THE COVENANTER
right in front of me. leaving their bases, collecting details of ship
movements etc and trying to be invisible
At the order, Killick gave the big mushroom themselves since the Russians were rather
shaped red button a good thump with the enthusiastic about depth charging anything
heel of his hand. There was a seriously loud of which they had the slightest suspicion.
explosion like an artillery piece firing and I formed the opinion that these guys must
the whole boat jerked backwards in recoil. have been absent on parade when the self
I hadn’t expected anything like that and preservation instinct was being issued.
was nearly tipped off my perch. Suddenly it
was all very quiet and I thought I heard the When we arrived at Lerwick in Shetland the
torpedo running but it was going away from off watch crew were allowed to go ashore
us at something like fifty miles per hour, but I spent most of the day with a big bucket
maybe it was just my ears ringing. In the of bitumen type paint and a long handled
control room the stopwatches were running. brush painting the front end of the casing
Those in the fore-end stood looking at each all round the radar dome and back to the
other, saying nothing. fore hatch. It was some kind of non slip
Then we clearly heard the explosion as the preservative paint but it was like painting
torpedo struck the target, there was a fair bit with syrup.
of cheering and congratulations all round. One of the fore-end crew spotted my No1
That was one of the highlights of my time dress uniform in my case while we were
in the regiment. I am probably the only one getting changed to go ashore and was
in the army who has ever been so closely fairly taken on with it. He just had to try
involved in the firing of a live torpedo from it on and although it was a bit tight he
a semi submerged Royal Navy submarine. was awfully pleased with himself in it and
rushed of to some other part of the boat
We were soon on our way to Shetland and where someone had a camera to have his
at dinner in the PO’s mess where I had my picture taken. I couldn’t believe my ears
meals I was put in the picture about the when he asked to wear it going ashore and
crews pleasure in a succesful firing. Where agreed because I couldn’t imagine anybody
I assumed the torpedo crew were the main in authority allowing him off the boat like
people in the game it was pointed out to that but amazingly they all thought it was
me that the whole crew were involved. highly amusing. As we got onto the quay we
The Captains’ skill in choosing the correct ran into a chap with a camera and notebook
position for the shot depended on the ability who insisted on taking photographs of four
of the helmsman, planesmen and engine of us. Me and this nut in my No1 dress with
room to put and keep the boat exactly every button straining, tartans at half mast,
where he wanted it. The whole boat was pale blue socks and seriously scruffy shoes,
the weapon. a sailor on either side of us and the boat
Furthermore this had been an old practice in the background. The reporter (for that’s
torpedo which was being disposed of. what he was) was delighted with all this
Nothing in the way of homing or magnetic and assured us that our picture would be on
devices on it, so to hit a small target nearly the front page in the morning. I was only
four miles away through the rough sea happy that we would be well at sea when
and strong tides of the Pentland Firth was his paper came out and it was only a local
regarded as rather good shooting. rag anyway, but somewhere there may be
an archive copy of the Shetland Times with
A rum ration was issued after dinner and there that picture in it.
was a lot of carry on with little containers
like mini milk churns and measures. Not a Lerwick was a quiet little town with quaint
great deal of the stuff was actually drunk but narrow streets and the houses sort of
enough to get a good conversation going and huddled together against the ever present
I learned enough about submarine operation strong wind. There was a large harbour full
to allow me to bore people for years. Some of fishing boats of all sizes, most of them
of the most interesting stuff was about what Norwegian and crewed by some of the
they did on “normal” patrols. No actual biggest, hairiest, hard men I’ve ever laid eyes
details of course, but apparently they went on who seemed intent on drinking the local
up to the Baltic or even round the top of pubs dry. They were great company though
Norway where they hung around the Red and we spent a pleasant evening in a pub
Navy’s back door trying to track soviet subs where there were several musicians mainly
68
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