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Re: HMS Stag
Posted by:
John Hart
()
Date: July 16, 2008 10:27PM
At last I have found more info about the shore establishment HMS STAG at Port Said. My father Temporary Electrical Lt Frederick John HART, RNVR served in HMS STAG as a Degaussing Technical Officer on the range that was aimed at measuring the natural magnetism in a ship's hull and then passing electricity via a fitted belt all around the ship to neutralize that magnetism and thus, make the vessel safe against magnetic mines.
He joined HMS NILE first on 25 Oct 1941 doing the same job there at the mouth of the Suez Canal at Alexandria; subsequently transferred to HMS STAG.
My mother Jessie Margaret POWELL, known as Peggy, was a Locally Employed Civilian working as a Range Recorder logging the degaussing statistics as each ship passed into the Med. She remained in Alexandria until the threat from German forces getting into north Egypt became to great and she and the HMS NILE Degaussing Team were evacuated down to Port Said. My mother was doing a job, which under normal circumstances, would have been done by WRNS. However, the RN did not post any WRNS to Egypt because according to my mother "Lady Cunningham (wife of Admiral Sir Bertram Cunningham C-in-CMed) believed that WRNS would be an unnecessary distraction to sailors!" It was at HMS STAG that my parents relationship was established and they married on 15 May 1944 at Alexandria where her mother and father worked, he being an Admin Branch Sqdn Leader RAF. They returned to UK in July 1944 when my father took up the post of DGWO Leith Fixed Wiping Station based on HMS COCHRANE degaussing the ships ready for D-Day,
I hope this a welcome addition to the HMS STAG history.
He joined HMS NILE first on 25 Oct 1941 doing the same job there at the mouth of the Suez Canal at Alexandria; subsequently transferred to HMS STAG.
My mother Jessie Margaret POWELL, known as Peggy, was a Locally Employed Civilian working as a Range Recorder logging the degaussing statistics as each ship passed into the Med. She remained in Alexandria until the threat from German forces getting into north Egypt became to great and she and the HMS NILE Degaussing Team were evacuated down to Port Said. My mother was doing a job, which under normal circumstances, would have been done by WRNS. However, the RN did not post any WRNS to Egypt because according to my mother "Lady Cunningham (wife of Admiral Sir Bertram Cunningham C-in-CMed) believed that WRNS would be an unnecessary distraction to sailors!" It was at HMS STAG that my parents relationship was established and they married on 15 May 1944 at Alexandria where her mother and father worked, he being an Admin Branch Sqdn Leader RAF. They returned to UK in July 1944 when my father took up the post of DGWO Leith Fixed Wiping Station based on HMS COCHRANE degaussing the ships ready for D-Day,
I hope this a welcome addition to the HMS STAG history.
Subject | Written By | Posted |
---|---|---|
HMS Stag | Frank Bellairs | 04/26/2003 04:09PM |
Re: HMS Stag | David | 04/27/2003 06:24AM |
Re: HMS Stag | Frank Bellairs | 04/27/2003 12:54PM |
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