Letter from HMS Hermes

Subject: Royal Navy, HMS Hermes 1942
 Dispatch from Alfred Pieres: the sinking of aircraft carrier HMS Hermes, 9th April 1942, off the coast of Ceylon, sent 12th April 1942
 Letter sent by my uncle ,crew member, Roy James aged 26, from HMS Hermes 20th April 1941 to my great-aunt Mrs Annie Barber in Weston Super Mare
 Roy James was the youngest son of Mr and Mrs B. C. James of 533 Filton Avenue, Bristol

BOMBS SET HERMES ON FIRE
From ALFRED PIERES,
Daily Mail Special correspondent
Colombo, Sunday.
Two wounded sub-lieutenants of the 10,850 tons aircraft carrier Hermes described to me today the sinking of their ship by Japanese dive bombers off the east coast of Ceylon on Thursday morning.
The officers one a Londoner and the other from Essex, are now in the naval hospital at Colombo. They told me that the battle lasted some time and the Hermes was all the time in sight of land.
As soon as action stations was sounded three planes were seen on starboard beam. The ships A.A. guns and pom-poms opened up, but the Jap planes flew through the barrage, unloosed a stick of bombs, then dive-bombed and machine-gunned the ship.

Four Down
Their bombs exhausted, they made off, and then the attack really developed. Wave after wave of planes in formation of six and three came over.
“Their bombing was pretty deadly,” one of the lieutenants told me. “Good enough, at any rate, to score several hits.
“We caught fire and started blazing furiously. The one thing we expected, however did not materialise. There were no torpedoes.
“Some of the raiders came in low despite our A.A. fire. They paid for their audacity.
“We reckon that at least four can never have reached their bases. We saw them being smacked good and hearty, and three staggering away. One came hurtling down into the sea.”

In the light of the above, I find the following letter, sent by my uncle, Able-Seaman Roy James, when he was 26, from H.M.S. Hermes on 21at April 1941, just under a year before his ship went down and he was killed, particularly poignant. The letter, recently discovered, was sent to my great-aunt Mrs Annie Barber in Weston Super Mare.

Able-Seaman R. James.
BDX.1685
HMS Hermes
48 Mess.
C/o. G.P.O. London.
April 20th 1941

Dear Auntie,
This letter has traveled a long way & I hope when it reaches you it will find you well. Thank you so much Auntie for your enquires after me. I am keeping very fit but am longing to get home to England again to see the folks and the hometown. I have seen a good part of the world since I joined the Navy & altho’ it is a marvelous experience I can honestly say — there’s no place like home.
Mother writes to me every Sunday,but it is sometimes 4 months before the letters arrive, so you can imagine what it is like when I hear over the wireless how Bristol is being bombed and having to wait months to find out if everything’s alright, in the meantime I stick my chin out & do my job determined to help get this war over as soon as possible.
It is a long time, years I believe since I last seen you Auntie, I expect you still remember me as the baby of the family — I am nearly 27 now, 12 years service with British Aero. Co. & nearly 2 years in the Navy, so I expect you will find a great difference in me now. I f ever I come home, I shall make a point of coming to see you. Do you see much of Gladys now, it must be very lonely for you by yourself. I do hope you get plenty of people to keep you company.
Well here’s good luck and good health to you Auntie & and may God look after you during these bad times.
Cheerio & love
Roy

Judie James,
Somerset

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