Wilfred (Pip) Hill's Diary 1940/1941 - Extract 4 On Board the Windsor Castle (part 1)

Wilfred Hill was known to his family and friends as Pip (from the children’s cartoon ‘Pip, Squeak and Wilfred’). He was born in Blackpool, Lancashire in 1922 but moved south with his parents and elder brother, Harry, at the age of 10. A few days after his 18th birthday he volunteered for the RAF. His diary begins the day he enlisted (4th Sept 1940) and covers the training period in England, the long and hazardous sea voyage to the Middle East and his first few weeks in Iraq.

These diary extracts were transcribed and submitted by Anne Hill, Wilfred’s widow, and Margaret Hill, his daughter. Editing has been kept to a minimum. Notes enclosed in square brackets are their added comments or queries.

Saturday 26 Jul 1941
We paraded at 10.00pm, full pack and kitbag and were split up into five parties. I was in No 2 party. After marching down to the station with the kitbags we caught the train and left Wilmslow about 11.20pm. I got a bit of sleep and woke up at….

Sunday 27 Jul
….Carlisle. From there on I got no rest. We arrived at Shieldhall Dock, Glasgow about 07.00hrs. Here we got off the train in a siding and after giving in our shipping tickets and our 1250’s we embarked on the Windsor Castle of the Union Castle Line. I had breakfast (egg and bacon) after which I washed and shaved and walked about the ship until dinnertime. I felt tired after dinner and came back to my bunk and slept until tea. Tea was salad, lettuce, tomato and bully beef. After tea I watched the seagulls feeding off the things that were being thrown over the side. Met Mullinder and we watched the crew loading gear into No 2 hold. Walked around a bit and met Freddy. Felt tired and went to kip about 10.00pm. Slept like a log. I am in a tourist class cabin with three other blokes, a rigger, an inst. rep. 1 and a Corporal metal rigger. This cabin has a porthole and a washbasin thrown in. It’s a bit of a pinch with all our gear and a bit crowded when we all get up but we are very lucky. Some of the swaddies I saw were slinging hammocks. Met Harold Vaugh, he went to West Kirby and has been kitted out for Far East. India maybe.

Monday 28 Jul
Woke about 7.20am, washed and had breakfast. Returned to my cabin, made my bed, polished shoes and buttons and had a shave. The Captain made a tour of inspection of the ship. We tidied up our cabin and he came round about 10.45am and just popped his head round and said “Sleep all right?” and we said “Yes Sir” and he was gone. Got some writing paper and envelopes and a bar of plain chocolate. Came back to cabin and then went to shop again and bought this pen at 7/6. It’s a Conway Stewart. Came back and got into a lifejacket but nothing came of it so returned to my cabin in time for dinner. Just had dinner the new way. We are now served by mess orderlies. We had a three-course dinner, soup, beef and two veg and rice pudding. Came back and made up my diary.

Tuesday 29 Jul
Woke up in the morning to find we were sailing down the Clyde. Got up about 20 to 7 and stayed on deck until 7.30am when we went down to breakfast. We have anchored in the mouth here and it looks as though the convoy is massing here. We seem to be staying here a week or so. Lifeboat drill 11.00.

Wednesday 30 Jul
Started learning Morse, at least I went to the meeting. We have been allocated into classes. Me and Freddy are going together. Have been lumbered for sub-spotter. Had to parade at 6.15pm but nothing happened so we went. Singsong on deck in the evening. Lifeboat drill 11.00.

Thursday 31 Jul
Regular inspection daily from now on. Inspected twice, once by Sub Lt but don’t know by whom second time. Had to clean a bathroom out. Rained heavily during the day. Lifeboat drill 16.15hrs. In the afternoon Freddy and I went to Morse class. Learnt a bit. Watched them fishing for tope during the day. Quite a lot were caught. Housey- housey was played in the well-deck. I helped Byford out. He wanted to play two cards so I checked one for him. Freddy walked me dead tired and I went to bed about 10.30pm.

Friday 1 Aug
Rigger above me woke up at 4.50am and thought it was 7.15am. Had to parade for sub-spotting at 09.00hrs. Captain gave us a lecture and told us what to do and showed us some photographs. Missed Morse class. Just had dinner and caught up on diary.

Saturday 2 Aug
Preparations all day, water boat alongside etc. At about 8.45pm we were following the rest of the convoy through the boom towards the open sea. We were the fifteenth in a line of seventeen ships, fourteen transports and three supply boats. I was being told my duties for sub-spotting when the ship started.

Sunday 3 Aug
Stan woke up at reveille and went on deck. He said we were still in sight of land but when I went on deck after breakfast it was gone. I did my first watch 12 till 1 o’clock. Visibility good. Sea fairly calm.

Monday 4 Aug
On watch from 12 till 1. Very dark but could see the wake of the other ships as the sea glowed with phosphorous everywhere it was broken. Sea fairly rough when I got up in the morning and towards evening the sea became even rougher. Had breakfast and dinner but the little tea I had did not stay down. I did not feel like sub-watching but they dug me out at…..

Tuesday 5 Aug
…..12.10am and I went on watch. Fairly misty. I spent as much time in bed as I could but I read a bit of ‘Farewell To Arms’. Was wakened at 11.20 for sub-spotting. Very thick fog. Could not see at times more than 50 yards. Was relieved late again.

Wednesday 6 August 1941
Still fog all day. Went to the Morse class but I am getting brassed off with it. On watch at dinnertime we saw a transport coming about on our starboard quarter and passed our ship about ¼ mile astern and went straight into the convoy. The fog lifted once and we found that the cargo boat at the rear of our ship was about ½ a mile away on our starboard bow.

9.45pm Rammed in Mid Atlantic.
We, Ron, Greg, Stan and I were in our cabin. I and Ron were undressed, at least Ron was, I had slacks and socks on. We were eating peaches Stan had bought. Suddenly we felt two sudden lurches and a long scrape and then another lurch. We did not know what had happened. Everything passed through my head; mine struck, a sub torpedo, and a collision. I quickly slipped on my tunic and struggled with my shoes, grabbing my shirt, vest and greatcoat and picking up my lifebelt went up to my boat station on D Deck. Here was a mass of blokes. One or two who had come to the wrong boat station were struggling to get to the door or to get downstairs to their correct position. There was very little panic. We then found the Sergeant had come on the scene and he called the roll. We were told to go on deck to our boats. When I got on deck I found that the davits had been wrecked but the boat was alright but that was little comfort. We stayed there, news filtering through of what had happened. It appeared that we had been rammed by the Warwick Castle. After a while parties of six were allowed down to their cabins to get greatcoats etc. I came down and put on my shirt and vest which I had stuffed into my greatcoat pockets when I was on deck and, picking up my tin hat and cap, came back on deck. I forgot the chocolate and sweets on my bed, the thing I came down for. After a while we were allowed down to our cabins but had not to undress. Here we all yarned about our experiences. Stan had got in with the store wallahs who had fifteen bottles of whisky and had been swigging some. Stan started sorting out kit in case anything developed but after a while they came and said we could undress and go to bed. The sub-spotting Corp came and warned me for sub-spotting. It was then 11.20pm and we all yarned until I went up for my watch.

Thursday 7 Aug
I could not see more than 200yds. We were told to yell if we saw anything and that a destroyer was looking for us but we saw nothing. Coming off watch I walked down to the well-deck. I saw some of the damage. I awoke very sleepy but got up for breakfast. I cleaned buttons, shoes etc and tidied up the cabin. Then Stan and I went on deck to review the damage. About six lifeboats were gone and only about four on the starboard side were serviceable. The small lifeboat which had been hanging on one davit, and had been holed, had been made fast and swung on the poop again. Near the end of C deck there was a big dent although all the damage was above the water line. There was a fair sized hole just below the level of C deck. A big V had been made in D deck.
We went back to the cabin and the WO came round and inspected us. He was not satisfied with the bowl. After this we went onto the after well-deck and talked with a bloke who had been trapped by the watertight doors. We surmised as to where we might go. I thought Bermuda. I hope so. I should have gone to PT and Morse but went to neither. Looking over the side with Ron we saw a school of porpoises leaping out of the water. The sea today is blue, a real rich blue, for the first time. Before it has been grey or a clean-looking green. On watch there was still a little mist about. I saw nothing but three or four big dorsal fins together sticking out of the sea and the spectacle of a wind approaching the boat. After dinner Stan and I went to the canteen and had tea and biscuits and then we came back to our cabin where I made up this diary. Read all afternoon. Went on deck in evening. Had a bath. These saltwater baths are not very successful. Since the collision we have been on our own.

Friday 8 Aug
Woken up at 12.50am and was told by the Corporal I was expected on deck by the Officer. He came in earlier but had not wakened me properly. Could see a fair way but nothing occurred. I thought I saw some porpoises near the ship. While I was tidying the cabin I heard something outside. It was a Walrus from one of the cruisers. It was then 8.30am. I went on deck and saw them signalling from the air the speed and position of the convoy. Sat on deck until 11.45am reading a Penguin book. Went on watch. At 12.25pm the sub-spotter saw the convoy ahead but the ship’s officer already knew. The Walrus came back just before I came on watch and stayed about half an hour. As I was coming off watch a cruiser came towards us signalling. A little later she picked up the Walrus and now she is steaming alongside about half a mile away 3 o’clock. When she came towards us she sent “Glad to see you. How is the damage? Convoy reduced speed to eleven knots. Hope to regain convoy before dark.” . - -.-. [‘etc’ in Morse code] She also sent us a message saying that the Warwick Castle had been damaged in the bows, was taking in water and had gone to Halifax, Canada. About five minutes before four, Ron, Stan and I were in the cabin when we heard two explosions. We went on deck and saw that the cruiser had made a sharp turn to port and we could see the disturbance in the water where two depth charges had exploded. We were still behind the convoy. A signal from the cruiser and we were increasing speed and had soon caught the convoy up. About twenty past seven, the destroyer on our port side dropped two depth charges and people on D deck said that the periscope could be seen sticking out of the water about 6 ft. All afternoon a plane, the one that found us had been flying about. At 8.15pm it found something and dropped the two bombs it carries in two run ups. It also dropped a smoke float and a destroyer came up and dropped a depth charge. This was on our starboard bow. After this we leaned over the side and watched the sun go down and going over to the port side watched the moon come up and then turned in.

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