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HMS GLENROY

personal experiences of PO John Priscott served aboard 1940 -43 on our way LAYFORCE photos more follow FIRST FORAYS GREECE AND CRETE RESPITE TORPEDOED (with photos) SAVING THE SHIP THE TOW NO ROOM IN HARBOUR REPAIR WORK BEGINS FORCES MAGAZINE ARTICLE OFFICIAL REPORTON SALVAGE OFFICIAL REPORT HULL DAMAGE OFFICIAL REPORT ENGINEERING COMMENDATIONS  DECORATIONS REPORT  on VOyage back to UK letter Commendation Louis Mountbatten D day 1946 her last job MOVIE OF GLENROY

joining the ship Dec 1940

In December 1940, I left Portsmouth barracks to travel bytrain to Liverpool. This train journey took 36 hours via Bristolbecause of heavy attacks on the railway lines. We lived offsandwiches- meal tickets were issued which we tendered at therailway station. I was amazed to find the size of the docks atLiverpool ,48 in all. A hint of things to come was a wool warehouse afire which had been like that for weeks. The Glenroywas still in dockyard hands being fitted out as a commandocarrying troop ship with landing craft infantry and landing craftmechanical. There were two major troop decks for soldiers and our mess decks were quite palatial compared to a warship., therewere  2 holds were converted jnto Troop Decks. An inch thick armoured plate wrapped around the Engine Room. Two multiple Pom Poms mounted just behind the Bridge,even with the extra weight she could cruise at eighteen knots.One night when I was walking back to the ship with a mate there was a heavy raid , sparks were dancing off walls and the street from all the shrapnel from the anti -aircraft bursts.. The ship had been hit with some incendiaries and damaged and ourdeparture was delayed.

We  then went to the Isle of Arran where we embarkedCommandos,the pick of the British Forces at that time and some of the 0fficersof those Troops had illustrious names,Beatty,Jellicoe,Churchill (Randolph). There were three ships in the Group ,'G1enroy,'"Glenern" and "Glengyle" Every one earned their keep. They were tough ,'nuts'these Commandos,and they needed to be. Imagine landing in the dark middle of Winter from a landing craft,freezng water,wet through,boats overturned,rock through bottom etc.get ashore,climb over the mountains with all gear,to pick up the "Glengyle"on the to other side of Island which we had steamed to duringthe night. They all had to do'it,no exception. As soon as the boats were lifted aboard,we set out to make them serviceable,for the next training period,we worked all day and night 'if required. Cold,one does not know the meaning of being cold,unless you have spent a night under a Landing Craft,in the Davits the snow falling,the wind howling across the Loch Fyne(where the kippers come from) your hands so cold you cannot feel the hammer handle.

Training was completed December 1940 and we went to Scotland prior to sai1ing overseas. Greenock was our Convoy Point, but Glasgow was our firstpoint of call For Compass checks on the Clyde,and checking deggausing gear. A New Year's Night 'in Scotand,yes Scotsmen know what to do do withtheir Whiskey. While on the Clyde we picked up a small motor boat,it was going to be our Runabout. I said'it was the best thing we had,as I noticed it was built by Camper & Nicholsons of Gosport,where I had served myApprenticeship. My 'bragging' about the best built boat on board was quickly silenced when they hoisted her aboard for the second time,( too fast in my opinion) and pu11ed the lifting gear out of her keel - farewell motor boat - silent John!

HMS GLENROY CAPE TOWN 1941 ( copyright john H Marsh)

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