Personal information

Ronald Walter William Rendle joined the Royal Navy at the outbreak of war in October 1939 and joined HMS Patroclus as his first ship on 13 January 1940. He survived her sinking during the night of 3/4 November 1940 and was rescued by HMS Achates. After training to be a torpedo man he served aboard HMS Wishart from 28 September 1941 to 13 December 1942, mainly in the Mediterranean and he watched HMS Avenger leaving port - only hearing much later that his cousin Clifton Stanley Rendle was killed when the carrier was sunk shortly thereafter. Serving in different shore establishments of the Coastal Forces he was then sent to the US to join HMS Bickerton on 5 November 1943. Ronald survived the sinking of the frigate on 22 August 1944 and was eventually released from the Royal Navy on 31 January 1946.