Mr Green wrote to Navy News, saying he was interested in the account printed in our July edition of the disastrous PQ17 convoy to Russia in July 1942 (see Navy News Online yesterday).

Here he gives his recollections of the events which led up to the devastating attacks by German aircraft and submarines.

“I was the Senior Leading Seaman Asdic/sonar rating on board one of the corvettes, La Malouine.

“Originally she was built for French naval ratings, but only half a ship’s company of Frenchmen could be found, so after a few months the Royal Navy took the ship over and, incidentally, after the changeover, always flew the French flag and the White Ensign.

“I joined her at Tilbury Docks about April 1942 and noticed I was one of only three active service ratings on board. Eyebrows were raised when housings were welded above the main deck to take three Oerlikon guns each side.

“On completion of the refit the ship proceeded to Londonderry for the usual shakedown.

“We then sailed in a northern direction and were informed that the ship would be part of the escort of a convoy called the PQ17.

“On arrival at Seidisfjord, Iceland, our postman landed to collect the mail. It was known that people of this country were pro-Axis. This was demonstrated to us by seeing our postman walk along the road and pass six houses.

“Out of the window of one of the houses we saw a young girl give Postie a wave. Immediately her mother pulled her back inside the room and close the window.

“The next day we sailed. In due course we joined the gathering of ships and took up our station on the port bow of the convoy.

“What happened later has been well documented. Suffice it to say before the scattering of the convoy, during one raid, one of the aircraft was shot down.

“The La Malouine was nearest and proceeded to attempt to pick up the crew that by this time were in their rubber dinghy. At the same time another aircraft with floats fitted landed near the dinghy and picked up the crew and flew off.

“We, along with other ships, tried to bring down the rescue plane but the craft took off quite happily. We brought the dinghy inboard.

“The contents of the dinghy were binoculars, flying gloves, flying boots and a compass. All these items were ordered to be sent to the bridge.

“Naturally, fatigue set in for the convoy, as the raids by air and U-boat were in relays, and as there were no nights to give a little respite, tiredness was a big factor.

“Furthermore, as the weather was excellent and warm, unfortunately with warmth on the surface of the sea, it tended to bend sonar beams down, thus any U-boat at periscope depth had a fair chance of not being detected. I noticed this with the wakes of other ships.

“A few days later, and following a battering by aircraft on American Independence Day, we noticed there was a lot of activity by the escorting destroyers, and they all seemed to be steering westward at high speed.

“Being on a little corvette, we did wonder what on earth was going on as we saw all the destroyers going flat out – and that was the last we saw of them.

“Later we were informed that the convoy had scattered and that as we were now eastwards of Bear Island we were to make for Archangel.

“We were informed about the Tirpitz, and lookouts were doubled up. It was the first time I saw engine room staff climb up the mast. Indeed, one or two tricks up the mast were carried out by the senior ERA.

“The wireless office kept receiving calls for assistance as the ships were sunk. The Captain and the Captain of the corvette HMS Poppy decided to skirt the ice cap.

“At about this time, to my horror, my sonar set broke down. Frankly, along with the rest of the crew I was in no fit state to start chasing defects.

“However, I did get the set going insofar as the set could still transmit, but if a submarine was detected the attacking would be very hit or miss.

“In exhaustion I slipped down by the feet of the duty sonar operator and dropped off. Naturally, my mind was still on the defect, and I dreamt I was back in Osprey and a Chief told me to go into the room where there was a sonar set that was defective and to get it ready for sea in 15 minutes. This was the usual passing-out routine for a class qualifying.

“I was successful – and awoke with a start. I immediately called to the bridge to stop the sonar for ten minutes. This was given and I immediately whipped off the control training unit and cleaned out the gap between the segments that were shorting together, and the set was once again operational.

“The two ships headed for Novaya Zemlya, in company with some of the convoy, and at last we sighted land.
“Entering a small type of entrance, the ship was about to anchor when we heeled over for a brief instant.

“I immediately checked out my sonar dome. It was no longer watertight, and furthermore my sonar transducer in the dome was useless.

“The few ships that made this inlet anchored and the crews immediately went to sleep in the sure knowledge that no submarine would sneak into the anchorage, it being too shallow. We hoped no aircraft would spot us.

“After about 12 hours the ships got under way and set sail for Archangel. By this time we had gathered four ships to escort, and proceeded south down the White Sea.

“Almost immediately we came under attack by aircraft. No ships were hit, but we picked up survivors in an open boat. They said a U-boat had surfaced and the Captain appeared immaculately dressed and informed them that the convoy had been destroyed. He then gave them a bottle of whisky and then sank beneath the waves.

“I think it was the second day that one of the four ships, the Hoosier, was hit, and the Captain decided to abandon ship. His crew made for the Poppy.

“Our Captain decided to go alongside the Hoosier in an attempt to tow her. The Captain put us alongside the Hoosier very neatly. A towing party went on board to sight out the towing arrangements, and as I had no sonar set, I also went on board.

“Almost immediately aircraft were spotted approaching. I went to the bridge of the Hoosier as I had spotted a pair of Browning guns on each side of the bridge. But by this time the Poppy had picked up the Hoosier crew and its captain went straight to the bridge and told the Poppy captain to get that ship away from the Hoosier as the fire on board was next to the magazine.

“The Poppy informed us and the Captain sounded the ship’s siren. Hearing that noise I left the bridge, but before doing so I spotted a splendid ship’s telescope. I grabbed hold of a flag from the signal locker, draped it over the telescope and brought the flag aboard.

“Thankfully we cleared the Hoosier safely, and indeed she soon sank.

“Now the reason I used the flag was when the items from the German dinghy were sent to the bridge, the next day all the young officers were seen to be sporting their spoils – the gloves, the binoculars, including the flying boots – so there was no way they were getting this telescope.

“Unfortunately, another of our force, the El Capitan, was attacked and sank. After that our little force arrived in Archangel.

“Our three-month stay there is another story, but it is worth mentioning a couple of points. The Russians were short of food, so all we received was a constant supply of bread. It tasted awful.

“Now during the war, wives and mothers in the UK were asked to knit woollen socks, jumpers, gloves and headgear. My mother did her bit with her friends. The La Malouine had a good stock of this clothing.

“As it was summer there was no need to issue this clothing to the crew. My mess discovered that manning the skiff and pulling across the river to a small village and bartering with the wives of these homes, they would take us to their back gardens and give us spades and we could dig for katoshkas (potatoes).

“When they considered we had collected enough we would swap our woollies for the potatoes. In the end we used to see the officers doing their bit in a garden further along.

“Point two. When the unfortunate Dieppe raid took place the Russians thought it was the start of the Second Front and gave each ship (I believe) a yak carcase. It proved to be delicious and was all gone in a day.

“We understood the Russians wanted the carcases back when the raid turned out to be a hit and run, but all the ships had consumed their yaks.

“And finally and this I still have bad dreams about, the Senior Officer of, I believe, the Palomares informed the trawler Northern Gem to transfer their dome and transducer to the La Malouine.

“Naturally, the Commanding Officer of Northern Gem was furious. However, I believe the Captain mellowed when he found that the four corvettes would carry out patrol duties up the White Sea.

“In September the PQ18 arrived, losing 14 ships out of 40. A number of days elapsed, and then the return journey got under way, and the La Malouine was stationed on the port quarter of the now-called convoy QP14.

“About two days later one of the old PQ18 escorts, HMS Leda, on the starboard bow of QP14, reported that her sonar had broken down.

“The Senior Officer ordered her to swap her station on the starboard bow with the La Malouine stationed on the convoy’s port quarter. During the night the Leda was torpedoed and, regrettably, no ship was sent to assist her.

“Over the years I often thought of that unfortunate crew, and how lucky the La Malouine crew was that the Senior Officer had made Northern Gem swap her dome and transducer with us.

“Finally, more than 50 years later, looking up information about the convoy on the Internet, I was amazed to see a photo of the Leda, prior to or after her being torpedoed. The U-boat also picked up some crew member survivors – thank goodness.”