Warship forum
A forum for the Allied Warships section.
Re: HMS Stubborn
Posted by:
roger
()
Date: February 11, 2008 06:19AM
I know this is a long time after your post enquiring about survivors from the Stubborn after the disaster off the fiords, but my father was on her at the time. He was a leading torpedoman, name William (Bill) Watkins, from Shropshire. I think his nick-name was "Nutty". He is still alive - just - at 85 years, and in poor health. He never really spoke about that period, and I only found out about it through seeing an Oceans of Mystery programme on TV.
When I persuaded him to talk about it, he was very reluctant; he thought she had been towed to the Irish Sea and used as a bomb target after that. He had no idea she was re-fitted and saw service in the Pacific before being sunk off Malta.
He went on to serve on the Malaya and a few other surface ships, and eventually became a Regulating CPO. When I was born, he was stationed at HMS Mercury, teaching electronics, I think. He doesn't talk about the Navy much at all.
When I persuaded him to talk about it, he was very reluctant; he thought she had been towed to the Irish Sea and used as a bomb target after that. He had no idea she was re-fitted and saw service in the Pacific before being sunk off Malta.
He went on to serve on the Malaya and a few other surface ships, and eventually became a Regulating CPO. When I was born, he was stationed at HMS Mercury, teaching electronics, I think. He doesn't talk about the Navy much at all.