hours off. Pat says that, “We saw disaster
all around, a destroyer blew up near us
and we went to pick up what survivors
we could there were so few, the carnage
seemed endless”.
A day he will never forget. “On Sunday
25th June. I was so tired; I took a camp
bed to a corner on the upper deck and
slept. I awoke to find myself with water
washing around my legs, the ship was
beginning to keel over, I had taken my top
off so only had my trousers and heavy lace
up boots on at the time. There had been
an explosion in the stern; we had run over
an acoustic mine. The blast had blown the
door off the nearby paint locker so there
was grey paint everywhere; I was covered
in the stuff. I was also bleeding from a
head wound”.
“Then the ship listed over and I was in the
water without a lifebelt, I did find one in the
water but gave it to a wounded chum of
mine I didn`t see him again. I had to get
away as the ship was going to roll on top
of me, I was on my back so I kicked and
managed to swim clear despite my boots.
Fortunately another landing craft came by
and threw me a line but I was too weak
to pull myself up so I was dragged out of
the water”. I was covered in a blanket
and that’s all I really remember at that
particular time.
“We had a crew of about 70 to 80 and I
have no idea how many survivors there
were but witnesses said the vessel just
exploded in a mass of flame, I think we
lost the majority of the ship`s company”.
Pat returned to the UK where, after
convalescence, he joined the Submarine
Service and was sent to the Far East
where he served in the 4th Submarine
Flotilla. Here the war was far from over,
the bitter fighting was continuing against
Japan. Pat joined H.M.Submarine
“Thule”, the Commanding Officer was the
renowned Commander Alistair Mars, Pat
did three wartime patrols on this boat he
then served in Hong Kong until the end
of the war. Pat says that his submarine
managed to fit in a very enjoyable “good
will tour” tour of Australia before returning
home to the United Kingdom.
So it is this whole episode of dedication to
duty and complete loyalty to the Service
to which he belonged and especially his
action on D-Day that has led to Pat`s
award. We are all so very proud of
this mild mannered man who now is a
Chevalier of the Legion Honneur and yet
still talks quietly of those he left behind in
the sea off Normandy.
A final word if I may..
On another day, when all the excitement
Pat reading ‘Acceptance Poem’ assisted by Harry Summerton
had quietened down he told me another
story which I felt was, in some way has
a strange relevance to his experience on
“French shores”. It is a story of a member
of his family that occurred in France during
the 19th Century.
Pat grew up in Shrewsbury where
members of his family still live.
The year is 1817, two years after the Battle
of Waterloo. Pat`s Great Grandmother,
Jane, is born in the town. In 1834 at
the age of 17 she left the “Lion Hotel”
Shrewsbury to take a coach to France, she
is off to join her sister Mary who is married
to a French Count and lives in Paris. Jane
is travelling alone.
Shrewsbury to Dover is approximately
246 miles. In 1830, the average speed
of a coach would have been 12mph, four
coaches would operate per route, two
going in each direction with two kept spare
for breakdown. There would have been
stops for horse changes and “convenience
breaks”; the journey would have taken
probably about 30 hours! At Dover she
would have taken a sailing ship to Calais
and then there is another 179 mile coach
trip to Paris. The journey, a total of 425
land miles plus 21 nautical miles, would
not have been an easy one and very
exhausting for a young lady!
In Paris she married and had a son but
unfortunately her husband died, times
were troublesome at this time and so in
1840 she returned to England.
On arrival at Dover she found that the train
service had now been introduced and was
available to her home town.
On arrival in Shrewsbury, being well
dressed in the latest French fashion, she
was “mobbed” at the station. A “Peeler”
came to her rescue and she was escorted
to a guest house near Castle Gates.
The next morning, having changed