North Atlantic and Arctic

My War - Bob Bromley MN

The war started for me on the tanker, M.V James Maguire on the 5th November 1940 when the bell rang for...

"MY WAR AS A YEOMAN WITH THE CONVOYS"

On the 27th October, 1940 on our way to Canada the MV ALFRED JONES was bombed 250 miles out in the Atlantic...

Sea Cruises on the House #1\2

I have been particularly fortunate in never having to pay for a real Sea Cruise, it has been my good...

The History of H.M.S Picotee: K63

The Crew of HMS Picotee - HARRISON,RONALD ARTHUR Lieutenant BRISLAND, HENRY EDWIN Sub-Lieutenant ROBERTS,...

Convoy to Russia - Leonard Dibb-Western MN

This came about through the Association of Bristol Boys Clubs We used to go to an office at the top of...

A Life in the Navy

At the outbreak of war I was in Rio de Janeiro serving as first officer on the cargo vessel La Estancia....

To Russia and Back

I was just sixteen years old when I joined Silver Lines SS Silverceder as a Peggy, as a deck boy I ran...

My Father's War

Other war stories had been asked for to show what our servicemen had endured and the following words were...

The night I surprised a Nazi sub

From my position at the oerlikon with Gunner Lewis, I could hear Capt Steven discussing his action. Capt...

War Brides

While waiting for his BYMS to be built, he was billeted at the Barbizon Plaza Hotel in Manhattan where...

HMS Bellona---Arctic Convoys

Bellona participitated in 6 Russian Convoys and shot down at least 2 enemy aircraft- 1944 JW 62 Nov/Dec...

SS Barberrys & California

On a dull, raw November day in 1942 our cargo vessel SS Barberrys joined a convoy sailing from Halifax,...

Sonia Bech, aged 11 - survivor of the "City of Benares"

I remember waiting for the rope ladder and my brother Derek coming back to us and being told that our...

Arthur Sawyer's War - as told by his son John

My name is John Sawyer and this is my Dad's story - 4919457 Pte. During training he became friends with...

The Journey Home for Leave [R.Thresher : Part 7]

Unable to return to Belgium they were doing great work transporting troops and some civillians between the...

A Merchant Seaman's experiences

However I was turned down due to my eyesight not being good enough and not wanting to join the Army where I...

PQ16 _ Chapter 5

After two days at anchor we sailed away around the north of Scotland, through the Pentland Firth, and...

My Adventure on the S. S. El-Aleto

A few days later, all was revealed, From the hold we had to drag out on deck very long lengths of 10...

Across the Atlantic: Evacuated to Canada

The unreality of the early months of the war, found our family living in a semi in a small Hertfordshire...

A Coastal Command Pilot Tries to Make Contact With Family in Trinidad

It said "Contact Bledsoe PAA John". Daddy had a day of dental appointments, mother was ill and my...

Maritime Royal Artillery Gunner

I joined the Maritime Royal Artillery as a gunner on August 28 1943....

The War at Sea

In November 1942 at the age of 16 I joined the Merchant Navy as a Cadet in the Booth Steamship Company...

My Naval War in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean

My first ship was the HMS Carinthia, which I joined in Plymouth in1939 my rank was Petty Officer. We landed...

Being torpedoed mid-Atlantic

The cargo of coal, of course, meant that it did muffle the torpedo whenever it was, and it did give us a...

Three Cheers For Colour-Blindness by "Eric Sparky"

This was incorrect as I had told the A.T.C. Commanding Officer that I wished to become a wireless...

Torpedoed In The North Atlantic

Submarine surfaced and fired two torpedoes at us, sub seen, tried to ram it, unable to, so ship swung round...