As part of the latest series of Posts from Your Archives which is focused on family, I thought I would share two series from my own archives from 2016. One is my father’s memoir about his life in the Royal Navy that we persuaded him to write two years before his death in 1996, Life on the Ocean Wave.
The other series is the first book, The Colour of Life, we published for my father-in-law Geoff Cronin, who sadly died in 2017 at age 93.
Both were great raconteurs and I hope you enjoy reading their exploits.
In the previous chapter In the previous chapter my father described his part in Operation Fish; the secret mission to transport the National Treasures to Canada for safe-keeping and to also pay for ammunition and supplies to support the war effort.
My parents married in 1940 and my mother travelled from her home in Wickham in Hampshire to meet my father’s ship when they docked briefly one side of the country or another for the next eighteen months. She told us terrifying stories of a longer stay in Liverpool where his ship was docked for a number of weeks for repairs, where they were subjected to bomb raids night after night.
My father now continues with his story as he joins HMS Beverley in Canada.
Part Four – 1942 – HMS Beverley – American shipmates and rough seas
HMS Beverley
There were four Destroyers tied up, in two pairs alongside, in Halifax Dockyard. They had four funnels, a very tall mast and very narrow beam. Not the best combination to face the rigours of the Atlantic weather. The mess was in the bows, with bunks for sleeping and not hammocks. In fact everything for maximum discomfort at sea. The equipment was all American and we spent a week getting familiar with its operation and location. The mess coffee pot was never switched off.
I had a bunk in the gyrocompass room, in the centre of the ship, which was much more comfortable than in the bows.
We had lots of assistance from a small crew of US sailors and the second week was spent at sea, making sure all was well. We then sailed for the UK with the other three boats, via St Johns, Newfoundland. Three made it, one returning to Halifax with engine trouble. My guess about the sea-going qualities soon proved correct, as during the trip to St. Johns we seemed to do everything except turn over.
HMS Beverley – photograph from the book by Geoffrey Blewett – HMS Beverley – A ‘Town’ afloat and the Town ashore – 1940 – 1943
We eventually arrived in Belfast, where quick repairs were carried out and various pieces of RN equipment fitted. These included a very early Radar set with the aerial on top of the mast, which was rotated by a hand-wheel in the office, through a “bowden” cable.
We joined an escort group and started convoying duties across the Atlantic, between Halifax and Londonderry. I occasionally managed to get to Wickham for a couple of days, which involved a train from Londonderry to Larne then ferry to Stranraer then train via London to Portsmouth time of arrival unknown due to delays etc. The stay was generally short, but very worthwhile and I usually managed to bring a few goodies from Canada.
Unfortunately I was somewhere in the Atlantic when our eldest daughter Sonia was born on 27th February 1942. Mollie had managed to join me in Newcastle for a short spell during a refit and also in Liverpool, during a short spell when the ship operated from there. They were very happy times we enjoyed them to the full. I left Beverley on 22nd March 1942 and early in 1943 she was torpedoed in the Atlantic and there were only two survivors!
A return to Portsmouth and family life.
I spent a very welcome three months in the Barracks at Portsmouth and was able to get to know Sonia and enjoy home life at Wickham and on 31st July I was sent to Roedean School at Brighton, which with St Dunstans had become the new HMS Vernon, due to the bombing in Portsmouth. I found a lovely place in Rottingdean for Mollie and Sonia to live and I did my qualifying course for Chief Electrical Artificer, which lasted for two months. Then I had to wait to see where my next job would be. When I was told, we were delighted. I was to join HMS Forth a submarine repair and depot ship in the Clyde 14th October 1942.
My father died in 1996 and so was unable to attend the memorial service for HMS Beverley and her crew in 1998. There was a wonderful book written by Geoffrey Blewett, my mother had number seven of 200 copies.
Buy the book HMS Beverley : Amazon UK – And: Amazon US
©Eric Coleman 1994
I hope you are enjoying this slice of history and as always welcome your feedback as always. Thank you Sally
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It is lovely to get a snapshot of what life was like in the past and for you a lovely memento, Sally…A beautiful read of how life was then and as Mary said his words showed no fear just how it was.Hugs xx
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Thanks Carol.. so pleased he took the time to write it down and a great help when I was doing the family tree..hugsxx
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I’m sure it was… I got my mum and dad to write names, dates of btirth, death marriage, children where born and where married, buried of all their family on both sides and the same with Alans parents quite a few years ago now I did start a family tree and haven’t finished it..Keep meaning to revisit…xxx
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Sounds like you have a great start.. I may be wrong but I think Ancestry.co.uk are offering a free period during lock down.. I am taking a break until next year when the 1921 census will be released and I can update.. hugsxx
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Thank you for that..I will check it out although I did start when I first moved here and then when the restaurant opened I didn’t have the time …But yes a good point about waiting for that census as that would be useful for some of mine…Hugs xx
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I did enjoy this slice of WWII history told by your dad. When my husband was in the Navy, destroyers were known as “tin cans.” From reading your father’s experiences on the Beverly, I can see why.
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Thanks Liz..certainly not luxury cruising xx
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What another great part. Like Mary wrote, it seems he never had fear. He was a great man. Thank you for sharing this episode too. Have to read the two books. They are great for better knowledge of history too. Michael
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Thanks Michael, he was a tower of strength hugs xx
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Oh yes!
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What a story, Sally. What a harrowing time. I’m glad your dad got home and was able to resume family life. ❤
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Thanks Diana, he was back for a while and then off from 1944 to 1946..but he came back safely in the end thank goodness. ♥
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Amazing what your father lived through and managed to survive and thrive despite. I love these old stories. Thanks for sharing with us ❤
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Thanks Debby, he was an unassuming man and glad we managed to coax the stories out of him.. hugs ♥
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A treasure trove for sure! ❤
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♥
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Lovely, Sally. He wrote in such a matter of fact way, no dwelling on the dangers and risks. Did your mum write anything about this time in her life?
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Thanks Mary, no but she shared the stories and some were pretty hair-raising travelling through the UK to Liverpool to see my father for 48 hours and air raids on the docks.. Perhaps I should write her stories down too…hugsx
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Oh, yes, do, Sally. I’m sure they would be fascinating to read.
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I will see what I can do..xx
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I do hope you’ll write your mother’s story down! I would love to read them.
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I will see whether I can’t build a collection of stories around them.. food for thought..hugsx
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You’ll have a receptive audience if you do!
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Thanks xx
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This was an excellent story, Sally. Thank you!
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Thanks Jennie..xx
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You’re welcome, Sally. 🙂
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Thanks, Sally. Interesting, as always. Like the world situation at present, being at war was always an unknown situation as to what would happen in the next moment. Your father and father-in-law were fortunate to survive. xx
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Thanks Joy and yes we are all uncertain at the moment but putting one foot in front of the other..hugsxx
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I love that wedding photo, Sally, and such a fascinating story. Amazing to think of schools etc being taken over and all of society so committed to the one cause. Toni x
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Thank you Toni..glad you enjoyed..hugsx
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Excellent story, Sally. Thank you.
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Thank you John.. have a good week..hugsx
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You as well, Sally. 😊
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Thank you for the lovely post….
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Thank you Nabeela.. have a lovely week.
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Same to you….
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