Fleet Air Arm
Bert second from the left – Ballasala Isle of Man
Coastal Light Forces
Bert (centre back) with shipmates
In his own words (2005)
I’m 89 so my memory regarding far off dates is not great. It was definitely the first Radar set installed at the Beehive either late 1942 or early 1943.
The wireless cabin on Coastal Forces boats was too small to take two people [seamen were normally trained to operate radar]. 8 O’Tels from Pompey [Portsmouth] went to the Isle of Man on our way to Fort William and were put on a radar course.
When installed on ML110 the aerial rotated 90 degrees to port and 90 degrees to starboard.
Life at Beehive
MLs (mine laying) crews lived on board but MGB and MTB crews lived in the base. When we came into harbour after a night out there was always a rush to the showers as the last crew always ended up getting a cold shower – which mainly meant MLs.
St Nazaire
Coming in from the sea you had to line up on the jetty at the seaplane base. Several officers came along and pointed at some of the crew members. They disappeared making up the crews of MLs that went into St Nazaire including Sub-Lieutenant Barham ML100.
At Around 1941
For a short time, went on another boat with the Free French to replace a sick crew member. Their job was sub hunting at nighttime and daytime, that and picking up any airman shot down in the sea. We were based around the Jersey Coast.
1942
We were told that more exercise was needed, so our crew all went swimming on the days we didn’t go to sea, from March to November. We also played soccer; one match was MLs v MGBs – the MGBs won.
1943
Evelyn Laye came to present an ENSA show. That night all the boats went to sea. She refused to do the show for the RAF. When we came in next morning the show was performed for a very tired lot of sailors.
Once a dance was arranged at the Cavendish for the naval personnel at Beehive – it was a very lively evening.
An aside from Maggie… Bertie never served with Peter Scott, but he did have an encounter with him. He said Scott was gun happy. Whenever he saw anything, he shot at it, not making sure what it was first. Bertie’s boat was one of his victims, and Scott’s actions wounded 2 crew members. Bertie said he was hated by everyone.
General
I was not in Lieutenant Commander Robert Hitchens crew, but at Felixstowe from 1941-1943. During that time I never heard a bad word said against him. My memories Boxing Day 1942 Hitch wanted to go to sea but was short of a telegraphist. My skipper Brown-Watson put me forward as being sober enough to go to sea. We went out for 1½ hours, very quiet. Next day Brown-Watson called me into his cabin: “Hitchens was very pleased with you, will use you again.”
When Radar was fitted to a boat in Felixstowe, it was ML110. I was telegraphist. Hitchens was very interested. He came on board with other officers and I had the job of demonstrating the set. He acted as decoy, when we got out, arriving at the rendezvous point, I switched on the Radar set and picked up Hitchens 4 miles away and reported to the Captain as the 4 boats approached, until they were alongside. On his death, we were one of the crews attended his funeral in Felixstowe.
The officers always held a Robbie Burns Night. My skipper; Brown-Watson, dressed in his kilt and played the bagpipes.
We went to sea when it was dark and even a force 4 wind was too strong for us to go to sea.
During the summer time we went up to Pin Mills for engine trials. When tied up we would go swimming or get the dinghy out and go sailing. [Jane from the daily Mirror went there]
In 1965 we were touring in France as we came up from the beach a caravan had arrived driven by a motor mechanic from the MGBs at Beehive so we “swung the lamps”.
There was a wonderful comradeship amongst all the crews at Beehive. After the war I received several messages from the Union Jack Club wishing me well. The same radar set was installed in Barracuda Dive Bombers with a fixed aerial [I serviced them when transferred to the Fleet Airarm as a radar mechanic].
On Christmas Day the officers came onto the mess deck and gave us a bottle of beer.
Rear Admiral Bowes-Lyon came to Beehive and told us we had sunk 70,000 tonnes of shipping since we started mine laying.