Letters

Father was in Convoy RB1

(see this letter: Grandfather was a crew member in HMS Veteran)

HI THERE MAC,

WHAT AN INTERESTING SITE YOU HAVE, I HAVE JUST FOUND IT AND WAS HOOKED. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING MY DADS TIME IN THE D.E.M.S. HE WAS A GUNNER, HE WAS  IN REGARDS, JACKIE MARSH...A VERY PROUD DAUHAMERICA IN SEPTEMBER 1942, AND HIS FIRST TRIP WAS IN CONVOY RB1. THIS WAS A CONVOY OF SMALL RIVERBOATS, BEING BROUGHT TO ENGLAND FOR SHALLOW DRAFT WORK.

HE SAID WHEN THEY WENT TO JOIN THE BOAT , SS SOUTHLAND, THE CREW OF A LARGE SHIP WITH AN OVERHANGING STERN, WHERE SHE WAS PARKED BENEATH, ALL SHOUTED "DESERT YOU WILL NEVER MAKE IT ACROSS THE ATLANTIC " . HOWEVER HE DIDNT.. THEY WERE ATTACKED BY UBOATS AND SOME BOATS WERE LOST, INCLUDING HMS VETERAN AN ESCORT SHIP.

SINCE I HAVE BEGUN MY RESEARCH I HAVE DISCOVERED A BOOK WRITTEN BY A MEMBER OF THE OTHER ESCORTS CREW, HMS VANOC, IT IS CALLED CONVOY MANIAC RB1. APPARENTLEY THESE LITTLE BOATS WERE A DECOY FOR A LARGER CONVOY, AND 17 U BOATS WERE SENT TO SINK THEM!!!!!!!!! DAD IS NOW 81 AND WAS SHOCKED TO READ THE BOOK, AND FIND OUT THIS INFORMATION.

HE SERVED ON MANY OTHER MERCHANT SHIPS AFTER, AND THANKFULLY RETURNED IN ONE PIECE. I HAVENT FOUND ANY MENTION OTHER THAN THE BOOK OF THIS LITTLE CONVOY OF RIVERBOATS, HAVE YOU ANY KNOWLEDGE PLEASE??

REGARDS JACKIE MARSH..A VERY PROUD DAUGHTER OF..EDWARD ( LOFTY ) FULLWOOD WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND


Hello Jackie.

How nice to have your E-mail.

I fought in the Battle of the Atlantic over 1940/1941 in the Australian cruiser HMAS Australia, working out of Scapa Flow, the Clyde and Liverpool. At that time, I was an 18 year old midshipman, I am just a touch older than your Dad, being 82 on the 9th. of February.

Convoy RB1 was made up of Great Lake Steamers bound for UK, on the 26th. of September, 1942, in mid Atlantic they were attacked, and one of their escorts, an old WW1, V & W Class destroyer, HMS Veteran was struck by a torpedo fired by German U- Boat U-404. She sank and there were no survivors.

The Royal Australian Navy had a sister ship HMAS Vampire, when I was a 13 year old Cadet Midshipman at the Royal Australian Navcal College in 1936, in fact, Vampire was the very first ship in which I went to sea.

In a separate E- Mail, I will send you a photograph of HMS Veteran.

You have every reight to be very proud of your Dad, please give him my kindest regards.

With best wishes for 2004.
Mac.Gregory.

HMS Veteran

HMS Veteran


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