The Drowned and the Saved

This is quite a good book if you like sinking in a hurricane force storm.

The story concerns the sinking of two ships, the damage done to two others, and the response of the islanders on Islay.

It is 1918, the war is heading towards its end, and US troops (called 'doughboys' far too often in this book) are crammed into ships crossing the Atlantic.  One, the Tuscania is sunk by U B-77 with a successful torpedo strike in February 1918.  The other is the larger ex-liner Otranto which in a heavy sea was struck by another convoy ship, the Kashmir. 

The Tuscania attempted to lower lifeboats, some went into the sea, others were badly handled by young, inexperienced and frightened crewmen, often on their first voyage.  The gale force winds, rearing seas high and violently did not help the escape pattern.  Eventually a destroyer arrived and with difficulty took many men of the ship.  Others in lifeboats were picked up, sometimes hours later, by trawlers working as minesweepers.  However, in spite of the rescue attempts a great many lifeboats made it to the coast of Islay and were dashed against the rocks.  Smashed lifeboats, raging seas, rocky shore and high cliffs led to many perishing on the coastline.  

On shore the locals rallied round in a rescue attempt.  Some risked their lives in the water hauling men from the waves, others climbed the cliffs to rescue stranded survivors, all took part in reclaiming the bodies washing up on the shore line.

Survivors were tended in farmhouses, school buildings, and sheds.  The local women spent many hours baking scones for the survivors and tending them in their beds.  Locals, who had already lost many men in the fighting in France and Flanders were keen to aid the US wounded lying before them.  It cost the all they had, but they would not ask for recompense.  These islanders knew the sea, and knew the cost of sailing on it in storms.  

Graves were dug in several places and the dead buried in solemn fashion.

During September 1918 another convoy of green US soldiers set sail.  The convoy followed orders by zig-zagging along the route to lessen the opportunity for passing U-Boats.  However, by the time the convoy rounded the north of Ireland with Scotland to the east a gale blew up.  A force 11 gale, that is hurricane force, lifted the seas to 40 feet heights.  Soon the ships in the dark lost what little sight they had of one another and it was up to the experience of the captains to make for their port.  It was not inevitable but accidents were likely, and by misjudging their position one turned to port while the other turned to starboard.  Neither noticed the other until it was too late. 

The Kashmir hit the Otranto midships, cutting a huge V-shaped wedge into her side.  The shock, in such waves was enormous.  The ships were disentangled, the Kashmir then made for her port desperate to avoid her damaged front taking in water.  She survived just.

The Otranto was badly damaged and attempts to lower lifeboats were hindered by inexperience, high seas, and boats turning over in the waves.  Eventually, one destroyer did make a foolhardy attempt to rescue men.  HMS Mounsey, who had seen action at the Battle of Jutland, attempted to come alongside.  The Otranto's mster demanded the Royal Navy back off before losing their ship also, but Lieutenant Craven, the man in charge, replied that he would take survivors or both go down together.

So began a frantic rescue operation in the dark, with high waves, a gale force wind, amid a rescue only a desperate man would attempt.  Craven attempted it.

Eight times he crashed his destroyer into the side of the liner, each time men tried to jump onto the Navy vessel.  Many fell between the ships and were crushed, others made it on board and were grabbed inside by the crew, held on tight to anything nearby, or were washed overboard by the sea.

This mad effort did rescue several hundred men, while others who had got into lifeboats made for the Islay coast.  So, several months after the last disaster Islay folk were once again finding bodies on the shore.  Once again they tended what survivors there were, very few this time, and once again they gave what they had to feed the living and bury the dead.  Some bodies, in dreadful state, did not land for several months.  

Of course once the need was known help came from the mainland eventually.  The second time they were better prepared and supported by the UK and US army.  The US Red Cross provided much support and material, replacing what the locals had lost.  A connection between the Islanders and the USA began that lasted for manty years, survivors returning long after the event to see again the Island people and the severe coastland.  

This is worth reading because of the response of the islanders alone.  They gave all they had to support the men who landed alive.  Such an example of giving that we possibly could not match.  They would have done the same for a German ship also if a submarine had floundered I suspect.  

Well worth a read, but it is harrowing reading during the rescue attempts. 

Excitement

As I woke excitement filled my heart.  

Now, in days past excitement often filled my heart, gripping me to the exclusion of all but the day ahead.  As a 6 year old the thought of travelling by steam train across the Forth Bridge to Fife was exciting.  A few days with my favourite aunt was always exciting.

When I was 14 the idea of leaving school and entering the adult world excited me greatly.  This I did not realise then comprised spending much time seeking what to eat later in the day! 

The excitement at standing in Tynecastle Park as the football was about to begin was always great.  Across the ground I watched puffs of smoke from lone smokers rise into the air, the sunshine on wet grass provided an aroma never forgotten, as indeed was the fragrance of the embrocation cream rubbed on footballers legs before a game to prepare them for combat.  Standing by the tunnel this was never missed.

Moving to London was exciting, living in my own wee slum excited me.  And slum it was, and probably still is, but it was my home.

Going abroad was excitement indeed, foreign parts, foreign foods, and not being shot by a trigger happy Israeli is always good.

Moving into this luxury home in the sticks was excitement indeed, self contained and never mind the faults.  

So many events brightening my life with excitement!

The arrival just before 2pm of a delivery of slippers from M&S was another thing that excited me.

Today however, I woke excited because I was going to visit 'Iceland' and buy frozen veg.

I think I may be in need of care...

Several things strike you as you look at this book.  The first is how the name 'Max Hastings' is larger than the title 'Operation Pedestal.'  I canny work out whether this is because his name sells more books or because he wants his name to be clear at the top.  Who knows.  I do know however, that like all Max's books it runs to 428 pages, which makes me glad it is paperback and not a hardback like others of his in my possession.  

The war had reached 1942, and as yet the allies were still on the defensive.  Malta was near starvation rations and Winston Churchill, still fully in control, understood that morale required to be lifted by great adventures.  The year previously a convoy headed towards Russia was attacked deep in Arctic territory.  The commander of that convoy made the disastrous decision to command remove the Royal Navy support and command the fleet to make full steam for the Soviet Union.  Almost all ships were lost!  

Our friend Comrade Stalin was not pleased.

Churchill realised morale must be lifted, the UK must succeed with a Malta convoy, whatever the Admiralty thought, and was determined to convince Uncle Joe that the UK was not finished.

The convoy therefore set out from various parts of the UK, combined at Gibraltar, and headed east into territory controlled by the German and Italian fleet and air forces.  In short, into an impossible situation.  

Off Algiers the attacks began, continuing, and increasing, by air and submarine as they headed towards Cape Bon o Tunisia.  Here the attacks were constant and severe.  From the 11th until the 13th the fleet was attacked by air and sea, not helped by the Admiralty turning back the largest of their escort ships, in case these were lost!  Opinions varied regarding this decision.  The mainly destroyer, escorts did their best in the best tradition of the Royal Navy but were outgunned and outnumbered.  Only on the last days could the RAF help from Malta itself, and courageous they were, but finding the by now dispersed fleet in an ocean is not easy.

In the end 5 Merchantmen arrived in Malta, bruised and crippled, including the oil tanker 'Ohio.'  However, 9 merchant ships were lost.  The Royal Navy suffered the loss of one aircraft carrier, HMS 'Eagle,' 2 cruisers and one destroyer, plus several more being seriously damaged.  Many men on both sides, on ships or in the air, were lost.  The convoy however, provided sufficient supplies for a rationed Malta to endure until November when Montgomery's 8th Army won at El Alemain and turned the course of the war.  The morale boost to the UK with the success of the convoy, while ignoring the mistakes, the faults and anything that might hinder good propaganda, was immense.  The UK showed that it could win, on land and sea, and in February 1943 the Soviet forces ended the siege of Stalingrad and began the long trek towards Berlin.  

The book is slow at the beginning as Max works through masses of information regarding the men the ships, the arguments regarding the convoy.  He then gives details of the ships themselves, the men aboard and much of his info comes from the records of those who participated.  Letters, diaries, official logbooks, are quoted in a manner that brings us close to the action.  And there is action aplenty.  I think as many attacks as possible have been recorded, the men involved, their individual response, their terror, their ship sinking, the salvation attempts, some of which are fantastic, the firing at aircraft and seeking submarines, and the effects of constant stress over several days with little food and less sleep.  You are made to feel you are part of the operation while reading the book.  

Some details are given regarding the part played by men after the convoy arrived.  Not all were rewarded, some court martialled, others faults 'forgotten.'  Like so many other men, they fought a war, took part in exciting action, and after 1945 those who survived and had no great promotions had no choice but to 'just get on with it' like thousands of others. 

I recommend this book.

The Monarchs Funeral and Twitter

Very quiet this morning.  By 8 am an empty airport bus slogged its way slowly past, a black woman, dressed West Indian style walked slowly up the road, a car or two hastened nowhere.  With the major shops shut, a bank holiday declared, and many waiting in for the queens funeral procession on TV there is an air of silence about the town.  Well, apart from that siren just now, trouble down at the bypass I reckon.  Even the dogwalkers are silent, no barking, no gossip, very quiet even for here.  

The constant TV pictures on YouTube, happily without the sycophantic commentary elsewhere, show us men in uniform taking position, crowds eagerly awaiting, some have been there in position for three days!  What loo do they use is my first question?  10,000 Police march into position, all dressed in dark uniforms, the Royal Navy take their position also.  In 1901 the horses pulling Queen Victoria failed for some reason so the RN standing guard were called in to pull the gun carriage on which she lay.  This became the tradition and will be done today also.  Tradition being very important on such occasions.  Massed pipe bands, glowing in Highland dress, full of colours most Highlanders before the 1800s never knew, play as they march to their spot in the ranks.  The crowds cheering almost every move be it police, army or workers preparing the ground.  Others praise the unity found upon such occasions, I find myself asking, will it last?  An event brings people together, daily life soon returns and today will be forgotten by Thursday.

Of course when the media tells us all have fallen silent for the funeral not all have done so willingly.  There is a need for the nation to take note of a monarchs passing but to be honest so much has been over the top and a hindrance to many.  With a growing republican feeling in parts of the UK, not yet an overpowering growth however, many are irked by the response and feel ignored, sometimes angry.  Much of this is somewhat childish, protesting at a funeral for instance, and much a 'chip on the shoulder' feeling about rich folks.  I ask such about their wealth, and many have plenty of it, and enquire as to how they spend time helping the poor?  "Do you work in a foodbank?" is always a good question, one which gets no reply.  A more balanced debate is required here.

While all this was going on I participated in one or two discussions on Twitter.  A great place to meet objective dialog and sympathetic listeners.  In answer to one man's statement that gay sex was normal I reminded him that this was abnormal, not normal.  He was based in Germany, the German Twitter has informed me this was not breaking the rules, however, UK Twitter has blocked me.  So I appealed, on scriptural grounds.  I am blocked completely now while this is investigated.  We shall see if the gay lobby rules Twitter or not soon.

Ahoy Sailor....

 

 

 

Having indulged myself on Twitter to a constant barrage of Ukraine information, much correct and informative, much false and deceiving, I was beginning to suffer war weariness.  I am not sure what this would be like for those in Ukraine itself.  For those of us interested in the Great War we can easily appreciate the responses of the citizens of Kyiv to this cause.  What would you and I do in this situation?  Especially as with Putin being isolated and heading for instability this means he could become reckless and offer nukes!

To get away from it all I looked into naval terms that are in use today.  Some relvant, others not so much.  It is amazing how many daily phrase we use go back many years and have long since lost their original meaning.

 

The most common Naval terms in everyday use are of course far too rude for this delicate page.  If you wish to enquire further into such phraseology feel free to stand alongside Chelsea fans when their team plays Liverpool next time.

We will consider more regular phrases.

     

'Splice the Mainbrace' : On square rigged sailing ships the 'mainbrace' was the longest line amongst the rigging and during battle this was a target for enemy vessels.  If damaged the ship could not continue unless this was repaired, as this was extremely difficult it took the best men to fix the damage.  This was not always successful.  However, when 'spliced,' the men involved were rewarded with an extra tot of rum!   Eventually, the call to 'Splice the mainbrace' came to refer to the extra tot of rum given to the crew on special occasions such as a new monarch, royal event or visit of a royal to the fleet.

 

 

'Grog' :  Rum, was also referred to as 'Grog.'  This goes back to one Admiral Edward Vernon, who In 1740, as you will remember, he first diluted rum via a half pint of rum to a quart of water.  Now he was famous, not just for his sailing abilities but for the coat he wore.  This was a type of heavy cloth called a 'Grogram' coat.  Thus his nickname, though whether used to his face is not known, was 'Old Grog,' and the name stuck with the rum itself.  Sadly the tot of rum is no longer mixed in a 'scuttled butt' as it was withdrawn from the service in 1970. 

'Taken Aback' : A 'spliced mainbrace' was a problem often occurring during battle however, sailing a ship even today has its problems at sea in spite of GPS, radar and tech marvels.  In sailing ships waiting for a favourable wind was common, also common was an unfavourable one, a sudden change of wind direction could lead to the sails pressed back against the spars or masts, thus the ship was said to be 'Taken aback.'  We also are often found pressed against masts and the like during our day.

'Three sheets to the wind.' :  This phrase can refer to those who indulge in too much alcohol, surely not my readers.  On sailing ships loose sails, lines, could cause all sorts of problems and must be dealt with or the ship could be in serious trouble.  Not dealing with this correctly could result in sailing ‘Too close to the wind’

‘To the Bitter End’ :  A suitable phrase for the people of Ukraine today I think.  They will be continuing 'to the bitter end.'  However, this term goes back to the ships of the 1600's sailing the seven seas.  Each anchor thereon was attached to cleats, or bollards, on board, thus ensuring the anchor did not fall off.  These cleats were referred to as 'Bitts,' and therefore the anchor cable which attached there reached to 'the bitter end.' 

'Port & Starboard.' :  During the year of our Lord 1844 the Royal Navy directed that the term 'Lardboard, which means 'loading side,' usually the left side of a ship, as the 'Steerboard' was always on the right side of the vessel, ought to be replaced with the word 'Port.'  This remains the case today, and the word 'Starboard,' also in use still, came into general use not much later.  These words may go back a long way further into the past.

'Plimsoll Line' :  The 'Plimsoll line' was a line drawn along the base of a ship to indicate the safe level of cargo aboard.  If this line is underwater then the ship is overloaded!  During Victoria's reign one Mr Samuel Plimsoll campaigned for this and other safety regulations on ships and introduced the 'Unseaworthy Ships Bill,' including the Plimsoll Line.  Some shipping lines were somewhat careless in the care of ships and their crews, happy however, to take the insurance when it paid out.   

'Aloof.' :  My preferred position.  Aloof from the rough and unsophisticated that pass by daily.  Some would say this is just because I have been banned from all their meeting places, but this is not true, well, not quite yet.  It is likely that the Dutch word 'Loef,' some say 'luff,' means 'windward' to keep well away from the dangerous lee shore.  Hence 'aloof.'  I am quite willing to remain 'aloof' from danger be it on shore or otherwise.  

 

 

 

‘Letting the cat out of the bag,'  : Refers to the whip used to punish Royal Naval sailors who decided to cause trouble.  This was a 'Cat O' nine tails,' whip.  Short, with nine 'tails' and not very nice on the skin of the back.  This was kept in a canvas bag and therefore they 'let the cat out of the bag' on such occasions.  With many sailors enrolled unwillingly by 'Press Gangs' such violent control may have been used often. 

‘Enough room to swing a cat’ :  The use of this 'cat,'required a clear space, enough space to 'swing a cat.'

'The Devil to Pay,' :  This does not refer to activities involving the 'cat.'  Wooden ships required the inside of the hull to be caulked with tar and rope.  The 'devil' was said to be the longest seam of such ships. However, it is more likely this originated in the Faustian pact in which Faust sells his soul to the devil, and somehow this became connected to sailors and their ships.  Hard work, long hours, and the 'cat' can bring many thoughts to a man's mind.

'Scran,' :  A slang term for food long used by the Royal Navy.  The suggestion is that in the navy bags of Sultanas, Currants, Raisins and Nuts, were to be found in bags marked 'SCRAN.'  Some question whether Royal Navy sailors were fed such luxuries, and would they be in one bag?   Scran is used often in Scotland but hardly ever in my day.  Interestingly one point mentioned by Henry Mayhew in 'The Morning Chronicle' of 1849, mentions people, possibly Irish, begging 'Scran,' left over food, from servants of wealthy houses.  Mayhew was the first investigative journalist who researched the London poor in 'London Labour and the London Poor.'     

‘Freeze the balls from a brass monkey’ : This is assumed to refer to the brass squares on warships in which cannonballs were stored called 'Monkeys.'  The story goes that when these froze they then contracted and the cannonballs would roll off.   Sadly the cannonballs were not kept in 'monkeys' they were kept in wooden storage and tended not to roll off when frozen.  The term is understandable as any man will concur.

 

 

 

It Rains Here

Trapped inside all day by the wet stuff falling like I was in Scotland!  Naturally I had no bread and had to brave it while searching Tesco for breakfast.  Surely in this day and age we can fix things so it only rains at night?  Bah!
I therefore spent an exciting day looking for peoples missing relatives.  When they were alive in the early part of the century some things can be discovered. However The Ministry of Defence does not release details of servicemen from WW2, this I reckon is so they can charge £30 a time for a search fee if you enquire about them.  This government will smell cash and privatise the records soon.  Oh look, they already have!
One lass failed to give sufficient info, one mentioned the ships dad had sailed in and these two took all day to investigate.  Poor dad, he was on three ships and I suspect he was on one of them when it went down, all three were lost.  He survived but gave little away as is normal.
He served at one time on a ship that went down while Lord Mountbatten was a mere Captain then.  Well a Captain of a Flotilla of five ships.  Two were lost in 1941 south of Crete and a film was made later starring Noel Coward called 'In Which we Serve' telling the story.  

The rain was such a pain that I even ironed four shirts rather than do something useful.  Just think what  could have done had the sun shone? I could have walked away from the laptop for a start!

Oops must go....football has started....