大象传媒

H.M.S. GLORIOUS 鈥� AND AFTERWARDS

My name is Margaret Janet Bassett (nee Edwards) and I was born in September 1938 at the Alexandra Nursing Home, Devonport, like to many 鈥榥aval鈥� babies. This was nine months after my father鈥檚 ship, H.M.S. Glorious, sailed for Malta, so mother called me 鈥榓 sailor鈥檚 farewell鈥�. He was away when I was born, but my parents wrote to each other daily in instalments, and he sent a silver napkin ring (which I have always used) for my christening.

In April 1940 my mother received a telegram, saying that the ship was putting into Greenock for a few days. Immediately she got on the train to Glasgow so that they could be together, and my father could see his daughter for the first time. According to my mother, he was delighted 鈥� and said that 鈥渋f a sailor came courting his daughter he would chase him off!鈥� Too much time away from the family, in his opinion, and as all the Edwards men, for several generations, had been in the Royal Navy, he spoke from the heart. My mother told me later that during those few days he had a sense of foreboding, as did other crew members, knowing where they were going. The engines of the Glorious were 鈥榟eld together with string and sealing wax鈥�. If they were under attack, the ship had no speed and in any case the hatches would be battened down.

Just over six weeks later, on 8th June 1940, he died when H.M.S. Glorious was sunk off Narvik, together with the destroyers H.M.S. Ardent and H.M.S. Acasta. 1500 men died on the three ships.

I do not remember my father but there must have been some hazy recollection because when we returned to Plymouth, I called the postman 鈥楧addy鈥�, much to my mother鈥檚 embarrassment 鈥� to a small child, just a man in a peaked cap and a dark uniform.

After some months of indecision, my mother accepted my grandparents鈥� suggestion that we to back to live with them in Perth, Scotland. The naval pension was 拢2.10.0 a week (plus, later 1/6d a week which my mother was awarded 鈥榠n view of her late husband鈥檚 good conduct鈥�. With a mortgage to pay on the recently purchased house in Plymouth, she needed to work, and to return to her parents was the answer, also much safer. So the house was let, the furniture put in store and we went back to Perth to be with Granny and Papa.

Papa had retired before the war but went back to his old job as Chief Clerk in the Railway Goods Office, Perth, because so many young men had been called up. He was also a proud member of the Home Guard, and would go off to guard the Moncrieff Tunnel with a medicine bottle of what he called 鈥榗old tea鈥�. This puzzled me because I knew Papa liked milk in his tea, and this 鈥榯ea鈥� looked too golden! Granny worried all the time about my Uncle Alastair, her youngest son, who had been at Dunkirk and was with the Eighth Army. We listened to the wireless constantly (powered by an accumulator 鈥� no electricity, just gas in our house) and during the Russian campaign, Granny would give me a spoon to make either 鈥楪erman footprints in the snow鈥� or 鈥楻ussian footprints in the snow鈥� on the mashed potato in a serving dish. One way of teaching a child history! Papa grew potatoes which were, of course, Home Guard. I do not remember being short of food (except, of course, never enough sweeties!) but Granny often talked about what she could buy before the War.

One day, when I was out with Granny, we came across a German fighter 鈥榩lane on the South Inch, Perth. A policeman was lifting children, one at a time, into the cockpit, so I had my turn too 鈥� until I cried to be lifted out because I thought it was going to take off for Germany. I can only think this was a mock-up to encourage savings through the Spitfire Fund.

Granny was a very sociable person and we had many visitors to our house, among them Polish officers, who would sweep in wearing their cloaks and kiss Granny鈥檚 hand. Granny said they were all Counts. My favourite was Stefan 鈥淪aucepan鈥� (I couldn鈥檛 say his name) and I wonder what became of him. A young Scots soldier was engaged to a cousin and he would sing to her 鈥楧on鈥檛 sit under the apple tree鈥�. He was killed later, and I was very sad when I heard that because I liked him. We also had relations in the Highland Regiments and when they came to visit, wearing their kilts, they sat down very carefully. Then Granny told me why 鈥� no knickers (except on guard duty).

I can understand now what a sad and anxious time it was for the adults in the family, but I felt perfectly secure and well-loved, which is a tribute to my mother and grandparents.

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