RNVR HMS Wanderer and HMS Indomitable (1941-45) Part 3

Refit in Norfolk, Virginia, USA, end July 1943
We arrived at a shipyard in Norfolk, Virginia, and we, Indomitable, went almost straight away into dry-dock.
The ship's Master Gunner (?)
came rushing into my cabin and said, "I've just been to see the conveyors, and there's about 12 shells in there!"
"Oh dear."
"What are we going to do!"
So we went around the dockyard and found a tug-master and told him about our problem, and asked,
"Would you take some shells out to sea?"
He said "Yeah I'll do that."
I said "How much?"
He said, "Well, a case of whiskey will do."
"Agreed."
So the Gunner and I, with some help, very carefully at the dead of night managed to get these shells onto this tug, gave the tug-master the whiskey, and off he went. That was the last we heard of him. Oh dear, the Gunner was responsible for all this conveyor, but I mean, my action stations was part of the them. Oh dear, If the Americans had got to know about it there would have been hell to pay.
I was on watch, we'd been in there about ten-hours or so, an American officer came on board and said,
"Why aren't your ratings scrubbing the docksides down?"
Because of course the sides of dry-docks go down in steps, and apparently the crew of the docked ship were charged with cleaning the dock once drained.
I said to this officer "We've been torpedoed. We have just come across the Atlantic with a skeleton crew. We had hardly any sleep coming across the place, and the thing we did for the ratings was that we sent them to get a little bit of relaxation."
I could still see trouble, so I got on the telephone to the senior officer;
"Sir, we have some trouble, the ratings are supposed to be scrubbing the docksides down and we sent them out, off on leave."
"Surely, not now?" he said. "Send our guest down to the wardroom with a messenger would you."
About three-quarters of an hour afterwards we carried the lubricated American Officer off, put him in his jeep, and told his driver to take him home! We didn't bother about scrubbing the dockside down, and we never did scrub it down actually.
The Americans you know they looked after us, we went over and everybody was really sort of home lodged most of the time. I really enjoyed my stay in America, but Hilda and daughter Judy back in England, were not so enthusiastic as the repairs and refit work were destined to take many months.
Works included Indomitable's flight-deck being extended 60-ft. Close range Anti-Aircraft defensive armament was supplemented by over fifty 20-mm cannon, and a few 40-mm. Indomitable's extra half a hanger deck capacity facilitated alterations to operate the large Grumman Hellcat fighter under the US Lend-Lease Agreement. The Hellcat's six 0.50 calibre machine guns proved economic and flexible, whilst apparently losing none of the potency of the Seafire's 0.303 machine gun and 20-mm cannon combination. This refit was preparation to face the Japanese in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
The thing about it was we could get anything done in that yard. I mean, I decided for ammunition use, small arms especially, that I would have a big tray made, it must have been about 4-ft square, of course you could put a lot of ammunition on that. The fella didn't worry at all. We had to top up the small arms ammunition store so I persuaded him to make two metal boxes trays for American .50 calibre ammunition that drop in size so you could put one into the other you see, he made hundreds of them without signing a paper.
The US Navy were able to study the British fleet carrier capabilities whilst working on the Indom'. Data that would later be used in planning combined Pacific operations, and even adapt future American vessel designs. The American fleet carriers were vast with ninety aircraft that were specifically designed for naval operations, the Indom' had fifty-five with adapted fighters from RAF designs. However, US ships had wooden flight-decks, where the Royal Navy's were armoured, which although extremely hot in the Pacific Ocean (designed for temperate climates) proved to be more resilient against attack, particularly Kamikazes.
We were encouraged to liase with our [USN] hosts upon British fleet carrier characteristics and operating capabilities. At our first of these informal, but high profile meetings to a US carrier we arrived at the wardroom to be greeted friendly with,
"What'll you have, a tooty-fruity or a root-beer?"
"What's a, rooty-tooty?"
"Sodas. All USN ships are dry"
That was a surprise. The event passed off fine, so the Royal Navy cordially invited their US hosts were to sample British hospitality aboard the Indom'. The new venue proved popular.
We had sort of goodwill ideas over there you see, and we would invite people on board. We had a bar of course, we couldn't keep the Americans off! So what we did, was it was posted at various intervals the bar will be open for 15-minutes and then closed, and lots of Americans had business on board. We would give parties, and they used to bring their women folk on. Tut ah, there was a big settee in the wardroom, and I've seen that settee jammed with completely helpless women. They had a terrific night, ending by being carried off by their escorts. Although some were sick into a basin first, oh dear.
The other thing was we used to drink with the riggers. There was a great big Irish rigger and I though my god my mess bill was going to get caught. So anyway, I said, "Come-on, (so-and-so), do you want a drink?"
"Oh?" he said, "I'll have a lemonade."
I said "You don't really want a lemonade do you?"
He said "Yeah."
He looked like he was the type of fellow that would drink a pint in five minutes, continuously for half an hour. He really surprised me!
I remember there was an American carrier being built nearby and it was black - covered with people, there wasn't a square of deck that wasn't being made or repaired, but it was said per man we made or turned out more shipping that the Americans. Per hour, per day, I mean actual number of ships their turn out must have been vast, but man for man we were told that we turned out more than they. The USN shipyards still held dedication launches. I received an invitation to the Special Reserve Section at the launch of USS Shrangri-La, Norfolk Navy Yard, 24th February 1944, "Ceremonies start 10:05."
I had three American (based) friends, they were all solicitors in the judge advocates command department of the American Navy, Jack Meek, Slim Schnieder, and Higgins. Many times their folks moved home because these Americans always had their wives billeted in a place nearby.
One night Slim came on board, he just sat down and said, "I've come for a drink." He obviously had a lot somewhere else and I wouldn't give him any more. "I think you should go home, Slim." So he left. The next thing I know is his car went through the gates at a high rate of knots and the guard was firing a pistol at him as he hadn't stopped! In the morning his wife Mary-Ann rang up in a very aggravated voice, "What did you do to Slim last night? He came back here in such a state." She said, "He's here in bed, and I can't find an article of his clothing anywhere!"
I said, "Well I didn't do anything, quite the reverse." I said, "You're lucky to get him back at all!" At her behest I told her what had happened. She rang up about half an hour after to say, "Slim got undressed outside and folded up all his clothes on the back seat of the car, which is where I found them." and we laughed.
I went home to the Meek's for Christmas, 1943. They were English, Mrs Meeks once said to me, "On every article of my clothing, however small, I've got a union jack stitched." Their home was brightly decorated with flags all over it. We got up Christmas morning in dressing gowns, and we sat round the fire on the rug. The coloured servant brought in three bottles of Champagne and three glasses on a tray, that was the start of it. At one o'clock I went back to the Indom' and went to sleep - oh dear.
When you went out with these people they would say "Who are you coming with?"
I would say, anyone. If they were going somewhere they would take three cars, each family would take a car. I used to have to choose which one to go in. You see in America petrol was no problem, they just used to get in their cars and off they'd go. They were very hospitable, we were too, to the American men anyhow.
I think Indomitable left the Norfolk shipyard in June 1944[?]. When we came back the police were very generous in closing their eyes to things. They said look, all we want to know is cigarettes and liqueur. We had to make a list of what we thought were items on which tax should be paid what we were taking back. I remember one of the Police Officers saying to me, "You've got two leather jackets here?"
I said "Yes, one is for m' dad."
He said, "Well you get wet when you're at sea don't you?"
"Yes." I replied.
He said, "Well you'll want a dry one to change into, won't you."
With that, he struck it out (off the list). Things like that, you see.

Eastern Fleet, Indian Ocean 1944
A historic Naval ceremony was honoured as we crossed into the Southern Seas. A tarpaulin was rigged to form a sea water pool as tradition decreed a "sacrifice" should be made to Neptune of those crossing the equator for the first time. A Neptune character presided over proceedings, with willing helpers to ensure proper execution of the greasing followed by a briny dunking. I escaped "sacrifice" as I was on watch. Somehow these little pockets of relief prevailed and I have a picture from a fancy dress party with fellow officers in fabricated costumes including such characters as Lawrence Of Arabia, and baseball's Babe Ruth, with "Stupid" the monkey (see later) getting in on the act. Indomitable arrived in Colombo, Sri Lanka, with Victorious early July 1944. Trimcolamee, that was a massive place. With the fleet in there it seemed absolutely black with ships.
In July/August 1944 Indomitable received her new Air Group which consisted of twenty-four American [lend-lease] Grumman Hellcat I fighters (1839 and 1844 Squadrons), and twenty-four Fairy Barracuda II torpedo/dive-bombers (829 Squadron). The new squadrons had flown from Britain [in stages] to Trincomalee to join Indomitable in the East Indies. One Hellcat [1839 Squadron's CO] had touched down and careered on unabated, swinging from side to side before disappearing over the port side. The pilot was picked up by the attendant destroyer. Hellcat auxiliary drop tanks allowed it to be used for the complete escort mission and were almost a permanent fixture, only being released in an emergency. The Barracuda all-metal monoplane was a step change in Fleet Air Arm bombers, but still had poor performance compared to fighters. Armaments were similar to those of the Albacore and the payload was still carried externally, it proved to be an excellent dive-bomber. The Barracuda was nicknamed "Frog" due to its distinctive and ungainly undercarriage. In poor weather the bomb load would have to be reduced. As the fleet's ferry aircraft, the Barracuda wasn't as pleasant to fly in as the biplanes.

Monkey business [date, 1944?]
I can't recall when, but one of the aircrew brought aboard a new recruit in the form of a small monkey, who was christened Stupid. Generally well mannered and good natured, I recall that Stupid was only known to have snarled on just a couple of occasions, and it was undoubtedly with reason. Stupid did have one particular vice, gin. In the wardroom Stupid would sit nonchalantly on the shelf in the corner, seemingly paying small attention to the activities. At his chosen moment, Stupid would suddenly dash across the table upsetting a glass of gin in the process, which he would bend down and slurp noisily from the table top, before rapidly taking cover. Such behaviour would be played upon, particularly if a drunk monkey's antics amused one. Stupid's slick ambush would become more clumsy the greater success he obtained, until it lacked any stealth, speed or decorum whatsoever. Eventually Stupid would find somewhere to curl up to sleep it off, and hope for the usual sympathetic attendance when he awakes with a orang-utan sized hangover.
Stupid had the whole run of the ship, with the explicit exception of the bridge. However, on one occasion Stupid disobeyed orders, getting onto the bridge, and making straight for the raised Captain's chair. Having made himself comfortable, Stupid settled down to rummage in the personal possessions stowed in a pouch attached to the arm. Looking through the Captain's favourite pipe collection Stupid selected the most prized of them all and made his escape from the closing capture party onto the gallery. Ignoring pleas to hand over his booty, Stupid sat on the rail closely inspecting the pipe from every angle. Having turned it over in his hands several times Stupid put the tobacco end to his nose, and took a couple of hefty sniffs. It took a second for the full impact to hit him which was signified in his wide eyes, before Stupid gave the pipe his very best scowl, and cast it over the side to smash on impact with the flight deck. In the morning Stupid was paraded, unusually he was clothed in his very own Marine's uniform complete with a single rank stripe. Appearing in front of the Captain on defaulters, Stupid was found guilty of his charge and punishment was administered immediately. Reduced to the ranks, the shoulder stripe was torn from Stupid's uniform in true naval style. Stupid appeared to acknowledge his punishment, adopting a look of utter dismay. A few hours later the consoled Stupid was back to all his usual tricks, except impersonating an officer on the bridge.
Stupid was a source of much fun aboard ship, and usually did exactly as he pleased. I cannot recall what happened to him.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.