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Albert Robb Memoirs - Hms Ajax & Hms Meynell Hms Ajax 19/03/1940 - 22/11/1941

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Albert Robb Memoirs - Hms Ajax & Hms Meynell Hms Ajax 19/03/1940 - 22/11/1941 ALBERT ROBB MEMOIRS - HMS AJAX & HMS MEYNELL HMS AJAX 19/03/1940 - 22/11/1941 Spring1939. It was looking pretty certain that there was going to be war with Germany and the Government was considering calling all young men of my age up for 6 months service in the army. I was not keen on the army so I joined the Royal Naval Special Reserve for 4 years. I had to go to Nott/m for my medical and I had to pass either four or five doctors. After that I had an interview with two Naval Officers who showed me what was called a “strap and block”. I was asked “Could you make that out of steel forgings”, I answered Yes. Next question, “How long would it take me”, I said would I have use of machine tools such as a shaper, a miller and a slotter. The reply, no everything by hand, so this meant hammer, chisel, drilling and filing, I guessed 40 hours. I found out later on that the strap and block was the trade test for Artificers and the time allowed was 40 hours. War was declared Sept. 3rd and I had heard nothing further. I knew I had passed because I had signed some papers and given the King’s Shilling. So I wrote to ask when I could expect to receive my call up. Back comes a card, it is expected you will hear in the near future, followed closely by a card telling me to report to Chatham Naval Barracks. I worked at Worthington and Simpson and took the paperwork to show the works manager and to give my notice in. He said leave these with me I will get them cancelled, you are in a Reserved Occupation. I said, no I wished to go, so that was that. At Chatham there were so many, what was known a new entries. I took three days to do the joining routine. I was … 2/ … one of ten in our class of future Ordnance Artificers. First day was kitting up, then being issued with hammocks and taught how to sling them. Victualling Office, then we received our first meal, supper. The next two days, Drafting Office, Doctor, Dentist, Messing, class allocation. Everywhere there was a long queue. I remember one we had to go into a wooden hut, strip off, get in the queue. There was an old man sitting on a chair with a torch in his hand. You had to stand in front of him and his torch, no doubt he was looking for crabs. Then you had to turn round and lean forward, looking for piles this time. Now and again he would mutter “use more paper”. This was his war effort. Everybody had to have a haircut. The Government paid his wages but the barber let you know that it was up to him how much hair he cut off so give him a tip or else. Everybody tipped him. A couple of snips, finished. Next came 6 weeks discipline course to let you know who was the boss. This consisted of squad drill, lots of it, gymnastics, swimming test. This meant putting on a wet suit that was like ice, and swimming at least two lengths. Then someone else had the pleasure of donning your wet suit. I felt a bit sorry for anyone who could not swim. They had to jump in, you could see them struggling under the water until a Petty Officer jabbed them with a pole and helped them out. In the evenings we had duties such as darken ship (every naval barracks is classed as a ship), scrubbing concrete steps. ... 3/ … and there were a lot of them, clearing the after supper tables in the Petty Officers and Chief P.O.s messes, taking the eyes out of lots of potatoes. Finally the six weeks was over and we had to report to the Gunnery School where we were told the trade test was cancelled owing to pressure of time and that we had to do a nine months course in 23 days to become Ordnance Artificers. This meant five different classes, Breech mechanisms, Gun Mountings – such as recoil cylinders, recuperators for brining guns back into firing positions, these also took up some of the recoil, shell and cordite hoists to each gun, and many other items. When a gun turret is trained it is revolving on 3 decks, “the gunhouse”, 2nd deck down “the workspace” where the machinery is, 3rd deck down “the lobby” where shells and cordite are transferred from the magazines to the moving structure of the turret. Hydraulics, which included, main pump, 8 engines, 2 for training the turret, one each for gun laying the two guns, and 4 for the 4 ammunition hoists. All pressure had to be maintained at 1200 lbs/ sqins. at all times. Rangefinders and range finder director. This was the highest structure on the ship and from here could be seen anything that was below the horizon from the upper deck and the Bridge. From here, -: the range, bearing, estimated enemy speed, and angle of deflection was transmitted down to the T.S. This was a compartment containing the Transmission Table, which was really a mechanical computer made up of lots of … 4/ … differential gears and hunters (electric motors), and a range of dials on top, a seaman operating each dial. From this table the bearing and elevation of the guns was transmitted to all gun turrets. These readings allowed for all alterations in range and bearings during time of flight of the shells. The only estimated item was enemy speed. Even atmospheric pressure, drift (a shell spinning will drift to the right), loss of muzzle velocity, every 10 shells fired, caused by slight wear in the gun barrels. Even so it was usual at long range to wait for the splashes of the first salvo and then make adjustments. As soon as you got a straddle it was a case of load and fire. When all guns phoned the message, “On, On, On”, they were fired electrically from the Director, so there was only the one bang from each salvo. This cut out a lot of confusion. For every subject we had a verbal examination by a different Officer. All the class were making guesses as to whom would come top. Griffiths was the clear favourite, my name was never mentioned. We had to report to the Gunnery School and got fell in. Then the Gunnery Captain appeared with a list containing our names in order of passing with the average marks %. My name was first, but Griffiths was 2nd. 8 passed and two failed. These two was transferred to the Engine Room Branch as Engine Room Artificers. Our names were put up at the Drafting Office. My name -: H.M.S. Ajax, Griffiths next H.M.S. Dido. All eight of us got a draft at the same time, … 5/ …… mine was an easy one. Ajax was in the Chatham Dockyard, so I put my kit on a handcart and the baggage party took it through a gate into the Dockyard and unloaded it at Ajax’s gangway. I reported to the Master at Arms, was shown the Petty Officers Mess and got settled in. This did not take long. The P.O.s were a good crowd, about thirty altogether and from then on for the next six years I never experienced anything but friendliness from anyone, either on “Ajax” or the destroyer “Meynell”. Ajax was a shambles, dockyard maties everywhere. I remember a new tripod main mast going up and a new 6” turret going in, an eleven inch shell from the “Graf Spee” had gone through the Commander’s cabin, through the officers’ bathroom and exploded in the lobby of “X” turret, making a new turret necessary. A senior O/A left the ship and I was given all the upper deck guns to look after, this comprised of 8 – 4” H. A. guns, twelve short range weapons and the aircraft catapult. These were recognised as the responsibility of the junior O/A – me. The ship was quickly back to normal and two tugs towed us to what was known as Farewell Jetty and then we went down the Medway under our own steam to Sheerness where we ammunitioned ship, took on fuel, water and victuals, then out into the North Sea to proceed to Scapa Flow for gunnery trials, both day and night shoots. After about 3 hours in the North Sea a German aircraft appeared so Repel Aircraft was … 6/ … called. There were two different bugle calls, one for Repel Aircraft and the other for Action Stations usually for expected surface action. It came down “All Guns Follow Director”, this was done by instrumentation. All guns sent back “On, On, On”, so the Gunnery Officer in the range finder pulled the trigger which fired all guns instantaneously. The German plane was on our starboard side and all our shells were exploding on our port side. Apparently the instrumentation had been set 180o out in the dockyard. Anyway the Jerry did not attack, it was only a reconnaissance, we had a laugh and I suppose Jerry had too. A few weeks previously, when we were in Chatham Dockyard a destroyer in a sinking condition came into the same basin as we were in. She was packed with soldiers and had been bombed. Dockyard cranes were lowering large steel trays onto her upper deck, bodies were loaded into them maybe ten or twelve each time, then were lifted ashore.
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