Join the Navy and See the world: 8. Bombay to Anzio via Suez.

This story is submitted to the People's War Website by David Thacker, a volunteer from BBC Radio Northampton, on behalf of his Mother, Isabella, wife of the late Len Thacker, and has been added to the site with her permission. She fully understands and accepts the site's terms and conditions.
Firstly here are Len's words written in a W/T Operator's Log book, about the Anzio Operation (Shingle) time in 1944. He is believed to have written this soon after the war's end:
"It all started in Bombay. Our Squadron (Boxer, Bruiser and Thruster) were in harbour. Bruiser was in dock and we were due to go in. Half our ship’s com-any were on leave a thousand miles inland. Invasion Force G was also in Bombay, but left suddenly. Then our panic started. Men were recalled from leave and we left in a hurry. On our way through Suez the carriers Unicorn and Indomitable and Battleships Valiant, Renown and Queen Elizabeth passed us going east. Thus we thought there wouldn’t be an Operation in the Med and so we must be going home. At Port Said we took several Naval Ratings aboard, and sailed at high speed for Naples. On arrival there we discharged our naval passengers and commenced loading with Yankee troops and half-track vehicles mounting AA batteries, then we sailed the same evening. A few hours after sailing, we were told out task. Part of the 5th Army was to be landed at Anzio just south of Rome, well behind German lines. This promised to be a stiff job, for it was believed that the bulk of German Forces were in the area. And by now, we guessed, Jerry must be used to our landing schemes. So we were given the usual warning of Elizabeth-boats and all types of mines and torpedoes etc. As at Salerno, the show was divided into two sections — British and American. We were in the Yank part and were due to go in near Anzio, and the British a little north of us, Nettuno.
We arrived off the area at dawn to hear the grand news that the Commandos already had command of the beaches. There seemed to be no firing or air attacks and we thought it would be as quit as Sicily. Other ships were unloading so we had to anchor and wait until permission was given to beach. (To be continued).

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