Convoy Diary

CONVOY DIARY1 GERALD s. GRAHAM Aug. 29, 1942 (Saturday) Arrived at the pier about nine to be handed the sad news that the Harvester had sailed. Feverish enquiry disclosed that she was oiling up the river. So away we tore to Captain (D), where I learned that she was oiling in the estuary. Missed the ship's motor boat, but caught the ferry with bags and kit at ten. After visitin.g half the fleet (so it seemed) we finally found her and I clambered on board, with difficulty and without dignity, scraping my shins on the wire cables. Met the captain, a robust and cheery R.N., and No. 1,2 a cheerful Welshman· with a puckish grin, both of whom promised me excitement with a lusty optimism.· The officers seem to be a good lot; "Snotty"3 and the Sub-Lieutenant helped me stow away. Weather is rainy and windy with choppy waves; we did some degaussing to protect the ship against magnetic mines, and sailed at 1600. Shortly before dark I went up on the flag deck with the Surgeon-Lieutenant and watched ·the 3" and 4.7" guns blaze away at a target which was supposed to be lighted by our searchlights . But the mist was too thick, and star-shells had to be useda pretty sight as they hung in the sky by parachute and burned like huge evening stars. The guns gave out bursts of flame at each shot; the concussion seems to hit you in the chest, and only plenty of cotton saves the ears. Fountains of water about the target suggested fairly good shooting, although I doubt if we managed a " direct hit. Aug. 30 (Sunday) Prayers at 1000. The Captain then announced that the North Atlantic was "lousy with submarines" which had come up from the Caribbean, and he urged the congregation to be on the alert. The weather was still foul, but at noon v,:e fired again at a towed target. This time I stayed on the deck near the 4.7" and even with cot ton in my ears found the blast hard to take, especially in the reg1on of chest and stomach. 1The author was permitted to keep_this diary; it has been officially censored before publication. [EmTORs ' NoTE.] •Executive Officer, second in command of che destroyer. aThe name applied to midshipmen. 102 CONVOY DIARY 103 The beer is good, and the food too; t here are books worth reading if I feel in the mood. No. 1 wants me to instruct the "Snotty" and give a lecture to the crew, which shall be done if I don't succumb to sea-sickness. At 1700 a plane appeared, to tow a sleeve for anti-aircraft practice, but returned to its base owing to bad weather; so the 3" sent up smoke-shelJs, and the 4.7", the Oerlikons and pom-poms blazed away, the last using t racers. Some of the shooting was very accurate, although the smoke dissipated quickly, and at one time was masked by low-hanging clouds. dug. 31 (Monday) We weighed anchor at about 0300 and after breakfast began anti-subm arine exercises. Carried out depthcharge attacks, without actually dropping the cans. H it or miss estimates were made on the basis of t he position of the buoy when the fire-order was given. Needless to say the officer in charge · depended on the Asdic,' not on sight. At 1200 smoke-candles appeared, indicating that the submarine was surfacing, which she did, slowly and ghost-like, rising from the deep like some prehistoric monster. Signals were exchanged and compliments paid; then she submerged again and exercises were continued with "P", our Polish colleague, a more heavily armoured craft recently painted in strange blends-the product of Lord Louis Mountbatten's genius. A little later, we entered Loch- , and various motor launches from the Irish shore came alongside with cargoes of tomatoes, bread, butter, cheese and eggs-all at extravagant prices, since they know that even the navy is rationed. Most of the wardroom laid in private supplies of duck eggs. The sun came out as we made our way towards the sea, after...