大象传媒

On Feb 1992 a former workmate and family friend, died at the age of 78 years. Tommy Hall. We had worked together for Fred Langdon for at least 17years and then a further 5 years as partners when Fred retired from his business and gave us the chance to continue on our own in the painting and decorating trade.
The purpose of writing these pages is to record some of his experiences while serving in the Royal Navy during the 39-45 war.
Now and again, during our work together he would recall memories of his service life. "We were waiting at Gib (Gibralter) to sail with a convoy to Malta, my stomach would all be knotted up with fear, but once we sailed it gradually eased. After a day or two sailing you were 'on your toes' expecting sub or air attacks. Once action started you were o.k, just like a football match! some match.
" I was duty lookout on the bridge of a destroyer on this run to Maltascanning the sky and horizon with high powered bino's, suddenly i spotted some specks way out on the horizon."
"Aircraft!......all eyes on the bridge turned to the direction reported. (Tommy) 'The next thing i saw was the main arament (16" guns) swing round on HM Nelson and opened fire on the approaching aircraft which were Italian torpedo bombers.
The idea of using these massive shells was hopefully to bring them down with huge shell splashes or the vacum, of passing through the aircraft. Still they came on with all hell breaking loose, next came the high level bombers then the Stuka's dive bombers.
"Fear seems to disappear when all this was going on, the 'Flak' was intense, one high level bomber was hit and started to burn, i started to talk, giving a commentry to all on the bridge, "burn you bd, burn! the ...fire gone out!! go on you sod burn" the end result was a terrific splash in the sea. Wheb the raid had finished the ships padre who was on the bridge with Capt said "Seaman Hall would make a damn fine commentator if only he spoke English"The aftermath of the raid was a call for volunteers to go aboard the cruiser Manchester, she had taken a torpedo intended for the battleship Nelson. An issue of rum each and a transfer to the Manchester, to bring out any survivors from the struck section, of course in battlestations the bulkhead doors are shut and locked. 36 bodies were retrieved, no survivors from the damaged section.

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