大象传媒

My Odyssey

I was born on the South Coast in 1925. My father was a dairy manager but the firm went into liquidation on the death of the owner and Dad was out of a job. He found a similar position in Leyton (East London) and we all moved there in 1933. In 1936 I sat the Scholarship exam for entry to Leyton County High School, an Essex county grammar school founded in 1921, but with
all the things expected of secondary education at the time. The Headmaster was Dr. Leonard Couch, nephew of Quiller-Couch the author, all the masters wore gowns and had good degrees. We were coached to get passes (at least) in the
London General Schools Certificate with London Uiversity matriculation exemption by the clever boys.

So, in 1939 when war broke out, I was 14 and evacuated to friends in Bexhill where I was placed in The County School, an establishment similar to LCHS. It was an interesting time. We had lessons at the School in the mornings and
went to a church hall during the afternoons. Another grammar school from the London area evacuated to the town alternated with us.

I returned to Leyton in May 1940 after Dunkirk when Bexhill County School was evacuated to St. Albans. Bexhill was now in an invasion area. LCHS had been opened as a 'Secondary School in the Evacuation Area' and I returned there and
studied for my last year School Certificate which I sat and passed in July 1941.
So I went through the Blitz, fire watching, ARP messenger and helping my father who was an air raid warden.

Leaving school at 16, I went to work as a junior clerk in Lord Portman's London Estate Office Legal Department in Portman Square with a view to study for Solicitor's Examinations. But I knew that I would soon be called up and I wanted to do something with wireless, so I read the subject and started to experiment by making crystal sets and battery valve wireless sets. There was no University for boys like me.

In February 1943, when I became 18, I as 'called up', had my medical and pronounced fit to serve His Majesty in the Royal Navy. The Navy was looking for crews to man the new anti-submarine ships and landing-craft being built in the USA and UK. I was told that as I am short sighted I couldn't be a seaman or signalman but I could become a cook, steward, writer (Navy for clerk) or sick berth attendant.

However, someone noticed that I had School Certificate with good passes in Maths and Science and they decided that, perhaps, I could be trained as a Radio Mechanic. I was given an aptitude test and declared suitable.

In April, I was sent a railway warrant and ordered to report to HMS Royal Arthur (a shore base or 'stone frigate') at Skegness, one of Billy Butlin's Holiday Camps which was ideal as a camp to train new sailors. They still kept illy's motto 'Our True Intent Is All For Your Delight' painted across the five main houses.
There, the Navy showed us how to look like sailors, hold guns, salute - all in 6 weeks.
We 20 or so budding Radio Mechs were sent to the Technical College at Guildford where we were to be schooled in the mysteries of electricity and wireless by 5 civilian instructors (retired schoolmasters?). The Navy was represented by an
elderly Commander (whose uniform looked older than him), an equally elderly Chief Petty Officer, a Wren writer and a physical training instructor. We were billeted in Guildford with suitable families. My lady, I am sure, knew more about what was going on than I did. We had written examinations on our studies every 4 weeks and we were required to pass. Failure meant re-grading to trainee Telegraphist and return to barracks. About a quarter didn't make it to the end of the 6 months course. My brain has never worked so hard in all my life.

In October, those of us who were going to maintain radars were sent to HMS Valkyrie, another stone frigate on the Isle of Man. The Navy had put all their demonstration radars on Douglas Head, heavily defended and taken over boarding houses on the sea front in Douglas. We stayed for 6 weeks learning about radar sets which we should meet on our ships. But nobody had told them that most of us would go to US built ships which had US radars. When I joined my ship I hadn't any idea how this machine which
resembled a Coca-Cola machine, worked. Fortunately, the Leading Seaman Operator had
done the US course. He had joined the ship in Boston, Mass and I depended on him.

In November, those of us going to small ships went to learn all about wireless telegraphy (W/T) at Signals School, HMS Mercury, Petersfield. We had 4 weeks of this, again almost
useless to those of us going to US built ships, again where everything was US Navy. But, I must say, the US equipment was better engineered, better made than the UK sets, and very reliable.

Home for Christmas, then to Royal Navy Barracks at Portsmouth and a draft chit to HMS Byron, a Captain Class frigate. My journey to join her, with 10 other sailors took a tour of the British
Isles. Byron was supposed to be at Belfast. So train to London, then Liverpool, then ferry to Belfast. No Byron, she was at Londonderry. So train to Londonderry. No Byron, she was out
escorting. So Ebrington Barracks for 2 weeks waiting, doing nothing. One morning ordered to
set off with the others, now 15 of us, by the way, to Scapa Flow in the Orkneys. Train to Belfast, ferry to Glasgow, train to Thurso, ferry to Scapa. Finally found the ship and we were told that the next day Byron would sail for Murmansk on a Russian convoy. My first trip, I was sea sick most of the time and useless.