Lessons of War Learned While Recruits Are Still Fresh
"Perhaps welcome news for raw recruits set to go to UK"
In January, 1942, Canada's first draft of raw recruits for Combined Operations boarded the Dutch liner Volendam in Halifax in order to get to training schools in the UK (Hayling Island, Irvine, Inveraray) and learn initial lessons about various landing craft and their own part in World War 2. For some, the first hard lessons of the war were learned upon that first voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.
"The convoy consisted of a destroyer HMS Firedrake, armed merchant ship Jervis Bay (sister ship of the famed Burgess Bay, who held off a large German man o' war until the remainder of its convoy could escape, costing her her life and all aboard) and an American four-stacker loaned by the USA to England," writes new Combined Ops volunteers Doug Harrison from Norwich, Ontario. During the trip he and others witnessed the destruction of a ship, heard "cries for help" (and were unable to stop to assist) and spotted "the conning tower of a German submarine." Upon landing safely in Scotland he adds, "It was soon confirmed that the American four-stacker had taken a fish (torpedo)."
Even before the recruits stepped aboard the Volendam the following news articles had appeared in The Halifax Herald:
Monday, January 12, 1942
German Submarines are Shifted From Atlantic to Mediterranean Sea
Alexandria, Jan. 11 --(AP)-- German submarines are being shifted from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean in an effort to curb the devastating attacks by the British navy on Axis convoys bound for Libya, Rear Admiral Henry Bernard Rawlings said today. Three submarines were sunk in recent weeks and probably others were destroyed.
"But the attacks are not going to stop," Admiral Rawlings added. The Admiral is commander of a British cruiser squadron in the Mediterranean and he made his remarks in the cabin of his cruiser flagship. The appearance of U-boats in increasing numbers in the Mediterranean constitutes "a nuisance, but it's a nuisance that can be attacked and we are doing that successfully" he declared.
Three Probable Reasons
Admiral Rawlings said the Nazi U-boat invasion of the Mediterranean had been apparent since early December probably due to three reasons:
1--Submarine activities in the Atlantic were not paying justifiable dividends.
2--The Nazis want to try to protect Axis convoys bound for Tripoli.
3--The Germans are disgusted over the failure of Italian submarines to prevent the British navy from knocking off more than 60 per cent of all convoys carrying vital supplies to Lt.-Gen. Erwin Rommel's retreating Libyan army.
The admiral said Winter weather in the Atlantic is making U-boat operations difficult and may be a factor in the decision to transfer a part of their activities into the Mediterranean...
Wednesday, January 14, 1942
An East Coast Canadian Port, Jan. 13 -- (CP) -- Richard (Willie) Sutton of Lincolnshire, England., is only 17 years old, but looks upon himself as a full-fledged member of britain's merchant navy, having spent 20 hours in a lifeboat in which 38 died, after his ship was torpedoed 160 miles off Canada's east coast. Propped up in a bed in a hotel here, the junior midshipman told how his first deep-sea trip turned out to be practically a round-the-world cruise before it was ended when two torpedoes from an enemy sub sank his freighter.
"I was just stripping off my jacket in the midshipmen's room when the first explosion shook the ship," he said, "and Hughes (David Hughes, 19, of Vancouver) told me to put on my lifebelt and find my boat. I ran up on deck and started to help load the Chinese in a lifeboat, but felt cold so went below again and put on some more clothes. When I got back the lifeboat had been battered about until it was no good, so I jumped into the water and managed to get into the one Hughes had.
"We had 39 Chinese in the boat with us, but they weren't much help. They seemed to give up and when the boat was swamped they didn't even try to keep their heads above water. They would moan a bit and then slide under the water and lie on the bottom of the boat. Some of them we threw overboard as they died to lighten the boat. Its sides were even with the water. Others we piled up to shield us from the spray and wind.
"When dawn came we were soaking wet, cold and hungry. To get at the supplies we had to dive under the water, break open the locker and dig out some canned bully beef. Quite a few hours later we sighted something we thought was a sub, but it turned out to be the rescue boat. About the same time a plane circled over us and the chap in the gun turret waved. So we knew we were safe. Even then the Chinese didn't seem to have any incentive to live. One died after the rescue boat was sighted and another - the only one of the 39 to survive - was rescued only because Hughes kept shaking him and refused to let him slide out of the boat."
Sutton seemed to think everything "could have been worse" and was anxious to return to England so he could get another ship. Outside of a pair of painfully swollen feet and being "stiff as a pitchfork", he said he felt fine....
Our Convoys
"A convoy has arrived in port" is news that we are told:
Deep-laden ships of every sort, well stowed in every hold.
They do not tell us when they leave but keep that information
In case the Axis may receive their port of destination.
Yet I can see them in my mind go sailing out to sea.
Not one of them must lag behind in case of what might be.
Throughout the day they have the light, when you might think them safer,
But lurking U-boats out of sight may find that in their favour.
On board each ship all eyes are set and searching far and near
To catch the slightest sign of threat from enemies that appear.
The escort, always on alert, though moving fore and aft,
May not be able to avert the death blow to some craft.
The strain imposed on everyone is almost past all bearing,
And yet these ships keep to their run by men of skill and daring.
Think on these lifeboats cast adrift for days and weeks on end,
How these poor fellows could makeshift we scarce can comprehend!
They fortify our lands with food and armaments for war:
Now all these things are to our good in what we are fighting for.
So raise your hats to all these men -- the Mercantile Marine.
And to the Navy once again for all that they have been.
Also included in the newspaper: (These) verses by an old Irvine boy, Mr. R.A. McLellan, will no doubt be read with special interest by many of our readers who have friends in our Merchant navy. The fact that Mr. McLellan was for many years very actively associated with ships and shipping, and comes of old Irvine seafaring stock, adds to the value of this contribution to our columns.
Please link to Context for Combined Ops, "Corvette Beats Up Submarine"
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