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HMS Barham 鈥� Scapa Flow: August 4th 鈥� 6th, 1940

A month after the onset of WW2, HMS Barham and the other battleships of 1st Battle Squadron were taken from the Mediterranean Fleet to re-inforce the Home Fleet. By the end of 1939, the only British naval forces in the Mediterranean were three small 鈥淐鈥� class cruisers and some Australian destroyers. En route to Scapa Flow, Barham had a disastrous collision with HMS Duchess and was later torpedoed off the west coast of Scotland. After repairs at Liverpool had been completed, she sailed to Scapa Flow for sea trials and gunnery practice before joining Vice Admiral Somerville鈥檚 鈥淗鈥� Force in the Western Mediterranean in late August 1940. My father, Surgeon-Commander E.R.Sorley, RN was the Principal Medical Officer on Barham and wrote numerous letters to my mother from June 30th 1940 to November 23rd, 1941 (two days before Barham was sunk off Sollum in the Mediterranean). Extracts from his letters to my mother while Barham was at Scapa Flow give an insight to life on the ship during the months leading up to Barham鈥檚 first major action at Dakar.

4th August, 1940: Day-to-day life on board

鈥淟ife is far from being dull here. Something is always happening. Yesterday 鈥淏artimens鈥� came on board to collect 鈥渃olour鈥� for some broadcasts. Next Sunday, Tubby Clayton (the Toc.H. Padre) is coming on board to preach the sermon to the ship鈥檚 company. And then there is Hearson arriving to have dinner with me tonight. I wonder whether his pessimism has thinned down.

The dinner with the Warrant Officers was a distinctly good party. (Only the Captain, Commander, Chief Pay and myself were asked). After a very good dinner, we were entertained by one of the W.O.s who is a clever conjurer. He did many small tricks I had not seen before - one was especially spectacular. The Captain held a pencil before him, between his hands and the performer cut it in halves with an ordinary pound note brought down sharply on its centre. The solution eludes me.

Torp鈥檚(1) relief has arrived. He is a young lieutenant, by name Rodwell (2). He seems a pleasant young man, despite a pocked face. Torps will probably say goodbye to us on Monday. I鈥檒l be sorry to see the back of him. He is universally popular, and always an interesting talker, with a rich fund of reminiscences. We were due to receive yet another new arrival in the Wardroom - an R.C.Chaplain. However, at the last moment we hear he is being accommodated elsewhere.

The weather has suddenly begun to behave itself. Yesterday was beautiful and warm and today has made up its mind to follow suit. Divisions this morning on the quarter-deck was really an enjoyable experience, with bright sun gleaming on yellow brasswork and clean uniforms, while sea gulls circled lazily overhead and the marine band played in a respectfully subdued tone. Usually divisions on Sunday are performed in a keen wind which robs the ceremonial of much of its interest - at least for me. But today could not have been more delightful. I am so glad to hear that you too are having some sunny weather. The Captain鈥檚 sense of humour tickles me, even if at times, it is puzzling. I happened to pass on to him what Pay had said about Mrs Williams having to go inland from Weston-Super-Mare because she had had air raids every night for weeks and he roared with laughter. But it may have been the way I said it!

What an awful time Joy G.W must have had. Her letter was frightfully interesting. She was jolly lucky to get away from Jersey in time.鈥�

Note: (1) Torpedo Officer (2) lost his life when HMS Barham was sunk

5th August, 1940: Comment on Dunkirk

鈥淚t was great fun meeting Hearson again. He was looking very well; his face seems to have filled out and is of better colour. Arriving on board here at 7.30 pm, we had a few drinks, then supper and cinema in the Wardroom. The cinema wasn鈥檛 too good; the big film was a gangster story bristling with tough guys getting entangled in impossible situations. 鈥淕olden Boy鈥�, which we were expecting didn鈥檛 turn up. The 鈥渟horts鈥� were quite amusing - one was a 鈥淧an-American鈥� survey of anaethesia through the ages, beginning with the primitive method of dealing a patient with a well-directed sock on the napper, and proceeding to describe in unauthentic fashion the evolution of ether by trial and error - the whole subject couched in a humourous vein. As always the exploitation of surgery as a basis for grim humour caused great merriment. The other short was a good 鈥淧opeye鈥� cartoon about roller-skating. After the cinema, I had an opportunity to talk to Hearson more freely than had been possible before. He likes his ship. He is still pretty pessimistic about things in general and is reluctant to admit the inefficiency of the 鈥淚talians鈥�. As for invasion, he says 鈥淲ait and see鈥� in a rather sinister way, which doesn鈥檛 carry much conviction. He admits that Hitler made a bad blob in allowing the B.E.F. to get home from Dunkirk, and he couldn鈥檛 give a satisfactory answer to the lack of success by the Luftwaffe on that occasion. He tells me that Nick - late of the Medway in Singapore - is the Pay of his ship.

I don鈥檛 suppose you have managed to find a small burn for worm-fishing. I was almost tempted to ask you to send on your rod to me, because there are one or two likely streams ashore here, but one could not get enough leave to get much fun. I have indulged in one small extravagance - the purchase of a tweed cap. A cap is so much more convenient than a hat for going ashore, and fits into the picture so much better. I have now been ashore 6 times which is fairly good going for these days, don鈥檛 you think?鈥�

6th August, 1940: Importance of Keeping Fit

鈥淒uring the day watches yesterday, I organised a medicine ball(3) party. The original party consisted of Padre, Pitts and self, but this nucleus rapidly gained adherents anxious to reduce the bulging tum. Even the skipper joined in to give a demonstration of the correct way to swing back on the deck with extended arms clutching the ball. We played all the usual variations - a low swing, high swing, the quick pass and the Rugger game. Altogether splendid exercise - which must be repeated. I have arranged for a heavier more compact ball to be made. The one we used yesterday was rather loosely packed and did n鈥檛 give quite the necessary heel-rocking impact to the body.

The weather continues reasonably good, in spite of sudden lessening of visibility from time to time. The air is crisp enough and, on the whole, braces the body. The ship鈥檚 company keeps remarkably fit; it is really amazing that we are getting only about half the sickness we used to get in Liverpool. It probably serves to prove that busy people don鈥檛 get ill so readily. I was impressed at Sunday divisions by the high percentage of good ruddy complexions amongst the men, an attribute not to be expected in a community where ventilation must be secondary to accommodation.

Little Percy M. has been given a shore job now, after only about 9 months at sea. Jerry H. was very angry about this. Apparently, the wee chap went about saying how disgraceful it was that a specialist like himself should be wasted in a ship; and somehow he has succeeded in being relieved. This is rather funny in a lad who was almost 鈥減loughed鈥� on his promotion course. Still. perhaps it is as well he has been removed from a ship, for I gather that he has not been a conspicuous credit to the branch in air raids and other excitements. According to Jerry H. the number of people he has knocked down in efforts to get under cover in a hurry was getting larger every day.

No 1 asked me yesterday whether I would like to change my cabin for a two-scuttle one in the Admiral鈥檚 lobby. A general survey of cabins is taking place. I said 鈥淣o鈥�! without any hesitation. The cabins down aft are far away from the wardroom and suffer exceedingly from vibration. No, I like my present cabin very much and don鈥檛 intend to change.

Today should be one of my big days, because we have not had a proper mail since Saturday. There should be at least two letters from you, maybe three.鈥�

Note: (3) Large leather ball swung and thrown at the body to strengthen chest and other muscles

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