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This story was submitted to the People’s War website by Justine Warwick on behalf of Tom Mclaran and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the terms and conditions of the site.

I was in the RAF as an Air Gunner in a coastal command station at Thornaby. In 1941 we moved up to Wick in Scotland RAF coastal command and we were doing shipping work — escorting ships including the big capital ships. One of them was the HMS Hood. We escorted it right out to Norway and spent about a week with it as we were worried about the Bismarck which we knew was up in the fjords. Hood was coming across with a convoy from America, and we had to circle the convoy and look out for U-Boats. There attack system was usually from the rear so we would spend most of the time there. The HMS Hood was the lead ship along with destroyers etc. On the last day, before the Hood was sunk, we wanted to take photographs of the Hood. To do that we had to get at least within a one mile radius. We were not allowed to get any nearer than three miles as they could open fire on us. So I called up the Hood on close range radio and asked for permission to come in closer and take photographs. Their Operator asked me to wait and then gave permission to come within one mile. So we did and took the photographs we needed. We escorted the last convey on Saturday night and by the time we came back the Hood had been sunk. A matter of eight years ago I was on holiday in Madeira. In the lounge after dinner we spoke to a lady who said her husband was getting drinks, would we like one. As he returned with the drinks I said if ever I saw a seaman’s role that was it. She said he was with the HMS Hood. We chatted and he said he was one of the four survivors — I asked him if he had an air escort — he said yes and had been the operator I spoke to get permission.

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