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Eighty years ago today my great-uncle, stationed aboard HMS Hardy on the Arctic Convoys, sent this letter to my great-grandmother. His main points seem to be about toffee, a jumper, and his brother getting leave over Easter. In a few days, he'd be in the Battle of Narvik.
Rab (on the right here) was a great bloke. He joined the navy at thirteen and served on HMS Echo during the Spanish Civil War, evacuating refugees.
As a Catholic sailor, he carried this card around, containing handy prayers, tips on mortal sin, and advice not to marry.
Rab (inside the second window along) with his mates from Hardy. The man in the clipping is Captain Bernard Warburton-Lee, ship's captain, convoy commander and first (posthumous) VC of the war.
Warburton-Lee was mortally wounded during the Battle of Narvik, during which his flotilla surprised and sunk two destroyers and several other ships, before being engaged by three other enemy destroyers. Hardy was run aground in flames.
Rab and others made it ashore and managed to get in with the Norwegian resistance. According to his story, his transport out involved cross-country skiing and being disguised as a woman. His skis were dumped somewhere in the Firth of Clyde.
Rab was brought back to Scotland, but had to get on the troop train to London to report in. Luckily, his eldest brother Patrick worked in Glasgow Central as a porter. Rab was able to shout to him to tell their mother he was okay before getting on the train.
Later on, Rab was invited to Buckingham Palace to receive the Distinguished Service Medal. He took his mother as his plus one. My great-gran's opinion of the Palace was that it needed a lick of paint.
Rab stayed in the navy after the war, serving on subs until retiring in his forties. He never married, but he claimed his wartime stationing on Malta had resulted in a lot of good footballers being born there. He also had a great line in dirty sailor songs.
Rab died in 2014, aged 95. He still got through a bottle of rum every week, which must have helped. Anyway, just a quick lockdown reminisce.
