HMS BERMUDA 1944
Russian Convoys, illness, wild gunfire, repairs and refit bring about command and crew changes but some remain to see a royal event of huge proportions
JANUARY 1944
Saturday 1st: Scapa Flow 'A2' Berth, Wind Westerly 40-45kts, Temperature 50F
Sunday 2nd: Church and Sunday Routine
Monday 3rd: Harbour Routine, Maintenance and cleaning
Tuesday 4th: Harbour Routine, Maintenance and cleaning
Wednesday 5th: Harbour Routine, Maintenance and cleaning
Thursday 6th: Officer Commanding 10th Cruiser Squadron, Vice Admiral Burnett visited ship, 1620-1820 Leave 2nd Port Watch
Friday 7th: Harbour Routine, Maintenance and cleaning
Saturday 8th: KING GEORGE V out, AJAX in, Captain's Messdeck Rounds
Sunday 9th: No Leave due weather - NW 43-53kts
Monday 10th: Lt Cdr Cartwright left ship
Tuesday 11th: Stores and preparation for sea
Wednesday 12th: Underway to sea for distant cover Convoy JW56A for Kola
Thursday 13th:Convoy cover
Friday 14th: Convoy cover
Saturday 15th: Convoy cover
Sunday 16th: 1600 AA Cruising Stations closed-up overnight
Monday 17th: 0845 Action Stations. With BERWICK Air attack with repelled
Tuesday 18th: PM Throw-off shoot on BERWICK
Wednesday 19th: Off Faroes, 2230 Depth sounding 175 fathoms
Thursday 20th: Anchored Akureyri, Leave 1325-1800, 1945 Captains of SAVAGE and READING onboard to 2325
Friday 21st: Harbour Routine
Saturday 22nd: Captain KENT visited, 1045 Captain's Rounds
Sunday 23rd: Church and Pipe down, 1315 Cable Party mustered, 1352 Anchor aweigh, 1453 Paravanes out, Station 4 cables astern of KENT, Clocks advanced 2 hours, Convoy Cover
Monday 24th: Zigzag No8, 1600 Wind WSW Force 6, Temp 20F
Tuesday 25th: At sea
Wednesday 26th: Noon position 72 46N 07 56E (c500miles NE of Iceland)
Thursday 27th: At sea
Friday 28th:1132 Anchored back at Akureyri
Saturday 29th: Harbour Routine
Sunday 30th: Harbour Routine
Monday 31st: 0730 Both watches fallen-in, AA Lookouts closed-up, 0930 Examinations for Able Seaman seeking promotion to Leading Seaman, 0930 Commenced muster of Duffle Coats, 1030 Commenced inoculations, 1130 Payment
(Distance in January - 3115nm)
FEBRUARY 1944
Tuesday 1st: Harbour Routine - including Harbour and AA Lookouts, Gunnery training
Wednesday 2nd: Harbour Routine
Thursday 3rd: 0857 Underway with BERWICK and KENT Distant Cover Convoy JW56B
Friday 4th: Action Guns crews, Underwater echo investigation 1505 Darken Ship
Captain Back entered in his Night Order Book 4/2/44: "Convoy RA56 MLA 045 16 kts No11 Zig-Zag in succession. Follow BERWICK and keep about 4-5 cables astern of her. Report weather when moon sets and at 0730 let me know the Sea Water temperature at the same time. Blow soot and bilges after daylight". He suffered a Stroke during the night but continued in command until arriving Scapa Flow on the 9th
Saturday 5th: 0100 Squally Snow Storms, Wind NWxN Force 6, Temps: Air 26F Sea 40F, 2000 Position 74 00N 09 13E (Most Northerly of Patrol)
Sunday 6th: Noon Weather SSE F5, Number on Sick List 4 ratings and 1 officer (CO Captain Back), 2000 Position 72 47N 09 43E (Most Easterly of Patrol)
Monday 7th: Detached to return to Scapa Flow
Tuesday 8th: Passage
Wednesday 9th: 0121 Anchored Scapa Flow, 0130 Hospital drifter secured alongside
Thursday 10th: 1835 Captain T H Back left ship for Hospital Ship (See below)
Friday 11th: 1340 Captain J S Bethell joined ship in Command
Saturday 12th: ANSON and RICHELIEU in, 1720 Methodist Minister visited ship
Sunday 13th: Church and Pipe down
CAPTAIN TERENCE HUGH BACK, C.B.E, Royal Navy
Captain Back was born on 30 April 1895 and entered the navy on 15 January 1908. He became a Midshipman on 15 September 1912 on completing his training.
During World War 1 he served in the battle-cruisers INFLEXIBLE, INDOMITABLE and GLORIOUS and the destroyers MOUNSEY and BRISK. As the war ended he took a Torpedo Long Course which led to various (T) duties both at sea and ashore between the through the inter-war period.
At the end of July 1939 Captain Back took command of the Cairo Class cruiser CAPETOWN as the ship re-commissioned with a largely re-called Reservists crew. She went immediately to Portland for HM The King's Review of Reserve Ships there on 8 August before making her way to Gibraltar to join 11th Cruiser Squadron. In December the ship moved into the Mediterranean and the 3rd Cruiser Squadron where Captain Back assumed the additional duties of Flag Captain and Chief Staff Officer to Rear Admiral Commanding 3rd CS, H R Moore RN (ARETHUSA).
Leaving the ship in July 1940 his next appointment was ashore in Singapore on the Staff of Commander in Chief, Far East. This appointment came to an abrupt end in February 1942 when Singapore was surrendered to the Japanese Forces. The details of his ways and means of covering the 8,000 plus nautical miles home I don't know but Captain Back is recorded as 'Arrived in UK 9/3/42'
He then spent four months in London (HMS PRESIDENT) in the temporary rank of Commodore 2nd Class before being appointed Commanding Officer of HMS BERMUDA on 14 July 1942.
Overnight on 4/5 February 1944 whilst on convoy cover duties in the Arctic Circle off Bear Island Captain Back suffered a stroke whilst resting in his Sea Cabin. Despite that he continued to command his ship with the support of his officers to complete the convoy cover before being ordered, on the 7th, to return to Scapa Flow.
Leaving the ship on the 10th for the Hospital Ship ISLE OF JERSEY at Scapa Flow he was, a week later, moved to the temporary RN Hospital at Kingseat near Aberdeen. By July he was in the care of a RN Auxiliary Hospital in Norfolk.
Captain Terence Hugh BACK, Royal Navy was, in the 1944 King's Birthday Honours, appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
Thirty eight years of service in the Royal Navy through two world wars and ultimately the rigours of the bleak and hostile Arctic took their toll on him and though hospital care and convalescence saw him recover he never regained full health.
On 4 August 1946 he was placed on the Retired List medically unfit. He lived for a further twenty years before passing away in the summer of 1966.
Monday 14th: 1145 Commander in Chief onboard until 1155
Tuesday 15th: Squadron Engineer Officer (Captain (E) Sidney Brown) Inspection visit to ship, RC Chaplain visited ship
Wednesday 16th: Harbour Routine and training
Thursday 17th: 0848 Underway to sea for evolutions accompanied by Flagship BELFAST including: Fog Buoy deployment, Making Smoke/Smoke Float, Depth Charge drop, Close Range Sleeve firings, 6" throw-off shoot on BELFAST and vice versa, 1656 Line Speed to 22 then 27kts, 22 full charge 6" broadsides at Battle Practice Target, 1915 Anchored Scapa Flow
Friday 18th:Captain's Store Room Rounds
Saturday 19th: 1130 Vice Admiral V A Burnett onboard to 1235, PM Water boat alongside
Sunday 20th: Landed Church Parties, 0945 Divisions, 1055 Church
Monday 21st: Fleet Gunnery Officer onboard - Inspection, Ammunitioning, Vice Admiral Palliser, CB DSO (V. Adm Commanding 1st Cruiser Sdn plus Staff Officers joined ship
Tuesday 22nd: Harbour Drills
Wednesday 23rd: Harbour Drills
Thursday 24th: 0430 Underway to sea, 0505 Passed Hoxa Gate out, 0530 Paravanes out, 0534 Destroyers HMS MUSKETEER and Polish BLYSKAWICA in collision, vessels badly damaged and MUSKETEER reported sinking (Later repaired on the Humber), 0915 Destroyer escorts unavailable, Returned to harbour and anchor at 1215
Friday 25th: Harbour Routine
Saturday 26th: As 25th
Sunday 27th: Church and Pipe down
Monday 28th: Harbour Routine and training
Tuesday 29th: 1200 CS1 left ship and Flag transferred to KENT
(Distance in February - 2784nm)
MARCH 1944
Wednesday 1st: Harbour Routine Maintenance and training
Thursday 2nd: Harbour Routine Maintenance and training
Friday 3rd: Harbour Routine Maintenance and training
Saturday 4th: Harbour Routine
Sunday 5th: RAMILLIES in
Monday 6th: Harbour Routine Maintenance and training
Tuesday 7th: Rear Admiral F Dalrymple-Hamilton CB (Commanding 10th Cruiser Squadron vice RA Burnett) visited ship
Wednesday 8th: 0858 Underway to sea Anti-submarine and 6" gun exercises
Thursday 9th: 0834 Practice Torpedo firings and recovery, 1134 Anchored Altbea Loch Ewe
Friday 10th: RN Combat Teams landed, 1300 Ship open to service visitors to 2130
Saturday 11th:1400 Service visitors (2 officers and 94 ratings) in ship, 1520 1 round fired in error from S2 (4") right gun as the workings of the gun were being demonstrated to visitors. (See 'A Lt(E)s War 1942-44' where Lt Drew described this event thus " During the weekend one of our gunnery ratings, escorting a party of Wrens round the ship, demonstrated how the 4" mountings worked. He did it in style by actually loading a shell and then went on to explain how the guns were fired either remotely or manually and demonstrated the routine for manual firing …. 'like this'!!! The gun barrel was at full elevation, the Wrens, too late, put their hands to their ears, and the blood drained from the gunner's face as the 4" (101mm) shell set off on its trajectory to an unknown destination ashore! Was the weekend worthwhile? Not really! The gun firing was to haunt the Administrative and Judicial Branches of the Navy for a long time but as far as we know nobody was physically injured by the incident. In the mid 1990`s during a visit to the Loch Ewe area, I was amused to find the incident recorded in tourist literature!"), 1735 visitors left ship
Sunday 12th: 0955 Underway, 1012 Passed Gate, Passed two convoys, Aircraft sighted, 1705 Passed Hoxa Gate to anchor Scapa Flow
Monday 13th: Harbour Routine
Tuesday 14th: Harbour Routine and training
Wednesday 15th: BERMUDA AA lookout, Anti-Aircraft, Medical, Night Duty Drifter Guardship
Thursday 16th: 0630 Submarine VIVID cast -off, 1125 Underway to sea, 1512 USS MILWAUKEE passed, Squadron evolutions, 2340 Returned to anchor 'A6' Berth
Friday 17th: Harbour Routine
Saturday 18th: Harbour Routine
Sunday 19th: Church and Pipe down
Monday 20th: Harbour Routine
Tuesday 21st: Harbour Routine
Wednesday 22nd: Harbour Routine
Thursday 23rd: Harbour Routine
Friday 24th: Harbour Routine
Saturday 25th: Harbour Routine
Sunday 26th: Harbour Routine
Monday 27th: 1630 Underway to sea, 1800 Increased to 29kts, 1815 Altered Course to 020 Speed 30kts, 1837 Speed 31kts, 2020 Speed reducing to 18kts, 2100 Fog, 2350 Altered to 180 Sp 18 Visibility 0.5mls
Tuesday 28th: 1127 Anchored in entrance River Tyne, PM Upriver to 'H' and 'S' Buoys Jarrow 1950
Wednesday 29th: Moved to Tyne Commission Quay North Shields, 1315 Commenced de-ammunitioning
Thursday 30th: Payment, 1020 Starboard Watch to Long Leave to 20 April 0900, Air Raid
Friday 31st: Preparation for Docking
(Distance in March - 1083nm)
APRIL 1944
Tuesday 4th: Entered Middle Dock, South Shields
Repairs (Sea Stress) continued through the month with Completion forecast for 15th of May revised to 9th of May on the 14th.
(Note: Ships of the 10th Cruiser Squadron 14/4/44: BELFAST (Flagship), DIADEM, JAMAICA, SCYLLA, SHEFFIELD and Polish DRAGON. By 24th DAIDEM was Flagship and ARGONAUT had joined)
(Distance in month - 0)
MAY 1944
Repairs continued to completion on the 15th.
Friday 19th: At Rosyth
Saturday 20th: Arrived Scapa Flow
Sunday 21st: Church and Training
Monday 22nd: Harbour Routine cleaning and training
Tuesday 23rd: Harbour Routine cleaning and training
Wednesday 24th: Harbour Routine cleaning and training
Thursday 25th: Harbour Routine cleaning and training
Friday 26th: Harbour Routine cleaning and training
Saturday 27th: Harbour Routine cleaning and training
Sunday 28th: Church
Monday 29th: Harbour training
Tuesday 30th: Harbour training
Wednesday 31st: Preparations for sea
(Distance in May - 550nm)
JUNE 1944
Thursday 1st: At Scapa
Friday 2nd: 0740 Underway to sea, High Angle firings at Sleeve target, Defence Stations, Repel Aircraft training
Saturday 3rd: 0015 Action Stations 6" shoot, 0425 Anchored 'B7' Scapa Flow
Sunday 4th: Harbour Routine
Monday 5th: Harbour Routine
Tuesday 6th: Harbour Routine
Wednesday 7th: Harbour Routine
Thursday 8th: Harbour Routine
Friday 9th: 0550 Hands called, 0615 Both Watches Fall-in, 0645 INDOMITABLE underway, 0745 Slipped, 6" Gun training, 1540 Anchored off Scapa Pier, 1620 Town Patrol landed - no Leave
Saturday 10th: 0050 Submarine Alarm - boats launched, RM Defence Platoons mustered on Quartedeck, 0310 Underwater explosion detected by ASDIC Bearing 350, 0825 Preparing for sea, 0943 Underway with SHEFFIELD, 1438 Joined KENT (CS1), DEVONSHIRE, BERWICK, JAMAICA, SHEFFIELD in Line Ahead formation, Officer of the Watch Manoeuvres to Line Abreast BERMUDA Fleet Leader
Sunday 11th: Exercises, 1606 To anchor 'A5' Scapa Flow
Monday 12th: Harbour Routine
Tuesday 13th: Harbour Routine
Wednesday 14th: Harbour Routine
Thursday 15th: Harbour Routine
Friday 16th: 0655 Underway to sea, Paravanes streamed, Zigzagging, Close range firings at Sleeve, PM 4" Shoot, 1945 Returned to anchor 1.1 mls off Scapa Pier
Saturday 17th: Stores from Storeship SYBIL MARY, Fuelling from BLUE RANGER
Sunday 18th: Church and Regatta training
Monday 19th: ROYAL SOVEREIGN in, 1500 Whaler Regatta with SHEFFIELD to 1845
Tuesday 20th: Harbour Routine
Wednesday 21st: 0845 Underway for Submarine exercise the ship handling training, 1617 anchored
Thursday 22nd: AM Salvage, Store and Fire parties landed, 1618 Underway to sea, for FURIOUS flying-off overnight
Friday 23rd: 1858 To anchor Scapa Flow
Saturday 24th: Harbour Routine
Sunday 25th: Harbour Routine
Monday 26th: Harbour Routine
Tuesday 27th: Harbour Routine
Wednesday 28th: 1333 Underway to record SHEFFIELD shoot, 1919 returned to anchor
Thursday 29th: 0950 Underway 1025, Passed Gate Course 250 Sp 20kts, 1100 joined 2 Destroyers, 1200 Submarine sighted, 1300 Commenced Submarine exercise to 1535, 1620 Mine sighted abeam to Port
Friday 30th: Anchored Greenock
(Distance in June - 2138)
JULY 1944
Saturday 1st: Leave
Sunday 2nd: Leave
Monday 3rd: Pre-refit & Draft preparations
Tuesday 4th: Pre-refit & Draft preparations
Wednesday 5th: 1410 Secured alongside Dalmuir Basin, 1930 Ship touched bottom Low tide - soft mud
Thursday 6th: 1005 Conference (Refit) in Wardroom to 1345
Friday 7th: Baggage Party mustered, Long Leave, Men leaving ship addressed by Captain, Ship into 3 Watches
Saturday 8th:
Sunday 9th:
Monday 10th: Reducing and de-storing for Refit, Royal Marine 1st leave away
Tuesday 11th: Reducing and de-storing for Refit
Wednesday 12th: Reducing and de-storing for Refit
Thursday 13th: Reducing and de-storing for Refit
Friday 14th: Reducing and de-storing for Refit
Saturday 15th: Reducing and de-storing for Refit
Sunday 16th: Reducing and de-storing for Refit
Monday 17th: 1325 Moved to John Browns Clydebank to commence Long Refit
Thursday 27th: 2nd Leave away. Ship in 3 Watches - Reduced complement
(Distance in month - 0)
AUGUST 1944
In Long Refit - Forecast Completion 15 January 1945
Monday 7th: HMS ANCYLUS (Escort Carrier) out
Friday 11th: 1000 Red Watch returned from Long Leave (LL), 1300 Blue Watch to LL
Wednesday 16th: Paymaster Cdr Blowers and Lt Cdr Ponsonby left the ship
Sunday 20th: 1100 Loch Lomond Trip Party left ship - Returned 1825
Monday 21st: Warrants 123 & 4 read, 0940 Royal Marine Escort with Prisoner left ship
Saturday 26th: Ship's Heads (Lavatories) out of action until Sunday (Means a long walk to shore-side ones and an overnight P-bucket!)
Monday 28th: Dockyard workman overcome by fumes in Starboard Shaft passage - later recovered
Tuesday 29th: 1500 Vice Admiral (Engineer) visited ship
Thursday 31st: Draft left ship, EMPIRE JUDY (Coaster) secured alongside
SEPTEMBER 1944
Long Refit
Friday 1st: 0615 Called White Watch, Special Parties employed, Reverend E M Evans left ship, Leave to Red and White Watches 1620 - 0730
Saturday 2nd: EMPIRE JUDY slipped
Tuesday 5th: 1500 Third Sea Lord visited ship, 1504 Captain returned onboard!, 1515 3rd SL left ship
Thursday 7th: Football Teams landed, 1230 Payment
Friday 8th: Escort Carrier 31 (USS PRINCE WILLIAM) in
Saturday 9th: G01 out
Sunday 10th: CO Captain Bethell left ship. Cdr Bratt Acting Captain CO
Monday 11th: AM Swimming Party landed, 1830 Escort Carrier 31 out
Tuesday 12th: AM Swimming Party landed
Wednesday 13th: AM Swimming Party landed, PM Football Teams landed
Thursday 14th: AM Swimming Party landed
Friday 15th: AM Swimming Party landed
Wednesday 20th: Rifle Party landed
Friday 22nd: 1400 Ship undocked and to Dalmuir Basin 1600
Saturday 23rd: 0900 HMS CEASAR out, 1040 Clear Lower Deck - Captain explained proposed scheme for Demobilisation
Sunday 24th: 0630 Call the Hands, 0930 Chaplain in ship to 1020
Monday 25th: Hospital Ship OXFORDSHIRE in
Thursday 28th: 0825 HMS INDEFATIGABLE (Aircraft Carrier) in, 1640 Fire in Galley - 1700 Fire Party secured
Friday 29th: HMS TYNE (Depot Ship) in
OCTOBER 1944
Long Refit
Sunday 1st: 0630 Call the Hands, 0805 Fall in by Special Parties, 0905 Shore Patrol returned, 0910 Roman Catholic Church Party ashore, 0940-1040 Chaplain onboard, 1045 RC Church Party returned
Monday 2nd: Advancement Class mustered.
Refit work with painting and cleaning plus various Sports filled the days
Friday 20th: Surgeon Lt Routledge sent to LST 413 - Drowning case, Escort Carriers 62 (USS NATOMA BAY), 83 (USS SARGENT BAY) and 64 (HMS FENCER) underway
Monday 23rd: 0630 Call the Hands, Commenced Temporary Dockyard Routine, 0725 Breakfast in Dockyard Canteen, 0815 Cleaning and Refit work, 0910 Swimming Party landed - 1130 returned, 1235 Secure (from work), 1255 Dinner in Dockyard Canteen, 1400 Hands continue forenoon's work, 1550 Secure, 1555 Tea, 1640 Clear Up Decks, 1700 Exercise Fire Quarters, 1715 Shore Power failed, 1750 Ship's diesel Dynamo running, 1830 Shore Power restored, 2100 Rounds. Leave granted to Red & Blue Watches from 1620 to 0730, Chief and Petty Officers 0830 and Watchkeepers 1115 to 1100.
Monday 30th: Chief of Staff (Dockyard) visited ship
There had been a couple of Air-raid warnings in the month.
NOVEMBER 1944
Long Refit (Dockyard Routine)
Wednesday 1st: Corvette K69 (HMS HEATHER) and Destroyer G09 (HMS QUILLIAM) in
Thursday 2nd: Escort Carrier 85 (USS SHIPLEY BAY) in and out. LCT's 7028, 7029 and LCM's 1133 and 582 underway. (Landing Craft - Tank/Mechanised).
Tuesday 21st: 1020 Lt O'Brien joined, 1620 Lt Kidd left ship
Wednesday 22nd: Captain Currie, Chief of Staff, visited ship
Friday 24th: Captain and Party of Officers and Ratings left ship to visit West Bromwich
Thursday 30th: 1100 Launching Party to Dinner in J Brown's Canteen, 1200 Captain and Officers left ship for the launching of HMS VANGUARD, 1315 VANGUARD launched by HRH Princess Elizabeth
HMS VANGUARD (1944-1960). Britains last battleship
DECEMBER 1944
Long Refit (Dockyard Routine)
Ship care and Christmas Long Leave used up the rest of 1944.
This new page published 23/3/09 |
