WW2

World War II

HMS Gambia aerial view pre 1953

HMS Gambia sea view, pre 1953,

From left to right, Marines Steptoe, Bowkett, Henshaw, Stockton, Griggs, Brown, Ellis, Smith and Jack Maben.

How many of them are still alive today, I wonder?

A brief history of the movements of the ship have been sent to me by Peter Maben Son of Jack, to whom I am most grateful.

Prior to joining Gambia, he served on HMS Shropshire from 7.1.42 to 5.4.43 on South Atlantic convoy escort duties.

He joined HMS Gambia at Liverpol on 23.9.43 and thereafter was based at Plymouth for a short while.

In early 1944 after a visit to Horta in the Azores (15.12.43) HMS Gambia sailed to Gibraltar (2.2.44), Alexandria (6.2.44) Aden (13.2.44.) Ceylon (20.2.44) Wellington and Auckland, New Zealand (4 and 8.11.44) Dunedin (26.1.45) Sydney, New South Wales (17.2.45) and served in the British Pacific Fleet under command of Admirals Nimitz and Halsey.

He landed at Asuma for liberation of P.O.W.'s (30.8.45) and for the occupation of Yokusuki Naval Base (3.9.45)

Wackayama P.O.W.'s were liberated (15.9.45), Yokohama (21.9.45) and thereafter Tokyo.

He returned to Auckland for a long leave and then returned to the U.K. 27.3.46 at whch time he was demobbed and left theGambia.

Battle Ensign at Kamaishi.

I am most grateful to Peter Maben who has sent me all of the photographs which appear above.

4" & X Turret in action at Kamaishi

X Gundeck Crew members, Marines Lewis, Shaw and Cowie.

Four Barrel Pom-Pom, and some not so heavily

dressed crew? (What no anti-flash gear?)

Below, Recovering Torpedo - Hauraki

Below,Twin Oerlikon

Below,Vice Admiral Brind and Captain Edwards

Below,Passing through Suez Canal

RECOLLECTIONS OF ABLE SEAMAN ERIC PALMER

H.M.S. GAMBIA 1942-1943

I joined "Gambia" in September 1942 to gether with some 750 men - regulars, conscripts a fairly mixed bag.

After an initial "shakedown" and appointment duties, we sailed on our first mission - torpedo trials on Loch Long, a beautiful Scottish Loch - but cold, cold!

Thence on to Scapa Flow for our final sea trials, again - cold, cold!

Then blessedly into the warm South Atlantic bound for our final destination Mombossa, East Africa, and base for the Far Eastern Fleet.

St. Helena, Freetown, Cape Town, Durban and finally Mombassa, which was to be our base for a year.

Gambia was a happy ship under the command of Captain Mansergh, a great gentleman always courteous to all ranks (unless you put a foot wrong, of course). I had some personal contact with him, as I was, for a while, detailed to clean his quarters and never felt ill at ease in his presence. Even after 60 years, I still remember him with respect and affection.

Now, back to Mombassa. The Far Eastern Fleet comprised ships from half the free Nations of the World, Dutch, Free French, Norwegain, Canadian, you name it, they were there.

Gambia was a bit of a "dogsbody" in the Indian Ocean, watchdog against roving Japanese, countless convoys, missions to the Seychelles. We crossed and recrossed the equator regularly.

We also carried a contingent of Marines including a very fine band. Myself and my old shipmate "Hutch" (who has remained my friend over 60 years) were both musicians and were welcomed into the Marine Band. There was a wealth of talent on the Gambia and we gave regular concerts in the Aircraft Hanger.

Where ever we stayed for a "refit" the locals usually threw parties or dances for the Officers at which we supplied the music - a pleasant "pay-off" for our musical abilities!

I must now recount the "Battle of Tamatave"! Madagascar, a strategic island off the coast of Africa was then in the hands of the Vichy French and although there had been a reasonably successful British landing in the North, parts of the island remained in Vichy hands.

So, a veritable Armada sailed to subjugate the regional town of Tamatave. We stood a fair way off shore and demanded that they surrender - without response!

The call was repeated and again ignored and we were then commanded to fire one round apiece. I was in one of the forward 6" gun turrets apprehensively awaiting the scream of enemy shells! Well, the Armada fired its round and knocked out the Lighthouse and about one thousand Date Palms!

Eventually, a lone figure came pedalling down the jetty on a bicycle bearing a White Flag! so ended "The Battle of Tamatave"!!

The ultimate achievement of our duties in the Indian Ocean was to convoy forty thousand Australian Troops from the Middle East back to Australia.

This had to be the mightiest convoy of the Second World War. All the Great Liners of the World had been commandeered to take them home to Freemantle W.A. "Isle De France", "RMS Queen Mary", "SS Amsterdam". "Normandie" and others I can't remember plus an armada of guarding warships comprised the convoy.

In retrospect it was a logistical miracle to convoy an entire Army safely across a dangerous sea without loss of man or ship.

We stayed in Freemantle for quite an extensive refit, prior to sailing back to England. I fell in love with Australia on the spot and after many vicissitudes, returned with a wife and son in 1948 to spend the rest of my life in this wonderful Country.

Gambia returned to England sometime in July 1943 to a cold, bleak Liverpool day. My last and final memory of the Gambia was of Gangway Duty to witness the final humiliation of our lovely new ship being fumigated against Bed Bugs, Cockroaches and other nasties collected from our friends of the Far East!

I won't be reconciled to her being turned over to the New Zealand Navy (Australians aren't all that keen on Kiwis!)

In my recollection she is still as she was when I left her in 1943.

If there are any of my shipmates still alive and I guess there are not that many, please forgive any lapse of memory of an old A.B.

Bless you, GAMBIA. R.I.P.

ERIC PALMER

I am most grateful to Eric and Doreen for putting the above together and sending it to me. I do hope if there are any others from that era who are still surviving, they will send Eric their best wishes and try and recollect their thoughts of what happened to them during WW2.

Many many thanks to you Eric.

Bill Hartland

Editor

Below, HMS Initmitable.

Aircraft Carrier.

This page was last updated on: October 14, 2011

Hits to the Indomitable....

Painting on side of Walrus

Crossing the Line Ceremony below

Walrus from Mauritius

More Action Stations Photographs.

New Book Information

In 1941 HMS Hecla was based at Hvalfiord, Iceland, she tended the captured German U-boat U-570 until the boat was towed to UK and renamed HMS Graph. On 16 April 1942 the German minelayer Doggerbank laid 80 EMC mines in 5 sections off Cape Agulhas. On May 15th whilst on passage eastward to join the Far Eastern Fleet she struck a mine in one of these sectors, Hecla was seriously damaged, but managed to reach Simonstown towed by the cruiser HMS Gambia, and the South African Naval Forces two minesweepers Southern Barrier and Terje who swept ahead of the escort. On immediate arrival she was placed in the Selborne dry dock. June was spent in the Selborne dry dock affecting repairs to the underwater damage. The explosion had occurred under her huge workshops and storerooms. Dozens of torpedoes and mines were scattered and destroyed, but fortunately none exploded. A total of 24 men lost their lives, and 112 were wounded. The dead were buried in False Bay Simonstown. July was spent conducting trials in False Bay. August - September, was again spent in the dry dock, later during September she was declared operational. On November 12th, during the Allied landings in North Africa, Hecla was torpedoed just after midnight by U-515 and sunk. The escorting destroyer HMS Marne was also torpedoed whilst attempting to rescue the survivors, and the destroyer had to be towed to Gibraltar. The destroyer HMS Venomous succeeded in rescuing more survivors from Hecla and landed them at Casablanca. In all 279 off her crew went down with the ship and 568 men were rescued.

Hit by U-boat

Sunk on 12 Nov, 1942 by U-515 (Henke).

History as told from the Opposition.....