8 HMS Anson 
King George V class Battleship
Launched 24th Feb.1942
Commissioned 22nd June 1942
Length 745' Beam 103'
44,000 Tons, 14" Guns.
Compliment: between 1,530 and 1.900 He joined the Anson on 5th Dec.1942. This ship was to become one of my father's favourites. He had some of his happiest times aboard her.
On the launch taking him out to the ship, he decided to put his head up and take a look at her. He forgot he did not have his chin strap on and the hat blew off overboard. Now to embark on a new ship without a hat was asking for trouble. The PO automaticaly put him on '1st Lt.parade' the next morning the Lt.asked him why he had lost his hat and he replied that he had not sewn on the chin strap. This got him 14 days No.10s, up at 6 and scrubbing decks. Nice way to start a new ship.
On the 22nd Dec.42, she sailed out of Loch Ewe. Joined with the Cumberland and 3 destroyers. they were to patrol to the south of convoy JW51B. The convoy Commander was Cpt.R.A Melhish. 14 Merchantmen were escorted to Russia.
On the 28th-29th rain turned into a gale of some force, 5 Merchantmen were lost.
She continued through 1943 as an escort ship not once did she have to use her guns in anger.
In Oct.43 she joined the Ranger task force 100 miles off Norway. The force included the USS Ranger the flag ship York 3 cruisers and 6 battleships. Again her guns remained silent.
She patrolled Iceland, Scarpa Flow and through to the Arctic Circle. If you look in on the photo section you will see her iced up.
The Anson did not have a 'Ping' ASDIC just a listening one. There were 4 ASDIC's aboard doing 4 hour watches. The ASDIC room was situated in the bows 3 decks down in the keel. My father always felt he was getting close to the Devil everytime he went on watch.
She came in for a refit to Tyneside. The work to be done was to fit steel barriers between Mess decks so that in case of water coming in it would not flow from Mess to Mess.
The dockyard crew came aboard to do the all the welding. During the night some bright spark thought it would be funny to weld all their gear to the deck. The whole ships company was punished for this.
Slightly out of order but another episode happened in Feb.43. The Anson was docked on the Clyde. My father decided, as a 22 year old who hadn't been married long would do, slink away for the weekend to see his wife and son.
All went well until the return journey. Bomb damage on the railway line meant that he was late back and missed roll call. He got 49 days detention for this at Base Eaglet.
Photos of HMS Anson |
HMS Cassandra 
'Ca' class Destroyer
Completed 28-7-44
1710 Tons,Length 363' Beam 36'
Compliment 186
Pennent D10 He joined the Cassandra on 7th July 1944.
She was a brand new ship and this was her first crew. The Captain was a young Lt.Geordie Leslie, later to become Rear Admiral Leslie.
She was attached to the Home Fleet with other 'C'class vessels. They formed the 6th Destroyer Flotilla.
On 2nd Nov.44, she escorted a small controversial convoy JW61A. The convoy was made up of 2 liners carrying 10,213 Soviet citizens, mainly prisoners of war for repatriation to the Soviet Union.
The convoy reached Kola inlet (Murmansk) on 6th Nov. and returned to the Clyde on 17th Nov.
On the 30th Nov. she left again for North Russia with convoy JW62. There were 31 ships the Commander was Rear Admiral Rhoderick McGrigor.
Although there was a U Boat presence they arrived safely on 7th Dec.
The return convoy RA62, 28 ships left Kola inlet on 10th Dec. 44. The Cassandra was torpedoed at 0600hrs on 11th.165 miles north of the inlet.
The torpedo had blown the bow off of her, forward of 'B' gun.
She was towed back into Kola inlet.
62 men were killed. Many crew were also injured including my Dad. He sustained a shoulder injury. This is part of his story he does not want to talk about because he lost many of his Mess pals.
The Cassandra took no further part in the war.
The battle of honour "Arctic 1944" was awarded to her.
Photo's of HMS Cassandra |
