ARCTIC CONVOYS- THE MURMANSK RUN- U-BOAT ALLEY -HELL ON EARTH
IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE VIDEOS BELOW WERE SHOWN THAT MY FATHERS STORIES ABOUT GUTS, COURAGE AND FORTITUDE CAME ALIVE.THIS FORGOTTEN THEATRE OF WAR WAS INDEED HELL ON EARTH.AS THE NOVELIST ALISTAIR McLEAN SAID 60% OF THE SURVIVORS CAME BACK MENTALLY SCARRED.WINSTON CHURCHILL DESCRIBED IT AS THE WORST JOURNEY IN THE WORLD.
MY DAD IN 1944 WAS 35 YEARS OF AGE NEWLY PROMOTED TO PETTY OFFICER.
HE HAD ALMOST 20 YEARS OF ROYAL NAVY EXPERIENCE BEHIND HIM.THE KIDS OF 16 AND 17 THAT ARE MENTIONED COULD NOT HAVE HAD A BETTER ROLE MODEL.My Father Fred Alford has at last been sent his Arctic Convoys Medal by the British Government(Pictures to Follow) NEW ADDITION SCOTTS FINAL JOURNEY.
Frederick John Alford(Fred
Alford) Royal Navy volunteeered 23/06/1925 – 11/08/1939. Re enlisted 5/05/1941. Promoted to Petty
Officer 17/07/1943
Joined HMS Rowley
9/09/1944 Left HMS Rowley
14/03/1945.
Convoys he served on
to Murrmansk RA 061A,SC161,SC162 and SC165 between 14/11/1944 and 31/01/1945.
Was on board Rowley
when along with British frigate HMS Duckworth they sank U Boat U-1208 on the
24/02/1945 in the English Channel south-east of the Isles of Scilly by depth
charges.All hands 49 in all of the U-Boat were lost.
My Father always
remarked that RNR Lt Cdr Frederick John Gwynn Jones used to sit back on his
chair on the bridge of Rowley and was heard on several occasions whilst in U
Boat Alley and looking up at the skies to exclaim in a loud voice:”Come on
Jerry,nice juicy convoy for you.”
My Father always said
he tried not to let his countenance show that he was not in total agreement
with the Captain.
