by Frank Shaw C/JX 152405

I left HMS Sussex which was in Gladstone Dock in Liverpool for a short refit in May 1940 and was drafted to Chatham Barracks (HMS Pembroke).

I was only there for a very short time before I was drafted to stand by a newly built Hunt Class Destroyer (HMS Hambledon) at Swan Hunter, Newcastle Upon Tyne.

We travelled as a Ship's Company in a special train all night to arrive at Newcastle Station in the early morning and from there were marched through the town to the shipyard.

We commissioned the ship within a few days and went on trials off the River Tyne. All went well and we sailed from Newcastle to Scapa Flow to work up. After about 3 weeks we sailed to Sheerness to become attached to the 21st Destroyer Flotilla which had been formed after the evacuation from Dunkirk. The ships of the Flotilla were as follows :

HM Ships Atherstone, Garth, Hambledon & Cattistock

The Hunt Class Destroyers that were completed in 1940 were; 890 tons (displacement), had a complement of approximately 142 Officers and Men and armed with 6x4inch guns. There were called Escort Vessels in 1938 not Destroyers as the Treasury were loathe to build any new destroyers after the Tribal Class so the Admiralty had to do a bit of hood winking.

We were based at Sheerness to be part of the Anti-Invasion Fleet and during the months of June through to September 1940 we were sent on constant night patrols in the English Channel and off the Dutch Coast. We were in action several times with German E-boats but whether we sank or damaged any of them I could not say. We did not receive any damage or casualties. During the day we were anchored off Sheerness and we used to open fire at the German bombers and fighters on their way to London. I have always thought that we were as much involved in the Battle of Britain as the RAF but we were not recognized as such. Perhaps we should have had a PR Department at the Admiralty to inform the media what was happening at sea. In the those days the RN were known as the 'Silent Service', a lot too silent if you ask me.

In late September 1940 an operation called 'Lucid' was masterminded by the late Captain Augustus Agar VC RN to put fire ships in Boulogne harbour at night to burn out all the invasion barges that were there. He had consulted the highest in the land about the operation right up to the Prime Minister Winston Churchill who had been very enthusiastic about it and given the go-head. Two old tankers were filled with a special mixture of petrol, diesel and heave oil known as Agars Special Mixture. The two tankers were brought round to Sheerness ready to sail in early October. The operation started on the night of 7th October 1940 and Hambledon (Cdr. S. H. Carlill RN) with Capt. Agar aboard in charge of the operation was leading ship. The other ships involved were Garth, Venetia and Witch. The Minesweepers Elgin, Hussar, Speedwill. MTB's 34 Norwegian 5 ML 106, 111.

All went well until we came around into the Channel and just off Dover the Hambledon set off an acoustic mine which severely damaged her. We took no further part in the operation as our main engines were out of action and we were dead in the water. Capt. Agar was transferred to one of the MTB's and was taken into Dover. The whole operation shortly afterwards was called off and the Hambledon was taken in tow by HMS Vesper and taken back to Sheerness. On the way back we were shelled by the Coastal Batteries stationed on the French coasts - luckily no hits.

7th October 1940:
We sailed from Sheerness at approximately 19:00 and as Senior Officer we took our position up ahead of the convoy of fire ships and escorting vessels.

I had the first watch and came onto the bridge around 20:00 to keep watch with the Yeoman of Signals. All was going quite well, weather reasonable and keeping good time. We were steaming at approximately 6½ knots which was not a safe speed to counteract the threat of the acoustic mines that were being laid at night by German aircraft from France. We had already in the past month set off mines along the South Coast when steaming at 20 knots or more. The mines use to blow up about 500 yards ahead of us from the vibration of the propellers, so 20 knots was a safe speed - not 6½ knots.

At 22:20 the Yeoman told me to hoist the Ensign, the flagstaff was on a platform abaft the funnel approached by a ladder up the side of the platform. I remember going up the ladder and hoisting the Ensign and starting to come down again when there was an almighty roar and a gust of wind and I found myself flat on my face on the deck. It was pitch dark but I realized the ship had been hit by something. I stood up and tried to take a step forward by my right leg just crumpled and I passed out.

The next thing I remember was lying alongside the funnel attended by the Doctor we had onboard. All I seemed to want was a drink of water but the Doctor wouldn't let me have any. During the night an attempt was made to transfer me to one of the MTB's to take me into Dover for urgent medical treatment but the weather was too rough. We made it around to Sheerness towed by HMS Vesper by 06:00 and a launch came out to take off the wounded. It was a wonderful sunny morning, blue sky and as I was lying on the stretcher I looked to the sky and a full scale German Luftwaffe raid was on its way to London. The AA guns were firing like made but not hits seemed to take place. I was landed and taken to the RN Hospital at Gillingham and that same afternoon was operated for a shattered right leg. I spent four months as a strict bed patient until my femur repaired and then I was transferred to Horton Emergency Hospital Epsom for the rest of my leg to be repaired.

The damage to my tib and fib was that I had lost two inches of bone just above my ankle which was a problem. There were no antibiotics in those days, only a shot of morphia if you were lucky. I was still in plaster to above the knee and got about on crutches or a wheelchair. I remained at Horton Hospital for the whole of 1941 coming under the care of Mr. Woods, Orthopedic Surgeon from Kings College Hospital. The trouble was that the wound above my ankle took a long time to heal and in early 1942 it was decided to graft a bit of bone from my left leg and bridge the gap on my right. A very tricky operation, all went well and my leg joined up again and in due course I was able to walk.

By October 1942, I was able to put forward for survey and find out whether I stayed in the RN or not. I went in front of a 'Medical Board' and they decided that I was no longer fit for service. I was discharged from the Royal Navy on Christmas Day 1942. It had taken two years and three months in hospital for me to recover.

I received a War Pension of 40% which in those days was 15 shillings a week, today 75p. My career in the RN was finished at the age of 21 years old so I had to find a job for the rest of my life. I joined my Father in the jewellery trade and spent 50 years as a dealer in second hand jewels retiring at the age of 70 years.

My wife Audrey and I enjoy our retirement and look forward to many happy years together.