise my kit, as I'd packed all my tropical gear in a kit bag that had gone into the hold, where it would have been inaccessible until we arrived in Egypt.'
The converted liner, then troopship, SS Oronsay was sunk in the Atlantic on 8 October 1942 by the Italian submarine Archimede.
-- Read all L Jackson's edited contributions about her father's service
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