Transfer to Force H in Gibraltar
We arrived back at our anchorage in Scapa Flow on 6 October 1941 after the
bruising Malta convoy Operation Halberd. This was the first taste of real
action that myself and many of the lads had experienced - we were shocked
and numbed by the fear, noise, heat, smell and sheer hard work that we had
all gone through.
Many of the crew were still under twenty and had now witnessed at first
hand good ships destroyed and men lost without trace. As we sat in our mess
swapping our individual experiences of the action we realised that families
throughout the country would by now be receiving telegrams of condolence.
What must they be feeling - sons, fathers, brothers gone forever? We were
growing up quickly and beginning to realise what war was really about.
No sooner had we arrived in Scapa than we left for a boiler clean in Rosyth
- shore leave at last and a short respite! We left Rosyth on 14 October,
arriving in the Clyde on 17 October 1941. We left there for a two day sweep,
arriving back on 21 October 1941.
On 25 October Lightning left the Clyde and was transferred from the Home
Fleet, based at Scapa Flow, to Force H based at Gibraltar. We all looked
forward to the warmer weather - and ended up have quite a hot time all round!
During November and early December 1941, as part of Force H, we had a mainly
escort role. Sometimes we escorted convoys that were from the UK, picking
them up in the Bay of Biscay and often taking them through the western part
of the Mediterranean towards Malta. We also took part in several operations
escorting aircraft carriers to the south of Majorca in order to fly off
Spitfires reinforcing the depleted squadrons at Malta. In one of these (Operation
Perpetual) we were screening the aircraft carrier Ark Royal with Laforey
and Legion when she was torpedoed and eventually sank on 13th November,
just thirty miles from Gibraltar. I remember the disbelief throughout the
ship that just one torpedo could sink such a huge ship. If it could do this
to a huge aircraft carrier what chance would we have?
Happy days in the Med. - September / October 1941. On a 4.7 inch gun, left
to right are ?, Wright, ?, myself and Bill Newham.
March 1942 in the Mediterranean. Left to right - standing N T Hay, Bill
Gifford, ?, squatting down are ? and Fred Chamberlain the cook.
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