大象传媒

It started when I was stationed in Scapa Flowin 1941. Not a very exciting place for an eighteen year old. So when volunteers for people with a trade were required to be trained a divers, my oppo. Frank Clarke and I decided to have a go.

We had a very strict medical before leaving to a company in Southsea, from there, we travelled daily to H.M.S Excellent on Whale Island for a six week course- there were eight of us.

On the first day, in the forenoon, we had lectures, explaining the rudiments of diving and instruction on dressing a diver. We were also told that diving is not a glamourous job but hard work (we later found this to be true). After lunch, onto the diving boat for our first dip. Dressing is quite a performance. A heavy woollen pullover and long stockings, especially a stocking tucked in the belt and round the crutch, as under water the pressure can make a fold in the suit and nip the skin, sometimes in embarrasing places. Next the suit, then the collar, a cushion to protect the shoulders, before the brass corselette is put on (with care to miss the nose)and bolted to the suit; then the boots (20 lb each).

Helmet with air- hose attached (mind the nose again)and life- line around the waist; the life- line and hose are tied to the helmet, within each reach of the hands for signalling. Then a struggle over the gunwhale on to the ladder where two 40 lb weights are tied on. Not forgetting the divers knife. Total weight 187 lbs.
The helmet is put on, then the pump started, and the face glass screwed in. It's a strange feeling when you can hear your attendants, but as soon as the glass is screwed in, all you can hear is the hiss of the air in the helmet. After that, down the ladder, just under water, close the outlet. To test for leaks, bring the helmet out, when you get a tap on the helmet it's o.k. to go down the shot rope. (It's a funny feeling to see the water coming up past the glass). On the bottom it is necessary to adjust the outlet valve to correct your buoyancy.

On the shot rope, about 3 ft. above the shot, is a coil, known as the distance line. This is used to find ones way back to the shot, or for sweeping round when doing a search, as at many times visibility is nil. During the course we all had various jobs to carry out on which we were assessed for proficiency in various depths. On my course we all passed. It had to happen that after the course we were sent back to Scapa. This was on Flotta. There we were employed building a pier.

Our job was placing 2 and 4 ton concrete blocks under water, with the help of a crane. it was an asset there to have a telephone in the helmet to give instructions to the crane driver.

The water there is quite cold and we used to stay under water for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until nature called too strongly. If we came up earlier, it was a performance, either get undressed and pull the suit down far enough, or have the weights and helmet removed, pull ones arm out of the cuff to inside the suit, pt your hand up through the corselette, take a milk tin (usually) down to the appropriate level, almost fill he tin, pass it up to be emptied and repeat.

Also on Flotta we erected a small scaffolding jetty and later on at Lyness we built a larger one.

I also installed a marker beacon at South Ronalday.

Later we were drafted to Deal (where the shells were whizzing over) to join a Company going overseas. We eventually arrived in Algiers. After a short time in the Transit Camp a detachment of Diving Officer, Lt. Park, myself and attendant Jock Anderson and Chick Chamberain 9diver) and attendant Tony Speller, were sent to ferryville, near Bizerte, where there are three large dry docks and one smaller one.

The Germans, having recently left, had blown up the channels that the dock gates sit in. Our first job was to completely search all the dry docks to see if any mines were left behind. We were told "they are fairly safe" as it takes 14 lb impact to set them off.

We thanked them and explained that one of the boots weighted 20 lb! After several days searching up and down the dock shelves and among the keel blocks, we were lucky enough to be able to declare them "clean".

Meanwhile, the rest of the company, with my oppo. Frank and the other divers arrived. While some new Metal Pressure Channels were being made, we were busy cleaning out the rubble and debris from the bottom. After many days of this the skin of your fingers get extremely thin. The new channels were installed which we fixed in place with concrete bags and built up the dock walls, again with concrete bags. Behind these it was filled with concrete. Then when the new gate was installed the water was pumped out and a proper face was built in front of the cement bags.

During these operations some Italian P.O.Ws were attached to us. Three being divers. These worked under Chick Chamberlain in one shift, whereas I had three of our own divers with me. One job we had was to build a sandbag damn in a 7ft. diameter tunnel, so that it could be pumped out and repaired. At the time I was the only diver in my shift. Access was through a manhole, too small for chest weights, so I had to wear belt weights (very uncomfortable). It was the time of the "Sirocco" (hot dry wind). After six hours, carrying and placing sandbags and breathing hot air, I was shattered. We also picked up the odd bomb, dropped while unloading.

Another small job was to fit new screws on a landing-craft rocket ship. It was manned by Royal Marines, with a Naval Skipper. the crew told us that the skipper used to drive up the beach to get at the Jerries. There was a wonderful display of ack-ack around the Bay of Bizerte, and we had a close call with a Stuka, Divebomber.

Next to Naples. We were installed in the old submarine Barracks, and the first job was to inspect the Submarine Dry Dock, as we had done in north Africa, then clean out the gate channel.

Next to the Naples Electric Power Station, to clean out the cooling pit, full of water and half full of rubble, wires, glass etc. we were warned not to touch any wires as they might be "Booby traps", but there was no option. After clearing the inlet valve, it was able to be dosed and the pit pumped dry. We then went to the Dock Area to the cooling water inlets at which the foot valve had been blown up. Our engineers made a replacement which we fitted.

Meanwhile, a new dry-dock gate was being made, as the original one had been sabotaged and sunk. Chick and i had to strip anything serviceable, flood gates etc. While chick was doing this the gate slipped down, trapping his foot. He signalled (no phone)for the assistance of another diver, so I went down. I was unable to lever it high enough to get his boot out because of the big toe caps. He indicated that he wanted to speak, so we put our helmets together and he said 2take the boot off" which I did and up he went, with his leg out at right angles, being buoyant without his boot. i was then able to retrieve his boot.

Next, some of our divers had to replace the screws, on the same Rocket L/Craft, that had been up the beach again.

Chick and I, with Tony and Andy were sent to !Ischia" off Naples, which was a Motor launch base. We were billeted with the crew of M/ L 126. Their boat had been sunk. The Diving Officer came over with us, gave us our instructions, arranged a small gang of italian pumphande and boatmen. (I must add, excellent boatmen).

Our job was to construct a slipway, with sleepers and railway lines. In between we picked up two Asdic Domes that had been lost while refitting after repairs. Also turned one round that had been fixed back to front. We also searched and found,an Italian Machine Gun, lost from one of their M/Ls.

One unpleasant job was looking for the body of a M/L petty officer who was suspected of falling overboard after celebrating his birthday. After a thorough search we found nothing , but after a few days his body came up in the middle of the day.

Back to Naples and a small place called "Posillipo", where the R. N wanted a small jetty. This was made with 6"x 6" wooden piles. We erected a piling frame, the driving was a "Heath Robinson" affair. On the pull cable we tied a bowline on a bight, which was hooked on the tow- bar of a lorry, which drove forward to pull up the "Dolly" 9weight), to the top of the frame. The cable was then knocked off with an iron bar to allow the Dolly to drop. Primitive but effective. The divers then bored through the piles with a brace and bit and bolted on angle iron bracings.

Off again to Maddelena (between Corsica and Sardinia) on a "T" Class Trawler, we hit a storm and it was a very rough trip, but not as bad as the Pentland Firth at Scapa.
This was with a larger gang, two of the other divers were Wiley and another diver Mne. Wiley joined us.

Again we used local labour, i gave instructions in Italian and the diving officer gave them in French.

We needed a Bollard, so one of the locals went up the hill a short way and cut out a piece of rock (all hand tools)and shaped it into a bollard. It seemed a shame that a man so skilled as a mason had to work as a labourer. On the move once more to Porto san Stefano.

First job- clearing a fouled rudder on M. L. 1271, carried out by Frank clarke. Then an anchor on M. S. T. 679 which was fouled on an Anti submarine net, done by divers Stevenson, Clarke, ginger Mather and myself.

After that, another bombed jetty, again local labour. Then up to Leghorn to inspect the slipway, joined by another diver, Mne. Patterson. Job completed, back to Naples for a while then up the East coast to Ancona.

We set off in a Bedford Troop Carrier, carrying myself and my divers and attendants. All the diving gear was in a Dodge lorry. Just south of Rome the Bedford broke down, so it was towed over the hills of Rome and down the other side, by the lorry with a crazy driver from Norwich. After breaking a few of the tow ropes, we made it. The rest of the company were already there. We first looked at the slipway- no damage, then set about repairing the dock wall. After clearing the rubble we used pneumatic drills, underwater, to make holes in the shelf, for scaffold poles to be inserted, which were used to hold the framework in place. It is difficult using these drills under water as there are no many bubbles coming from the exhaust valve that you can't see what you are doing.

Note: when concreting under water, it is done with a large, long funnel, placed by the driver and held by the crane, this is filled with wet concrete, lifted carefully by the crane, until not quite all the concrete slips out, keeping the inside of the funnel dry, it is refilled and repeated. This ensures that the concrete is only minimally disturbed by the water. Work completed, back to Naples. On the way we stopped overnight at a small village in the square, next to a bar. My attendant said "Toddy they seel rum here". So we decided to try some after dinner. Meanwhile, as usual, we slung our hammocks from the roof framework of the Bedford. Then we had a few. I awoke about 5am, pitch black, with a sodden mass for a pillow and about 2" of water in the hammock. It must have been good rum, for we slept in the wet gear for another two nights and came to no harm.

We arrived at Naples just before the New Year, and were due to go North again. The Scots in my diving gang were keen to stay in Naples to see the New Year in. On the Sunday we were looking for a bar that was open and we met a R. N Eng.Off who took pity on us and took us in for a beer. Noticing our driving badges, he arranged for us to go to Posillipo, again to salvage the remains of the jetty that we had erected earlier. The piles were riddled with holes, like honey- comb, caused by a marine beetle prevalent in the Mediterranean.

Next to the dockyard, to the "degousing berth" to search for an instrument used to test the Anti- magnetic mine equipment. This we found. Finally to "Dugenta" an American Army Bridge Building School on the River Volturno. Here they had built a bridge on Pontoons and left it up to see what happened when the river flooded. Well, the obvious happened, the Pontoons filed with sand and sunk. We attempted to salvage them and fixed cables on but the only thing they had for lifting was a tank, rigged as a crane, which was not strong enough.

At last, back to England for leave, after that Bombay for two days, then by train to the Southern tip of India and a ferry to ceylon, where we stayed at a Transit camp, in a coconut grove at Kurrunigala, near Khandi.
After three weeks, to Singapore, but no more diving, to await demob. Back home on the "Winchester castle".

A few years later, in association with a friend, Ray Marshall, we founded the Ipswich branch of the Sub-Aqua Club, of which I was a Committee member, for over 20 years. The branch is still running and I am an Hon. Vice-President.

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