South Atlantic

The Memoirs of Walter Douglas Thain 1918-2001 Part 1 of 4

After two days on the Iron Duke waiting for transfer to the Ark Royal a German submarine got through the...

My Uncle Jim and the Invasion of North Africa

Having completed these as well as a commando type course, I was given promotion and, instead of returning...

Life in the Services 1939-46, Chapter 2

After many visits to the Royal Marine Sergeant at the local recruiting office, he reluctantly agreed to...

The Memoirs of Walter Douglas Thain 1918-2001 Part 4 of 4

I had the chance of going up on a bombing mission on a ‘Grunman’ avenger but after six years in...

'Dad's Bit in the War - 1939-1945

At 9.40a.m. On 17.7.1940 the Fellside hit a torpedo and sank with the loss of 12 men out of a crew of...

North Africa & Italy Wartime Experiences with the 8th Army

I was born on May13th 1911 in 34 Beech Road Horfield Bristol and was the first born child of Fred &...

Cape Town to the U.K. in 1943

We travelled from my home in Malawi to Cape Town in September 1943, a journey which took five days by...

Leonard Ball's story

And the day before we arrived in Cape Town we received a message to say that the other lifeboat had reached...

Bill Williams's War 1

I joined the 4/7th Royal Dragoon Guards at the cavalry barracks in Colinton, Edinburgh and in September...

HMS Sirius and Seven Invasions

The invasion went very well because many of the French in N. Africa were prepared to fight the Germans. The...

Extracts from David Phin's Diary

In 1941, Joyce Henderson met David Phin, who was an Engineer in the Merchant Navy....

The Lighter Side of War - CHAPTER 13: By Cruise Liner - Glasgow to North Africa 8th November 1942 "Operation Torch"

Churchill was satisfied though, since he wanted to ensure that the main focus of the American war effort...

And Then It All Calmed Down!

We had to do Morse code training, and this was held in a room on the 5th floor of the Hotel Victoria...

A Seaman's War

The U Boat surfaced after the Fabian had sunk and assisted with medical aid giving them some food and...

Travelling to and from East Africa in Wartime

In the second World War I travelled twice by sea as a civilian to and from East Africa where my husband was...

A Member: Remembers - December 13, 1939 The Battle of the River Plate 65 Years Ago.

In June 1939 HMS Exeter has nearly finish her commission in the West Indies and South American station,...

Rommel Was on His Way to Cairo

We settled in in South Africa where I started school, and the next thing I remember was travelling back to...

Sinking of the Duchess of Atholl 10th October 1942

My father, John Trevor Liney, was the telegraphist covering the “Distress” frequency at the...

Sinking of the S.S. Helmspey

Engines were stopped; the crews ordered to abandon ship and both port and starboard main lifeboats were...

Gun Crew in the Merchant Navy

From Cape Town I went to Durban on the train, then straight on ship to Basra, then to Karach to pick up...

En Route to Egypt

SEA JOURNEY FROM UK TO EGYPT VIA SOUTH AFRICA. The sea route through the Mediterranean Sea was, due to...

My wartime service in the Merchant Navy and the Royal Navy by William McGregor

I signed up in the Navy as a T124 rating for two years in an ardent merchant cruiser, "HMS...

Two Unforgettable Days in My Life

Serving in the Southern Pride, based at Freetown West Africa escorting ships to ports Lagos, Takoradi etc,...

Convoys

Part of the convoy went to North Africa — we went all the way round, into Free Town, Cape Town...

Food Shortages in Grenada

I worked in a grocer shop, ran out of flour, sugar, salt and rice in around 1943 - boats couldn't...

HMS Dainty to HMS Nelson

I left England behind at the age of 18 in January 1939 to join HMS Dainty, a destroyer in the China...