- Contributed by听
- D_Collier
- People in story:听
- Dennis Collier
- Location of story:听
- English Channel
- Background to story:听
- Royal Navy
- Article ID:听
- A8849794
- Contributed on:听
- 26 January 2006
It was the second day into the D Day landings, and I got a ping on the radar. There was something in the water, either a U or E boat. My skipper decided to fire depth charges. It turned out to be a school of fish 鈥 conger eels, cod or dover sole. The depth charge stunned the fish and we put scrambling nets over the side to catch them. We had some for supper and took the rest to New Haven hospital. The story was in the local paper.
In 1943 I was on HMS Savage a G20 Destroyer, D Command, when we crossed paths with the German battleship Scharnhost. We went back and fired 8 torpedoes, and had 4 hits. I was an anti aircraft gunner sitting in a twin Orklikon, which was sat in a gun turret. You can turn the gun in different directions or elevate the gun if you are dived bombed. As it was right on top of the ship it felt quite exposed.
During one voyage we crossed the Arctic Circle. The crew all received a certificate made by the ship鈥檚 scribe. It said we had crossed the Arctic Circle dated 3 October 1943 and signed it 鈥淏y Order of the Blue Noses.鈥
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