Charles Russell
Rank Able Seaman.
Service number D/J 97767.
Regiment Royal Navy.
Date of death 17th November 1945.
Age 40.
Grave reference Sec. C. 2649.
Charles Russell born 19o5, birth registered Barton Upon Irwell. The son of William and Annie Russell. He married Martha Ann Fenney (1) in 1940, the couple lived 38 Ringlow Park Road, Swinton.
GEORGE MEDAL RECIPRIENT
Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood
St James' Palace, SW1
30 May 1944
"The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the George Medal to:-
Able Seaman Charles Russell, D/J 97767
for gallantry in saving life when HMS HURWORTH was lost. Able Seaman Russell was very badly burned, but helped to launch the motor boat and when one of the slips jammed, he kept his head and by unshackling the deck clench got the boat clear just before the ship sank. With four other hands he then took the boat ashore and lay up for the night. At dawn he slipped out unobserved, made his way past enemy shipping and returned to the scene of the sinking. In two trips he picked up thirty-eight survivors and landed them on an island. Able Seaman Russell was in charge throughout, and but for his undaunted courage, determination and seamanship, it is unlikely that many of the survivors would have been rescued."
Fifth Supplement to The London Gazette of Friday 26th May 1944
March 1944 charles aged 38 sent a cutting from an Alexandrian newspaper to his wife giving details of the the ships fate . He is in hospital in Alexandria recovering from serious wounds and burns received in the action.
Served in the navy for almost 25 years, ( so at death was 25 years ). He volunteered shortly after WWI aged 15 ½. After a short time out of service he was called back as a reservist on the outbreak of WWII.
He attended Holy Rood School, Swinton. Married for four years.
During the few months out of the navy he was employed by Swinton and Pendlebury Corporation.
May 1944
Mrs Russell 32 years old, knew of her husbands injuries but he had made no reference to his heroic actions.
Now out of hospital and has returned to light duties.
************************************************************************************************************
RECOLLECTIONS KINDLY PROVIDED BY THE WEBSITE MENTIONED BELOW
http://www.hmshurworth.co.uk/Index.htm
Dedicated to the memory of HMS HURWORTH 1939-1943
SCHOLES, WALTER ERIC
The information below was been very kindly provided by Walter's wife
My husband, Walter Eric Scholes, was on board the Hurworth and was one of the survivors. He died in 1986.This is his story as he told it to me. When the ship sank he jumped into the water and eventually got on to a carley float where he stayed until daylight. Eventually one of the ship's lifeboats, which was partially launched during the attack was eventually launched; but as it was dark the man in charge took it to the nearest island. At daybreak he sailed round looking for survivors and rescued my husband and the other men on the carley float. He took them back to an island where eventually they were picked up and taken to Bodrum in Turkey but they were not allowed to stay because of Turkey's neutrality.
They were then taken to the small island of Castelrosso (Kastelorizo), then on to Alexandria.
After two days they were taken to Ishmailia to a rest camp; there were forty people there. They were well looked after and fed and entertained by ENSA.
My husband was then designated to H.M.S. Canopus shore base and from there to a shore base in Tripoli in Syria. as petty officer in charge of supplies. They were not allowed home on compassionate leave as we had lost 6 destroyers.
Eventually he was allocated to Valletta in Malta where he was in charge of supplying submarines.
He was eventually allowed home in October the following year, 1944
Much, but not all of the following material is taken from the excellent CHURCHILL'S FOLLY, by Anthony Rogers, compulsory reading for all those with an interest in the ill-fated Aegean Campaign, cross-referred our own survivors' accounts of the sinking.
On Trafalgar Day, 21 October 1943, she left Alexandria for the last time, with the cruiser AURORA, her 'chummy' ship ADRIAS, and the Fleet Destroyers JERVIS and PATHFINDER of the 14th Flotilla, as NETTLE Force, to carry out operations off the islands. Operation ACCOLADE had not gone well. The Americans were supposed to have provided air cover, which did not happen, and the Germans were supposed to have been driven off Rhodes and its airfields, and that did not happen either. What had happened was that the islands of Kos, Kalymnos and Leros were occupied by the British and Greeks (and their new Italian allies), but one by one, the Germans retook them, (and executed any Italian officers they captured), until only Leros held out. With no air cover, the only way to supply the garrison at Leros was for the Navy to get to neutral Turkish waters and lay up by day, and hare in under cover of darkness, unload, and race back to Alexandria before the Germans had a chance to sink them. Some strategy.
Jack Perks in ADRIAS takes over the story.
"21 October. Away from Alex at 0300 for the Dodecanese islands in company with AURORA (cruiser), JERVIS, PATHFINDER and D22 in HURWORTH. Bombed during the Middle Watch; near miss and everything soaked. Slipped away and hid with HURWORTH in Yedi Atala, Gokova Korfezi.
"22 October. Grand, loch-like scenery; wooded slopes and blue water. Paradise -until midnight. Proceeding quietly until off Kos about 2200 a violent explosion, and everything seemed to fall around me. When I collected myself, I saw that the bridge was a shambles, but miraculously no one on the bridge was hurt, but bodies from 'A' gun were lying about, and the twin guns were pointing backwards over the bridge screen, and a dreadful smell. Helped Captain Toumbas to leave the bridge and gave him my lifebelt, as he was injured by hitting the binnacle. (We) all proceeded aft to the Searchlight and Secondary Steering Position, and it was decided to try and save the ship. Captain D in HURWORTH was informed by visual signal, and he came close on our port quarter, but almost immediately there was a suspect E-boat on our starboard, and when told, he shot off round our bow to engage, but found nothing. (Must have been our air-locked bows still afloat). He started to slew round to come alongside our starboard, and there was a roar and huge sheets of flame enveloping HURWORTH from stem to stern, only about 30 yards away from us. We could do nothing to help, and Captain Toumbas decided to steer for the nearby Turkish coast, while all pumps and Damage Control was employed, rather than Jerry-occupied Kos nearby. We grounded at Gumersluk at 0200.
Captain Toumbas of ADRIAS also put his recollections to paper.
"...at 2156 a tremendous double tremor shook the ship. ...the explosion was seen by HURWORTH, who immediately turned and started flashing. Communication was impossible as all the lights were in pieces. We tried to get through with a torch. HURWORTH came near to us and D22 himself passed the following signal by voice; "Am coming alongside to take your crew and then sink the ship" I answered through the BNLO (British Naval Liaison Officer, Lt Herbert Walkinshaw) that I did not agree with sinking the ship and that I was going to ground her in Turkish territorial waters. The above order was repeated twice, and each time my reply was negative. The only thing I agreed to was to allow a certain number of crew whose presence was unnecessary, to be transferred aboard HURWORTH before proceeding to Turkish territorial waters. ...HURWORTH was manoevring to come alongside us, to take over those of the crew which were not needed, and was approximately 200 yards off our starboard side. It was 2210 when a terrific explosion was seen on HURWORTH, on her starboard side, as high as the Captain's cabin. loud whistling noises were heard, and a flash seen which reached a height of at least 100 yards. HURWORTH was thrown into the air, and the ship disappeared instantly.
They had run into a small minefield, laid only days earlier by the German minelayer DRACHE, which was also to claim the destroyer ECLIPSE a day later. (Surely air reconnaisance would have picked this up). The islanders of Pserimos had watched the field being laid, but had no way to alert the Allies.
The mine had exploded directly below the bridge, blowing all the bridge personnel into the air and down into the water, and probably blowing out the Boiler Room bulkhead, one of the key structural components of the ship. The explosion would have destroyed the Boiler Rooms and all the lower compartments of the bridge structure. Her back broken, the two halves separated and sank. ADRIAS was luckier, the mine that damaged her struck below the forward gun, blowing it backwards over her bridge, and separating the hull below the gun mount. At least she stood a chance of survival if the rest of her bulkheads held, which happily, they did; HURWORTH never had that chance, she had gone.
AB Jack Butcher’s account of events on the 22 October 1943 is as follows:
When HMS Adrias struck a mine, the order was given to man the motor boat in order to pick up survivors and as I was bowman in the motor boat I started making my way to the stern. I had reached the break in the fo’c’sle and had started down the ladder when HMS Hurworth in turn hit a mine. I was thrown into the air by the explosion and don’t remember landing but came to amidships about 15 feet from the ladder lying face down pinned under ammunition crates which were being delivered to the troops on Leros . I couldn’t get up due to the weight of the crates but lifted my head in time to see a ball of flame rolling along the upper deck from the stern and heading my way. I put my head down under my arms and remember feeling intense heat. At this point something gave way and the ship did a sudden lurch which sent the deck on which I was lying a foot underwater. When it came up again the crates had shifted enough for me to be able to get up.
I went directly to the side with the intention of jumping over but AB Arthur (Lofty) Moorcroft shouted “No, Butch, go to the other side!” I ended up jumping off the stern on the starboard side, where a Carley raft had just been dropped. I secured myself a place with about 14 others. We could see land but the current was strong. Someone said “Come on, lads, we can swim this bit” and 8 or 9 men, including myself, left the raft and started swimming. I got about 20 feet from the raft and changed my mind as I was not a particularly strong swimmer. I went back and hung onto the raft. In the morning there was nothing to be seen but the Carley raft. At this point we had been in the water for about 8 hours.
At some point after it got light the motor boat turned up manned by a few survivors of the port watch motor boat crew. The boat was listing badly as it had sustained some damage (a large hole in the side) but with judicious distribution of weight they were able to ferry survivors a few at a time to a small bare island, no more than a hump of land populated by a herd of goats which the locals would visit a couple of times a week to attend to the animals. Here we stayed for a few hours resting and drying out our money under stones. I think there may have been about 20 men in total.
When the time came to leave we were told to get rid of anything which could give the game away and we therefore sank any unnecessary gear using stones. Two local goat tenders had arrived and pointed to some land in the distance saying it was Turkey (approximately 5 miles away). We all piled back into the motor boat, having first rammed cloth into the hole and, all carefully sitting on one side, set off for Turkey. Half way across a German bomber flew in low overhead, carrying out a routine check on the islands. Feeling that our luck had run out and not able to think of anything else to do, the leading hand suddenly shouted “Wave to him!” The whole crew waved and cheered and the pilot waved back and passed over!
About a mile from the Turkish mainland we passed around the back of an island with trees but as we got within a few yards we realised that there were armed men hiding in the bushes. These luckily turned out to be freedom fighters (Greek guerrillas) who could speak some English. When we stood up and announced that we were “Inglaterra” we were invited to land, given tea and made welcome. They then loaded us into their own boat and gave us a lift the rest of the way to Turkey.
On reaching Turkey we saw that HMS Adrias had been run up onto the beach, with her bows gone.
Once we were safely landed a Doctor came and patched us up using blue tannic acid jelly to treat our burns. From here we were all, including Commander Wright and a few Greek survivors from the Adrias, taken on board a local fishing boat and set off up the coast to Izmir. The boat was fitted with a tarpaulin from gunwale to gunwale and we were instructed to get underneath if a plane should come over. At some point we heard a bullet whistle over our heads, which we later assumed was fired by the Turkish police. The boat had to pull in and the skipper told us to keep
out of sight while he went ashore to explain himself. He must have been quite convincing as after a short while he returned and the boat carried on up the coast. Throughout this time we were sustained by a supply of water melon from the fishermen. At one point, as we got towards Izmir in the dark we passed a U-boat sitting on the surface presumably charging its batteries. We just kept very quiet and carried on our way.
It was daylight by the time we reached Izmir and came alongside a jetty. We walked up the steps and were met by a Turkish officer with a revolver. A car came and collected Commander Wright, who had a spinal injury. The rest of us had to walk on to a hospital run by nuns where we spent the next three months being nursed by the nuns who looked after us well. We were treated for our burns and several had broken bones which required setting. We were visited by Embassy staff who brought us civilian clothes
During the time we were there we were able to nip out occasionally although this was against orders. There was a caretaker called Albert who lived in a hut by the gate and we were able to climb a tree and jump onto the roof of his hut to get back in.
I later discovered that AB Bastable managed to swim to a German held island and was a POW for the rest of the war. He eventually returned to his home town where he lived until his death about three years ago. As for myself, I am currently 85 and still going strong!
After about three months we were sent back to base. Some were flown back but I didn’t fancy flying and, choosing the slower route, came back by train. We got as far as Aleppo on the Turkish/Syrian border where we were told by guards to get out and taken to a hospital consisting of nissan huts in the desert. The next day we got into a flat-backed lorry used for transporting pig swill and were driven to Beirut to the naval base, which took a couple of hours. We pulled up on the parade ground at the Naval Barracks in Beirut where all the troops were lined up for inspection by a visiting dignitary. The Chief Petty Officer came over and enquired if we were the boxing team. On being told that we were survivors from HMS Hurworth he said “Good God, take them to the canteen and feed them ....... and keep them out of sight!”. We were fed, given beds for the night and kitted out with army battle-dress to wear with naval hats. We arrived in Alexandria at HMS Canopus which was the barracks and told to go to a convalescent home on the coast, which was run by a Vicar, for two weeks rest. I remember the home had a flat roof which was good for roller-skating!
After this period of recuperation I was considered “fit for light duties” and went back as lorry driver at HMS Canopus. During this time I was instructed to take a shore party to Alexandria and wait for them. I had a giddy spell whilst there and tried going for a walk along the seafront to clear my head. This didn’t help and I informed the Petty Officer who reported me sick. I was sent to 64th General Hospital in Alexandria where I spent quite a few weeks.
From there I went to HMS Sphinx where I received drafting for home on the Isle de France, which was a French troop ship, back to Liverpool then by train to HMS Victory in Portsmouth.
I was granted five weeks leave after which I was told to report to the Office. During that five weeks France was invaded. I was sent to the Military Hospital at Sherborne, Dorset for 2 – 3 weeks, from where I was discharged Medically Unfit. I had been away for 2 years 4 months in total.
Just for the record, your website mentions Commander Wright’s “party trick” for mooring the ship. I have some firsthand knowledge of this as I was official “Buoy Jumper”. The drill was that on entering harbour AB “Willie” Pointer would pass a long pole down from the fo’c’sle to the buoy and hold onto it, walking back along the deck to keep the pole upright as the ship slowly came to a halt. My job was to slide down the pole onto the buoy to make the ship fast. Although this was obviously a tricky manoeuvre, it worked well until on one occasion Willie was unable to hold the pole in place and I missed the buoy and landed in the water. After this the practice was discontinued as it was considered too dangerous!
RECOLLECTIONS KINDLY PROVIDED BY THE WEBSITE MENTIONED BELOW
http://www.hmshurworth.co.uk/Index.htm
Rank Able Seaman.
Service number D/J 97767.
Regiment Royal Navy.
Date of death 17th November 1945.
Age 40.
Grave reference Sec. C. 2649.
Charles Russell born 19o5, birth registered Barton Upon Irwell. The son of William and Annie Russell. He married Martha Ann Fenney (1) in 1940, the couple lived 38 Ringlow Park Road, Swinton.
GEORGE MEDAL RECIPRIENT
Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood
St James' Palace, SW1
30 May 1944
"The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the George Medal to:-
Able Seaman Charles Russell, D/J 97767
for gallantry in saving life when HMS HURWORTH was lost. Able Seaman Russell was very badly burned, but helped to launch the motor boat and when one of the slips jammed, he kept his head and by unshackling the deck clench got the boat clear just before the ship sank. With four other hands he then took the boat ashore and lay up for the night. At dawn he slipped out unobserved, made his way past enemy shipping and returned to the scene of the sinking. In two trips he picked up thirty-eight survivors and landed them on an island. Able Seaman Russell was in charge throughout, and but for his undaunted courage, determination and seamanship, it is unlikely that many of the survivors would have been rescued."
Fifth Supplement to The London Gazette of Friday 26th May 1944
March 1944 charles aged 38 sent a cutting from an Alexandrian newspaper to his wife giving details of the the ships fate . He is in hospital in Alexandria recovering from serious wounds and burns received in the action.
Served in the navy for almost 25 years, ( so at death was 25 years ). He volunteered shortly after WWI aged 15 ½. After a short time out of service he was called back as a reservist on the outbreak of WWII.
He attended Holy Rood School, Swinton. Married for four years.
During the few months out of the navy he was employed by Swinton and Pendlebury Corporation.
May 1944
Mrs Russell 32 years old, knew of her husbands injuries but he had made no reference to his heroic actions.
Now out of hospital and has returned to light duties.
************************************************************************************************************
RECOLLECTIONS KINDLY PROVIDED BY THE WEBSITE MENTIONED BELOW
http://www.hmshurworth.co.uk/Index.htm
Dedicated to the memory of HMS HURWORTH 1939-1943
SCHOLES, WALTER ERIC
The information below was been very kindly provided by Walter's wife
My husband, Walter Eric Scholes, was on board the Hurworth and was one of the survivors. He died in 1986.This is his story as he told it to me. When the ship sank he jumped into the water and eventually got on to a carley float where he stayed until daylight. Eventually one of the ship's lifeboats, which was partially launched during the attack was eventually launched; but as it was dark the man in charge took it to the nearest island. At daybreak he sailed round looking for survivors and rescued my husband and the other men on the carley float. He took them back to an island where eventually they were picked up and taken to Bodrum in Turkey but they were not allowed to stay because of Turkey's neutrality.
They were then taken to the small island of Castelrosso (Kastelorizo), then on to Alexandria.
After two days they were taken to Ishmailia to a rest camp; there were forty people there. They were well looked after and fed and entertained by ENSA.
My husband was then designated to H.M.S. Canopus shore base and from there to a shore base in Tripoli in Syria. as petty officer in charge of supplies. They were not allowed home on compassionate leave as we had lost 6 destroyers.
Eventually he was allocated to Valletta in Malta where he was in charge of supplying submarines.
He was eventually allowed home in October the following year, 1944
Much, but not all of the following material is taken from the excellent CHURCHILL'S FOLLY, by Anthony Rogers, compulsory reading for all those with an interest in the ill-fated Aegean Campaign, cross-referred our own survivors' accounts of the sinking.
On Trafalgar Day, 21 October 1943, she left Alexandria for the last time, with the cruiser AURORA, her 'chummy' ship ADRIAS, and the Fleet Destroyers JERVIS and PATHFINDER of the 14th Flotilla, as NETTLE Force, to carry out operations off the islands. Operation ACCOLADE had not gone well. The Americans were supposed to have provided air cover, which did not happen, and the Germans were supposed to have been driven off Rhodes and its airfields, and that did not happen either. What had happened was that the islands of Kos, Kalymnos and Leros were occupied by the British and Greeks (and their new Italian allies), but one by one, the Germans retook them, (and executed any Italian officers they captured), until only Leros held out. With no air cover, the only way to supply the garrison at Leros was for the Navy to get to neutral Turkish waters and lay up by day, and hare in under cover of darkness, unload, and race back to Alexandria before the Germans had a chance to sink them. Some strategy.
Jack Perks in ADRIAS takes over the story.
"21 October. Away from Alex at 0300 for the Dodecanese islands in company with AURORA (cruiser), JERVIS, PATHFINDER and D22 in HURWORTH. Bombed during the Middle Watch; near miss and everything soaked. Slipped away and hid with HURWORTH in Yedi Atala, Gokova Korfezi.
"22 October. Grand, loch-like scenery; wooded slopes and blue water. Paradise -until midnight. Proceeding quietly until off Kos about 2200 a violent explosion, and everything seemed to fall around me. When I collected myself, I saw that the bridge was a shambles, but miraculously no one on the bridge was hurt, but bodies from 'A' gun were lying about, and the twin guns were pointing backwards over the bridge screen, and a dreadful smell. Helped Captain Toumbas to leave the bridge and gave him my lifebelt, as he was injured by hitting the binnacle. (We) all proceeded aft to the Searchlight and Secondary Steering Position, and it was decided to try and save the ship. Captain D in HURWORTH was informed by visual signal, and he came close on our port quarter, but almost immediately there was a suspect E-boat on our starboard, and when told, he shot off round our bow to engage, but found nothing. (Must have been our air-locked bows still afloat). He started to slew round to come alongside our starboard, and there was a roar and huge sheets of flame enveloping HURWORTH from stem to stern, only about 30 yards away from us. We could do nothing to help, and Captain Toumbas decided to steer for the nearby Turkish coast, while all pumps and Damage Control was employed, rather than Jerry-occupied Kos nearby. We grounded at Gumersluk at 0200.
Captain Toumbas of ADRIAS also put his recollections to paper.
"...at 2156 a tremendous double tremor shook the ship. ...the explosion was seen by HURWORTH, who immediately turned and started flashing. Communication was impossible as all the lights were in pieces. We tried to get through with a torch. HURWORTH came near to us and D22 himself passed the following signal by voice; "Am coming alongside to take your crew and then sink the ship" I answered through the BNLO (British Naval Liaison Officer, Lt Herbert Walkinshaw) that I did not agree with sinking the ship and that I was going to ground her in Turkish territorial waters. The above order was repeated twice, and each time my reply was negative. The only thing I agreed to was to allow a certain number of crew whose presence was unnecessary, to be transferred aboard HURWORTH before proceeding to Turkish territorial waters. ...HURWORTH was manoevring to come alongside us, to take over those of the crew which were not needed, and was approximately 200 yards off our starboard side. It was 2210 when a terrific explosion was seen on HURWORTH, on her starboard side, as high as the Captain's cabin. loud whistling noises were heard, and a flash seen which reached a height of at least 100 yards. HURWORTH was thrown into the air, and the ship disappeared instantly.
They had run into a small minefield, laid only days earlier by the German minelayer DRACHE, which was also to claim the destroyer ECLIPSE a day later. (Surely air reconnaisance would have picked this up). The islanders of Pserimos had watched the field being laid, but had no way to alert the Allies.
The mine had exploded directly below the bridge, blowing all the bridge personnel into the air and down into the water, and probably blowing out the Boiler Room bulkhead, one of the key structural components of the ship. The explosion would have destroyed the Boiler Rooms and all the lower compartments of the bridge structure. Her back broken, the two halves separated and sank. ADRIAS was luckier, the mine that damaged her struck below the forward gun, blowing it backwards over her bridge, and separating the hull below the gun mount. At least she stood a chance of survival if the rest of her bulkheads held, which happily, they did; HURWORTH never had that chance, she had gone.
AB Jack Butcher’s account of events on the 22 October 1943 is as follows:
When HMS Adrias struck a mine, the order was given to man the motor boat in order to pick up survivors and as I was bowman in the motor boat I started making my way to the stern. I had reached the break in the fo’c’sle and had started down the ladder when HMS Hurworth in turn hit a mine. I was thrown into the air by the explosion and don’t remember landing but came to amidships about 15 feet from the ladder lying face down pinned under ammunition crates which were being delivered to the troops on Leros . I couldn’t get up due to the weight of the crates but lifted my head in time to see a ball of flame rolling along the upper deck from the stern and heading my way. I put my head down under my arms and remember feeling intense heat. At this point something gave way and the ship did a sudden lurch which sent the deck on which I was lying a foot underwater. When it came up again the crates had shifted enough for me to be able to get up.
I went directly to the side with the intention of jumping over but AB Arthur (Lofty) Moorcroft shouted “No, Butch, go to the other side!” I ended up jumping off the stern on the starboard side, where a Carley raft had just been dropped. I secured myself a place with about 14 others. We could see land but the current was strong. Someone said “Come on, lads, we can swim this bit” and 8 or 9 men, including myself, left the raft and started swimming. I got about 20 feet from the raft and changed my mind as I was not a particularly strong swimmer. I went back and hung onto the raft. In the morning there was nothing to be seen but the Carley raft. At this point we had been in the water for about 8 hours.
At some point after it got light the motor boat turned up manned by a few survivors of the port watch motor boat crew. The boat was listing badly as it had sustained some damage (a large hole in the side) but with judicious distribution of weight they were able to ferry survivors a few at a time to a small bare island, no more than a hump of land populated by a herd of goats which the locals would visit a couple of times a week to attend to the animals. Here we stayed for a few hours resting and drying out our money under stones. I think there may have been about 20 men in total.
When the time came to leave we were told to get rid of anything which could give the game away and we therefore sank any unnecessary gear using stones. Two local goat tenders had arrived and pointed to some land in the distance saying it was Turkey (approximately 5 miles away). We all piled back into the motor boat, having first rammed cloth into the hole and, all carefully sitting on one side, set off for Turkey. Half way across a German bomber flew in low overhead, carrying out a routine check on the islands. Feeling that our luck had run out and not able to think of anything else to do, the leading hand suddenly shouted “Wave to him!” The whole crew waved and cheered and the pilot waved back and passed over!
About a mile from the Turkish mainland we passed around the back of an island with trees but as we got within a few yards we realised that there were armed men hiding in the bushes. These luckily turned out to be freedom fighters (Greek guerrillas) who could speak some English. When we stood up and announced that we were “Inglaterra” we were invited to land, given tea and made welcome. They then loaded us into their own boat and gave us a lift the rest of the way to Turkey.
On reaching Turkey we saw that HMS Adrias had been run up onto the beach, with her bows gone.
Once we were safely landed a Doctor came and patched us up using blue tannic acid jelly to treat our burns. From here we were all, including Commander Wright and a few Greek survivors from the Adrias, taken on board a local fishing boat and set off up the coast to Izmir. The boat was fitted with a tarpaulin from gunwale to gunwale and we were instructed to get underneath if a plane should come over. At some point we heard a bullet whistle over our heads, which we later assumed was fired by the Turkish police. The boat had to pull in and the skipper told us to keep
out of sight while he went ashore to explain himself. He must have been quite convincing as after a short while he returned and the boat carried on up the coast. Throughout this time we were sustained by a supply of water melon from the fishermen. At one point, as we got towards Izmir in the dark we passed a U-boat sitting on the surface presumably charging its batteries. We just kept very quiet and carried on our way.
It was daylight by the time we reached Izmir and came alongside a jetty. We walked up the steps and were met by a Turkish officer with a revolver. A car came and collected Commander Wright, who had a spinal injury. The rest of us had to walk on to a hospital run by nuns where we spent the next three months being nursed by the nuns who looked after us well. We were treated for our burns and several had broken bones which required setting. We were visited by Embassy staff who brought us civilian clothes
During the time we were there we were able to nip out occasionally although this was against orders. There was a caretaker called Albert who lived in a hut by the gate and we were able to climb a tree and jump onto the roof of his hut to get back in.
I later discovered that AB Bastable managed to swim to a German held island and was a POW for the rest of the war. He eventually returned to his home town where he lived until his death about three years ago. As for myself, I am currently 85 and still going strong!
After about three months we were sent back to base. Some were flown back but I didn’t fancy flying and, choosing the slower route, came back by train. We got as far as Aleppo on the Turkish/Syrian border where we were told by guards to get out and taken to a hospital consisting of nissan huts in the desert. The next day we got into a flat-backed lorry used for transporting pig swill and were driven to Beirut to the naval base, which took a couple of hours. We pulled up on the parade ground at the Naval Barracks in Beirut where all the troops were lined up for inspection by a visiting dignitary. The Chief Petty Officer came over and enquired if we were the boxing team. On being told that we were survivors from HMS Hurworth he said “Good God, take them to the canteen and feed them ....... and keep them out of sight!”. We were fed, given beds for the night and kitted out with army battle-dress to wear with naval hats. We arrived in Alexandria at HMS Canopus which was the barracks and told to go to a convalescent home on the coast, which was run by a Vicar, for two weeks rest. I remember the home had a flat roof which was good for roller-skating!
After this period of recuperation I was considered “fit for light duties” and went back as lorry driver at HMS Canopus. During this time I was instructed to take a shore party to Alexandria and wait for them. I had a giddy spell whilst there and tried going for a walk along the seafront to clear my head. This didn’t help and I informed the Petty Officer who reported me sick. I was sent to 64th General Hospital in Alexandria where I spent quite a few weeks.
From there I went to HMS Sphinx where I received drafting for home on the Isle de France, which was a French troop ship, back to Liverpool then by train to HMS Victory in Portsmouth.
I was granted five weeks leave after which I was told to report to the Office. During that five weeks France was invaded. I was sent to the Military Hospital at Sherborne, Dorset for 2 – 3 weeks, from where I was discharged Medically Unfit. I had been away for 2 years 4 months in total.
Just for the record, your website mentions Commander Wright’s “party trick” for mooring the ship. I have some firsthand knowledge of this as I was official “Buoy Jumper”. The drill was that on entering harbour AB “Willie” Pointer would pass a long pole down from the fo’c’sle to the buoy and hold onto it, walking back along the deck to keep the pole upright as the ship slowly came to a halt. My job was to slide down the pole onto the buoy to make the ship fast. Although this was obviously a tricky manoeuvre, it worked well until on one occasion Willie was unable to hold the pole in place and I missed the buoy and landed in the water. After this the practice was discontinued as it was considered too dangerous!
RECOLLECTIONS KINDLY PROVIDED BY THE WEBSITE MENTIONED BELOW
http://www.hmshurworth.co.uk/Index.htm
Susan Tydd
Please do not reproduce without permission
Please do not reproduce without permission