Mediterranean and European waters

Life in the Services 1939-46, Chapter 2

After many visits to the Royal Marine Sergeant at the local recruiting office, he reluctantly agreed to...

The Voyage of the Settler Part III

Not only was the navy heavily involved in the battle for Crete but when the battle was lost a large number...

My Wartime Years

During training we did aptitude tests and I was selected for RDF. Together with my friend Sid Webber, on...

HMS Barham - Last Month

In the same way, if the body is widely burned, the burned parts throw out great amounts of plasma which are...

So Many Memories

After my days work was over sometimes I would enjoy a visit to the cinema, and then on Saturday I would go...

William's Story

My uncle Albert had been a Boy Sailor, he had gone to sea when he was fourteen and seen action in the...

A TEENAGER'S WAR IN THE MERCHANT NAVY

We were quite impressed that these included 7 enormous casks of wine for the Poilu's litre per day and...

EYE WITNESS ON FIREDRAKE, GLASGOW TO SCAPA FLOW

To continue we arrived back in Scapa and I had my special meals again, of all the things I could not face...

EYE WITNESS ON FIREDRAKE, AGROUND OFF MALAGA AND HOME TO CHATHAM

A flotilla of Motor Torpedo Boats was to be towed out to Gibraltar and a concentrated operation was entered...

HMS Barham - Battle of Matapan

3 enemy cruisers, 2 large destroyers sunk and one battleship damaged, about 1,500 “Italians”...

The Partisans and the Navy in the Adriatic

H.M.S Avon Vale had arrived after the short overnight trip from Ancona, deep into the Adriatic, in support...

Fire Orders Chapter 3a

I stayed on the forepeak as long as I could, for it afforded an uninterrupted view forward and I was keen...

My Life in the Royal Navy

We assembled in the drill shed and were told by the drafting officer we were going to Dundee in Scotland to...

HMS Barham - Eastern Mediterranean Fleet, 1940: Part 2

After the Force “H” action at Dakar in September 1940, Barham joined Cunningham's Eastern...

Voyage 59 HMT "Cameronia" 12 December 1942 to 06 February 1943

At the time George was a Steward with the Anchor Line and engaged in wartime service on the...

Minesweeping in the Royal Navy

There I was interviewed and I passed the interview board and was appointed to the naval RNVR Officers...

Life in the Royal Navy 1940 to 1946 by Tom Brown

An account of life in the Royal Navy in Combined Operations Branch 1940 — 1946 I served in LCMs for 4...

A W Howorths Revised D-Day

The gunnery officer told me that I would man an Oerlicon on one of the Landing Craft Assault Boat that we...

ML108 by Leslie J. Sprigg, Ex Leading Telegraphist

Now ready for battle; I was posted to HMS Wasp at Dover and my first boat ML108. We were taken in tow...

Mediterranean P.O.W

These are the notes made by Sgt. Constantine Mason, Durham Light Infantry, whilst it captivity in the...

War Time Reflections of a Norwich Man

The following two years were given over to gun practice on a mobile Bofors Anti-aircraft gun and an...

HMS Barham - Eastern Mediterranean Fleet, 1940: Part 4

Notes: (1) Surgeon-Captain Gleeson, RN — Senior Medical Officer in Eastern Mediterranean (2) On...

Russian and Malta Convoy Part 2

In May 1941, HMS Nigeria escorted the 'pride of the Navy' - HMS HOOD - out of Scapa Flow into the...

HMS Barham - Scapa Flow: August 4th-6th, 1940

En route to Scapa Flow, Barham had a disastrous collision with HMS Duchess and was later torpedoed off the...

HMS Barham - Tripoli and Crete, 1941

HMS Barham — Tripoli and Crete....

H.M.S. LAFOREY

And in Naples harbour on the morning of March 30th, Lt Boyer and I were talking idly about our hopes for...