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Douglas Roy Rubery — my time in the Royal Navy World War II
No JX399170 Able Seaman Rubery

Due to my working in a reserved occupation I was not called up in 1939. I was involved in the production of armaments at The Austin Motor Company Longbridge Plant, Birmingham in the form of pressing out sea mines. I also helped in the production of spare parts for ambulances. I volunteered in1940 at Angel Place in Worcester — quite an appropriate name as my guardian angel looked after me through out the war. My application was not accepted as the Austin Motor Company would not release me. I had a hernia at the time and decided to get that fixed in case it might add to my not being accepted when I volunteered in the future. I assume that the war authorities would contact your place of work to check if you could be released.

I had to volunteer twice more at Angel Place in Worcester before I was accepted in the Royal Navy. My Mum and Dad said I was a damn fool and should have kept my feet under their table! I replied that I wanted to do my bit and that I was fed up with neighbours whose sons were at war making jibes. I will add here that at that time I had £500 in the bank with all the money I had earned and saved which would have bought 2 houses in Bromsgrove. After a physical examination at Worcester a week later I was summoned to Criccieth North Wales to Glendower Barracks — a former Butlins Camp. Here I completed 6 week of training involving drills, fitness routines, cross country runs and all importantly for a sailor - swimming. It was during this 6 weeks training that any strengths the new recruits had were revealed. Some proved very physically fit and went on to the Commandos — unfortunately, although I came well up the field in cross country and physical training, I didn’t quite make that. Others had the perfect ear mechanics for submariners. Having been in the Home Guard at Longbridge in the Battle Platoon I had had a lot of drill and rifle experience. I was therefore put in the Ceremonial Squad. An opportunity to put my skills to the test came soon afterwards. There was to be a Wings for Victory day in Liverpool where the Duchess of Kent was to be present (fund raising day for the war effort). A platoon of some 100 men, myself included, marched down from HMS Wellesley, (shore base) to Liverpool Town Hall. Due to my upright, stature, smartness of person and kit and impeccable timing whilst marching during drill, I was selected with one other sailor from this platoon. We were to do a Guard of Honour on the steps, one either side of the door, as the Duchess of Kent passed through into the Town Hall. As she passed by to enter the doorway our rifles passed from our shoulder to an in front of body position ie from slope to present. When she came out of the building she inspected both of us. Dressed in the naval uniform of the wrens she looked straight into my face and then inspected my apparel. Unfortunately for me whilst passing the gun from slope to present in one swift, precise movement, the bayonet caught my thumb and it bled profusely. I carried on regardless of the pain and discomfort and the Duchess inspected me with my bloodied hand grasping on to the rifle. Nothing was said and she passed then to take the salute from the Officers who accompanied us. It was a proud moment for me the boy from Bromsgrove and I often wonder if there was a photo taken for the local Liverpool paper. I always took great pride in my smartness and didn’t spend quite as much time on shore as some of the other sailors. I would ensure that my kit and especially my shoes were spotless and that the creases on my trousers were razor sharp. I even used to collect all scraps of soap left in the wash room, collecting them up and putting them into a tin with holes in to scrub my kit with. I still polish the bottom of my shoes between the heel and the sole — old habits die hard!

As a boy growing up in the market town of Bromsgrove it was considered a major feat to travel anywhere further than the boundaries of the town. Imagine how I felt after my 6 weeks training at Glendower when I proceeded up to Glasgow to pick up the QE1, one of the largest ocean going ships of its time, to travel to the United States to pick up with the ship upon which I was to spend most of the next three years — the Norwegian merchant ship ‘Norse Lady’. The QE1 was used mostly for transport of service men back and forth to America or wherever needed and then as a hospital ship. I was accompanied on this initial voyage across the Atlantic by all nationalities - American service men, French personnel etc. It was an amazing trip for a lad from Bromsgrove. The ship was huge — like a floating city. There had been shops on board like Austin Reed, but of course these were now closed. The service men continued their training throughout the voyage. We even had shooting practice conducted by using the icebergs as targets as we passed by the North Pole.

Along with four other English sailors I was to look after the gunnery on this merchant ship. I was put on DEMs (ie defensively equipped merchant ships). The crew of the merchant ship consisted of Norwegian personnel, except for the radio operator who was Estonian. We were to travel back and forth over the Atlantic bringing supplies from America back to England. The Norwegian crew consisted of hardened sailors and we found it very difficult to adjust to their predilection for raw fish. After a few weeks of this we could endure no more and managed to get provisions on board for a near English diet. It is amazing that I still can eat fish albeit cooked, but I have to say that it is one of my favourite dishes.

We were never informed of the cargo we were to pick up and escort back to England. We were there to look after the gunnery ie stripping the guns down and keeping them in good order. Of course our other main job was to keep watch and make sure those infamous u boats didn’t target us.

We always traveled in a convoy of ships for safety which would include a destroyer. This would comprise of up to 100 ships and always in a staggered formation. This would limit damage should a torpedo hit one ship — at least it couldn’t hit the one aside it too. Merchant ships were very much like sitting ducks. The Germans would target them as they had little defense and of course their sinking would stop provisions entering England and so cut us off. There is nothing worse for a country’s morale than to be rationed for food and provisions. Of course it was not only provisions, goods and resources that we brought over for the English people. Sometimes we carried items for the troops fighting in Europe. Whisky was one of the items that comes to mind. During these convoys I had a few frightening times. One that particularly comes to mind was crossing the Atlantic during the worst storm of the war. Some 100 —150 ships were in a convoy that set out, but most turned back due to the conditions. As we were a predominant Norwegian crew who were more used to sailing the seas, it was decided that we would continue. To give you an idea how bad it was only 6 ships made it through — we being one of them. I don’t think I have ever been more frightened in all my life. The waves were akin to some of those in the film ‘Perfect Storm’. My friend was so terrified that he totally lost it. He had to be restrained from throwing himself in the sea. He had suffered at the best of times with terrible sea sickness and to endure this was just too much. We had to hold him back the best we could without being thrown into the sea. You were hardly able to hold on to the rails or any equipment and once I slid right across a 45 degree tilting deck and only the rails landing in between my legs was I saved from being tossed into the sea. This torturous storm went on for hours and of course made our journey over the Atlantic far longer. I have never been so glad to put my feet on terra firma as I was after that voyage. It took days to get over and we did ponder over the prudence of continuing when the weather turned so bad.

Another memorable journey was when we were returning from the Canada fully laden with Tate and Lyle brown sugar. During thick fog some 3-400 miles off St John’s Nova Scotia a US Liberty ship in our convoy veered out of line. It hit us starboard forecastle (right front of the ship). The huge hole it created as large as a set of double doors started to let in water very quickly. Initially it was decided that we must all abandon ship. A destroyer came out from Canada and pulled along side and with wire ready and life jackets on we were about to slide across it to that ship. The ship was listing dangerously and we all thought that was the end of the Norse Lady. The resourceful Norwegian sailors however decided to attempt a make shift repair and they achieved their objective. By this time the rest of the convoy had continued on their voyage without us. We limped to Glasgow without the safety of our convoy and luckily did not encounter any u boats etc. Our load was removed and I saw the Tate and Lyle men testing the cargo. They placed a rod inside and found that sea water had got in and it was all like syrup. So that indeed was wasted journey. We then went down to Poplar for a proper repair in dry docks.

We were grateful to have a bit of time in London whilst the Norse Lady was being repaired. However London was not the safest of places to be at this time. Bombs were continuingly falling. The hum of V1 rockets coming over and then the silence before they hit would always be unnerving. (The V1s were like little planes propelled by motors. They were an orange colour and when the motor cut out that was when they came down)

People just went on the best they could with their daily lives. It wasn’t that they weren’t frightened, but life had to continue and as ever the English people adapted to their situation. One evening a friend and I decided to go the pictures in London and we passed a pub on the way there. After the show and when walking back the pub had gone — flattened to the ground. This was how it was.

Whilst in dry docks we were doodle bugged. A V1 rocket landed stern port side in the water by the Norse Lady and luckily didn’t explode. I was on watch on the ship at the time. I sounded the alarm and then ran into the cabin and hid under the table. The water nullified it and it just sank to the bottom. Phew another lucky escape. Another time whilst on watch in London a piece of shrapnel hit my helmet and dented it severely. Again my guardian angel was watching over me.

Eventually the Norse Lady was repaired and off we went again. This time upon our return from Canada we were laden with timber and a sub picked us up. The sub had been hanging off Newfoundland. Newfoundland was neutral so German subs would lay in wait for ships leaving the US and Canada. Our Estonian Radio Operator notified the destroyer which was accompanying us in our 100 ship convoy. He came out and gauged where the sub would be and one of the Canadian sailors on the destroyer commenced the dropping of depth charges overboard. After some time a large pool of oil, part of a chair and other debris appeared on the surface of the water and it was deemed that the sub had been successfully destroyed.

Whilst on training in Sunderland an old person’s home in our vicinity was bombed by a V2 Rocket. A group of men, my being one were called upon to help the bomb disposal squad diffuse the bomb. We all crouched in this huge crater and handed the tools to the man in charge. I have never been so frightened in all my life and never so aware that one wrong move would result in all our deaths. Luckily he defused it and we all heaved a sigh of relief.

After my stint of crossing the Atlantic and after D-Day I then moved on to the Empire Hearth and did a spot of troop carrying back and forth to France. We also took over the Whitehorse Whisky supplies brought over from the US. We usually pulled into Dieppe or LeHarve. The devastation we found in those towns near the coastal areas was frightening. Once it was quite clear that a plane had been brought down just before we arrived. There was no sign of life, but the burning of the road around showed that the plane had come to a miserable end. There were remains of buildings everywhere, soldiers hats discarded — total destruction. In Dieppe at this time we were only 30 miles from the German line and the Germans were showing some success in pushing us back again. Engineers were busy building a bridge and we were told that if we had been there an hour ago we would have seen the routing of the German soldiers. I also went to Antwerp, Calais and Rouen

It was on one of these trips that I went to one of the local French farms for some eggs in Rouen. We purchased some eggs and were amazed to see that the farmer and his wife actually dwelled with their animals. The hens and sheep were roaming around the living room weaving in and out of the furniture.

I must add that I did have some good times whilst in the forces. I remember a pretty funny experience during a refresher course at Ardrossen North Scotland. We were doing rifle practice with the American Navy. The task was to shoot at the sleeve behind a plane piloted by an English airman. The English had a turn and faired pretty well, then the Americans had a turn. They in true cow boy tradition shot here there and everywhere. The English pilot landed and complained bitterly and appeared visibly shaken. He refused to go up again as the US Navy had nearly hit him many times instead of the sleeve. He said he had just about had enough. We thought — typical Americans shoot and think later!

We also had quite a laugh at their expense in the mess hall one lunch time. The meal required mustard and there were jars dotted about the tables. One American liberally applied this to his meal clearly thinking it was piccalilli or American mustard. We all waited for a large dollop to be placed in his mouth. Sure enough he shot up in the air like he had been shot and grabbed his mouth to spit out the contents. He said ‘God dammit what the hell was that — dynamite’. We English mariners laughed our socks off. Don’t get me wrong we liked the Americans, but they were so loud, brash with plenty of money and dare I say panache that we war weary British were a bit fed up with them coming in to the war at the last hour.

I also very much enjoyed my shore leave in USA and Canada. I have visited most parts of New York ie Statue of Liberty, the Bronx, Central Park, Time Square. It was there that I saw my first every TV. They had these TVs on the sidewalk and for a dime you could watch the TV on the pavement. The parts of Canada I have visited are St John’s New Brunswick, Quebec, Sydney Nova Scotia and Cape Briton New Jersey. Of course had it not been for the war I would never have experienced all this.

The favourite haunt for the British Service men in NY was the Union Jack Club. Our hosts looked after us so well. One visit word got around that it was my birthday. In no time at all an iced cake was presented to me and everyone sang Happy Birthday.

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