大象传媒

March 1. Morning watch. Weather eased down a bit, off Algiers at about 10am, very near coast. Kept afternoon. Went to dusk action stations at 6-35 until 2000. Blue warning. All quiet. Weather still the same.

March 2. Forenoon watch, stern sea. Passed Bizerta at 9-30, in channel all forenoon. Passed Pantellaria at 5pm on port side. Kept first. Sea easing down. Convoy split up, some gone to Naples. We are bound for Port Said.

March 3. Kept morning. Off Malta. Two ships left us and two more joined up. Princess Kathleen and minelayer. Sea calm. Getting warm. Off Tripoli, went to dusk action at 1750 until7pm. All quiet during night. Going to Alex.

March 4. Kept middle. Forenoon in sight of Derna coastline. Sea lovely and calm. Getting warm. Passed Derna at 4-30pm. Kept first. Left convoy at 9-15pm. Went to Tobruk to oil, arrived there at 1030. Tied up alongside oiling wreck. Turned in.

March 5. Got under way at 2-30am. Full speed to catch up convoy. Closed up at 4am. Picked up convoy at 7-15am. Still in defence. Clocks went on 陆 hour. Went to dinner at 11am. Kept afternoon. Passed Nersa. Passed Alex at 4pm. Carried on to Port Said.

March 6. Kept middle. Went with convoy to end of channel. Turned back with Canarious full speed to Alex. Arrived Alex at 4-30 tied up alongside oiler. Went ashore at 5-15. Went up C.C. saw Cotter. Went to pictures. Saw (Hangman) Cotter left Alex. Slept in annex.

March 7. Working part of ship during forenoon. Got vaccinated. Got paid in afternoon. No duty part. Make and mend. Got 9 letters, answered them. Very hot in Alex. 9-30 all men recalled off leave. Flashed up. Went to sea at midnight.

March 8. With Active and Undying. Full speed in chase of sub. Believed to be damaged. Heading for Crete. Kept forenoon. Started sweep not far off Crete. Sea calm. Over 30 ratings still ashore. Kept first. Two more fleets joined at 9pm. Kept first nothing doing.

March 9. Morning. Went to action stations at 0745 submarine believed to be ahead. Got nothing. Fell out at 9-50. Full speed at 1010am sub reported 25 miles ahead. Depth charges dropped at 1200. Sub believed to be stopped lying low. Stayed over it. Left other ships at 1220?

March 10. Kept middle steaming to Port Said. Cruising stations. Arrived Port Said at 3-30. Went stern to Navy Holne? Went ashore at 6 15 saw king Faruk. Went to pictures at Britannia. Came aboard at 10-40 turned in.

March 11. Working part of ship during forenoon. Captain told us what our future operation would be. Very pleased on account of not many aboard while after sub. Went to sea at 1630 with convoy to Taranto.

March 12. Kept forenoon. Tested small arms at 10am. Six ships in convoy. Three more Hunts joined up off Alex. Sea calm. Kept first dog and first off Libyian coast.

March 13. Kept morning. Weather blowing up during the forenoon. Kept afternoon. Very rough. Passed convoy going west about 30 ships off Derna coast. Sea very rough. Kept last dog and middle.

March 14. Kept forenoon. Weather still very rough quite a lot of milestones. Kept forts dog and first. Due to arrive in Taranto on Thursday morning. Passed Malta during middle.

March 15. Morning watch, two ships left convoy at 0700. sea calm. In sight of Sicily and Italy. Two more hunts left convoy at noon. Three hunts left. Kept afternoon and last dog. Sea calm.

March 16. kept middle. Arrived at Taranto at 0730 went alongside Aldenham? oiled. Working part of ship, make and mend in afternoon. (Italians?) going aboard trooper. Slipped at 1630 went to a buoy. Quiz on radio for Ships Company. Turned in at 10pm.

March 17. Port watch turned out at 0530 took ship to sea. Fell out at 6am. 2nd port to cruising. Went to breakfast. Defence at 0800. Had forenoon off. Convoy of four troopers. Weather lovely. Met other convoy of 6 ships 4 escorts. Joined up at 4pm. 36 liberators passed over. Kept last dog.

March 18. Kept middle and forenoon. Weather calm. Tested small arms at 1030. Done a few dummy runs FMT鈥檚? Kept first. CBM told us we had to put thimble eye in 2ins by 1600 to (yow?). Dust action at 6pm until 7pm.

March 19. Passed Tobruk in the evening Canarious collided with a cruiser. Lovely weather. Doing wire splice from 8am, finished at 4pm, showed it to Captain. OK. Kept middle.

March 20. Kept forenoon in cruising. Very warm in afternoon. Cleaned into rig of day at 3-50 took ship into harbour oiled. Stayed alongside all night. Went ashore at 5-30 went up C. Club. Went to Rio pictures. Slept in the Canal Hotel.

March 21. Came off shore at 0700. Blondie Fletch and Arnold got a draft to UK. Left in afternoon said good bye. Fed up. Docked at 10am. Was duty part. Kept sentry on jetty 10pm until 11.

March 22. In dock. Painting ship. Central stores came aboard at 1045. Got them in. Was paid at 1200. Went ashore at 1330. Bought case etc. Met Blondie and went to the pictures at 6-30. Had a few bottles. Came off at 11-30.

March 23. Came out of dock at 0800. Went to K5 buoy at 0830. Ammunition lighter came alongside had to change all the ammunition. Working until 7-50pm. Had supper. Turned in at 10pm very tired.

March 24. Stbd watch required at 0600 took ship to sea. Went to defence at 0800. Taking troop ships to Taranto. Was shifted to X gun for defence. Tested small arms at 10am. Kept first dog, very hazy sea, calm. Cruisers Frobisher and Caledon with us. Sea getting rough.

March 25. Kept morning. Still big swell on. Wind dropping. Passed Tobruk at about 11am, hugging coast. Passed Derna at 2-30pm. Clocks went back one hour at 1800. Kept last dog 2陆 hrs.

March 26. Kept middle. Kept forenoon on lookout. Gale blowing up. Raining all the forenoon. Kept first dog. Frobisher left during the first. Very cold on the gun. One balloon came down in flames, hit by lightening.

March 27. Kept morning. Passed big convoy of liberty boats off Agusta at 6am. Heavy swell still running. Two troopers left, one to Agusta the other went straight through the straits. Kept afternoon last dog. Weather very rough and colder than that.

March 28. Kept middle. Biting cold wind. Slowed down. Saw lighthouse at 4am. Arrived in harbour at 7am. Was required fell out at 8-30. snow fell at 9am. Cleared up. Sun shone. Left oiler at 1310 anchored in harbour. Sang two songs over the air.

March 29. Working part of ship during the forenoon. Make and mend in the afternoon. Both watches took ship to sea at 5pm. Received four letters. Took same convoy back to Alex. Kept last dog sea calm. Very parky.

March 30. Kept middle sea calm. Kept forenoon raining most of the time. Off Sicily one trooper joined up during the first dog. Sea getting rough. A few milestones. Kept first.

March 31. Kept morning light swell still running. Got vaccinated again at 1130 didn鈥檛 take last time. Kept afternoon weather unchanged. Sandstorm in desert. Lost 96 bombers over Germany. Clocks went back an hour at 1130pm. Kept 3陆 hour middle.

April1. Kept forenoon. Sandstorm coming over. Convoy split up at 1830. We slowed down with four ships undecided whether going to Alex or Port Said. Kept first dog. Sandstorm at its worst, everything covered in sand. Clearing up about 7pm.

April 2. Kept morning. Still on way to Port Said. Kept afternoon in cruising. Got to the end of swept channel. Went to action stations. Single machine. Not mine happened. Left convoy came back with Belvoir at 13 knts. Kept middle.

April 3. Arrived in Alex at 0730. Got in rig of the day. Went alongside oiler. Left at 1030 went to 16A buoy for boiler cleaning. Had ten letters, also a draft to UK. Packed my bag and hammock.

April 4. Left the ship at 1000am with most of the old ratings. Went to Nile then to Sphinx. Saw Blondie had dinner. Mustered at 4-30. We caught up the (?) draft, more than surprised. Got paid. Passed Doctor, went to pictures.

April 5. Got up at 6-30 went to breakfast. Took bag and hammock to colonnade at 0800. Stowed them in lorries at 8-50 returned loan gear. Dinner at 11am. Tea at 1500. Fell in at 1800. Left the camp at 7pm on UK draft. Went on train to Port Said.

April 6. Arrived Port Said at 1pm. Went aboard trooper at 1-30. On Franconia, vittled in 09 mess.

April 7. Onboard trooper.

April8. Left Port Said at 0700. About 12 troopers. Off Alex at 9pm sea calm.

April 9. Passed Mersa Matruh.

April 10. Off Derna coast.

April 14. Passing North African coast. Passed through straits of Gib at 11-30pm.

April 15. In Atlantic sea slightly rough. Kept steaming west.

April 16. Still big swell steaming west. Covered 300 miles west of Gib.

April 17. Steaming west. Calm sea. Turned due north during the night.

April 18. Steaming due north. About 700 miles out of bay.

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