大象传媒

I served as an ordinary seaman aboard the corvette SUNFLOWER THE PENANT K41 from 3/11/1942 to 27/2/1943. We departed Londonderry to join the westbound convoy of 43 merchant ships (code name ON153) to be part of the escort, which consisted of four Corvettes the LOOSESTRIFE/Built in 25/8/41. The ALISMA/ built in 17/12/40. PINK/ She was scrapped after heavy damage after being torpedoed on the 27/6/1944 by the U-988. The SUNFLOWER Built in 19/12/40, and two Destroyers the FIREDRAKE (H79) of 1320 tons. The RIPLEY (G79), one of the 50, four funneled American destroyers, its original name being the USS SHUBRICK. The Wolf Pack,RAUFBOLD sighted our convoy on the 15th December 1942 and consisted of 13 U-boats,the U135,U203, U211,U365,U409,U410,U439,U600,U609,U610, U621,U623,U664. This wolf Pack, in their short life times, were responsible for the sinking of 70 Merchant Ships. As soon as darkness fell, the U-boats began their attack. The U365 sinks a tanker, then the U610 sinks another tanker, a freighter falls victim to the U621. It was on the 16/12/42, at the position 51.00'N by 25.00'W late in the evening, the U211 attacked the convoy. One report said that the U211 fired a spread of four torpedoes into the convoy hoping to have a kill and in doing so sunk the FIREDRAKE. (For the record, the U211 was sunk on the 19th of November 1943. East of the Azores by a British Wellington bomber,Sqdn. 179/F). Action stations had been sounded late in the evening, my station was cordite supply to the 4 inch gun. I was standing on the gun platform with the cordite container on my left shoulder, ready to supply a reduced charge of cordite to the breach loader. The mountainous waves were coming over the bows and drenching the guns'crew. It was freezing cold, a gale force wind was blowing and the only clothing I had on, was a pair of socks, sandshoes, underwear, a pair of overalls with my lifebelt strapped around my chest. The order was given to load star shell with reduced charge and when ready, SHOOT. After two shells had been fired and burst high in the sky, the stern section of the FIREDRAKE was sited at about 00.15 on the 17/12/1942. Stand down from action stations was sounded.The captain of the gun told me go and get some warm clothing on, then with other ratings, go down into the starboard well deck to put the scrambling net over the ship's side. This net was there for the very reason it was being used this very night. There was another net situated on the port side. I could just make out that some of the survivors were on the stern section of the FIREDRAKE, other survivors were hanging on to a floating corked net about 30yards off our starboard beam. The corvette was going up and down like a Yo Yo. It was then, one of our party, a Newfounland rating by the name of Fury, with a heaving line tied round his chest, lowered himself down the scrambling net into the freezing cold sea. He set off to swim towards the floating cork net, when he finally arrived he entwined his arms in the netting and so became a human link in the towing line. We then pulled the corked net along side the Sunflower. Able seaman Fury remained in the sea to assist the men up and on to the deck. He was never to receive a Medal for his bravery for his action. As this very brave action was taking place, the starboard bridge communication signal lamp was being used intermittedly to spot other survivors. It was being used in this manner in fear of becoming a second target for a U-boat. In the beam of the light, a rubber dinghy was momentary illuminated, with two men inboard. One of them was stretched out, in the bottom not moving, the other man had a small paddle which he was using, in an attempt to make his way towards our ships side. The moment the light had flashed on him, I heard him call out to us to help the men in the water first, before rescuing them both. They were probably stokers from the Firedrake's boiler room, as they only had vests and trouser overralls on. The hands of the man, who was paddling were blackened and appeared to be badly burnt, but he seemed to be void of pain. An able seaman W.Kay was rescued unconscious and covered in black fuel oil. He was carried down aft and put in the Petty Officers' tiled wash room where I assisted the Sickbay Rating to remove all his clothing. We then poured warm water over him in an attempt to raise his body temperature and at the same time clean off the stinking black oil. Sadly our efforts were in vain. He died a short time later. After we had all the survivors safely on board, the Sunflower moved off to continue her escort duties. Sadly my friend Ted Adderley was not among the 26 survivors, he was such a gentle young man. According to the German Naval records of the U211, The corvette SUNFLOWER scuttled the stern section of the FIREDRAKE with gunfire, but I must say, that I cannot recall that action taking place. The escort group was now reduced to four Corvettes and the Destroyer RIPLEY. Two of the merchant ships were unable to maintain the speed of the convoy owing to the atrocious weather; they fell further and further behind and were sunk by the U621. Their names being the OTINA (UK) was on the 20/12/42 and the OROPOS (Greek)on the 21/12/42.

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