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Thinking about VE day reminds me of two stories when Jeanne and me were in the Royal Navy. I was on HMS Mallard, K42, Corvette, Kingfisher Class 1942-1946, Jeanne was an Officers Cook, stationed ashore.

In 1944 somewhere in the North Sea nicknamed E-boat alley, the minesweepers were out making the way clear for a convoy to Russia. My job was ASDIC, underwater radar, and I was below deck listening for submarines and E-boats, very fast German torpedo boats. I heard a torpedo charging along through the water and immediately signalled the bridge. More torpedoes, then several loud noises, quickly followed the first torpedo.

Upon our return to Port, much later, we found that five minesweepers were sunk that night, the Red Gauntlet being one of them. I don’t remember the names of the others.
The same night Jeanne, who was in the WRNS from 1942-45, and was stationed at Harwich working as a Cook, was called away from her duties to assist the Medical Officers with many wounded, some with limbs missing and shrapnel wounds.

One of the more light-hearted incidents occurred at Parkstone Quay, Harwich. Every two weeks when we were paid we had to fall in on deck. The Officer on Deck had a card table in front of him and alongside the table stood the Coxswain. When your name was called you stepped up, took off your cap and placed it on the table. The money was then placed into your cap along with some vouchers for chocolate, cigarettes etc. Able Seaman Sandy Sanderson was called forward to take up his money but instead of his usual £2.00+ he picked up one ten-shilling note (the equivalent of 50p). Apparently some adjustment had been made to his pay, which he had forgotten about.

Sandy was so disgusted that he took his cap, picked up the ten-shilling note and threw it on deck — at this moment a gust of wind blew it over the side into the harbour. Sandy immediately removed his overalls and dived over the side and swam to retrieve his ten-shilling note. He got the note and put it in his mouth which impeded his breathing somewhat so his shipmates (myself included) threw him a heaving line, which he grabbed, and started to pull him in. As he was pulled along in the water his underpants came down around his ankles (Sandy couldn’t pull them up since he was hanging onto the rope). As we continued to haul him in a party of WRENS (lady sailors) went by in a motor boat and as they saw what was happening they all started laughing, cheering and waving at Sandy’s predicament.

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