Exactly the same image but the one on the left has been 'got at' by the censor, removing the pennant number from the hull and the radar mast and HF/DF blotted out. Image was taken at Xmas 1942

Walkers Own - HMS Wren

By Tony Green

Before Wren. The Beginning of My War

I joined the Merchant Navy as a Cadet early in 1941 and made a few trips around the coast of England. Then November 1941 I joined the TSS City of Pretoria. We loaded a full cargo of war supplies then sailed off into the Atlantic destined for Singapore. On December 7th the Americans came into the war while we were somewhere near the Azores. We carried on around Capetown but by the time we were approaching Singapore the Japanese were almost there so we were diverted to Batavia (now Jakarta). There, believe it or not we discharged everything onto the docks then headed off to Bombay (now Mumbai) (towing a disabled British submarine!). Of course, in a few days the Japanese were in Batavia and grabbed our whole shipload of military supplies! We then went up to the Eastern Mediterranean (Egypt – Alexandria) and started loading more military supplies to take to Malta. When the convoy was ready we headed for Malta - in conjunction with a similar convoy leaving Gibraltar. The battering both convoys received from aircraft and the Italian fleet made it impossible to continue so our convoy - what was left of it - staggered back to Alexandria. We then waited a few weeks and tried again with the same results. Then we tried a third time with similar results at which time we gave up. Off loaded everything and proceeded to New York - via Cape Town. In New York we loaded a full cargo of ammunition then braved the North Atlantic submarines and headed to Liverpool arriving there about 20th Oct 1942. (My eighteenth birthday).

Stan, Tony Green & Desmond Eke. Apprentices City of Pretoria. Desmond never returned

After I left the “City of Pretoria” I then applied to join the Royal Naval Reserve as a midshipman. That was expected to take a couple of months to get approved, Things often happen for the best! Within a few days I received a phone call from the Admiralty saying I had been posted and was to report to the RTO (Rail Transport Officer) in Edinburgh in two days. He would provide further instructions. I caught the next train from King’s Cross, saw the RTO in Edinburgh and was instructed to get the evening train to Scapa Flow where I was to report to H.M.S. Howe – one of the latest King George V class of battleships. As the pinnace took me from the rail terminal to the ship I stood in awe at this massive ship and the challenges of a sudden change from a cadet on a merchant ship one day to a Midshipman on a full blown battleship the next. I reported aboard and was escorted to the Gun Room (The midshipmen’s mess) on May 21st 1943. The next day HMS Howe, HMS King George V and their escort of cruisers and destroyers left Scapa Flow and headed to the North Atlantic and thence on to Gibraltar to join Force H, the British and American forces in the Western Mediterranean.

HMS Howe

After three days of endless ship tours the “Snotties Nurse” called me and detailed my duties. Everything of course was brand new to me – full navy discipline versus the casual merchant ship, so I had a lot to learn. After two weeks God called - the Capt of the HOWE – Capt Woodhouse - sent for me and along with the ‘Snotties Nurse’ questioned my lack of knowledge and discipline on matters RN. When I told my story Capt Woodhouse said I should have had my Greenwich Officers Course and instructed the ‘Snotties Nurse’ to make the arrangements. Nine months later the HOWE returned to England and I was sent to Greenwich for their “How to be a naval officer” course. Needless to say, after nine months on HOWE, I knew more about the navy B.S. than the instructors at Greenwich!

HMS Howe had been involved in the protection of North Russian convoys until we sailed to join Force H in the Mediterranean in May ’43. There we became part of the force ‘Operation Husky’ which invaded Sicily, bombarding the coast and providing strategic support for the protection of the landing forces. Later we followed with the invasion of Italy. After Italy surrendered in September 1943 we sailed to Taranto, the main Italian naval base in the South, to land more forces and then, along with the King George V, escorted what was left of the Italian battle fleet from Taranto and Malta to Alexandria harbour.

HMS Howe 1943

We later returned to Gibraltar and then sailed back to England arriving in December 1943 where I left the vessel and was sent to Greenwich College (The naval officers training school) for updating courses on “How to be an efficient Naval Officer!!” The Howe was refitted then sailed in June 1944 to join the British Pacific Fleet around Sumatra and the East Indies.

And so to HMS Wren

I completed my naval officer courses at Greenwich Naval College and was then assigned on May 20th 1944 to join HMS WREN at Liverpool. WREN was a modified bird class sloop – same size as a destroyer but slower – and was part of the famous Second Escort Group (SEG) under the command of Capt “Johnnie” Walker. Wren’s main armament was six 4 inch guns in three twin turrets and of course the full complement of depth-charge launching equipment. The SEG comprised from five to seven ships at various times, including Starling, Wildgoose, Woodpecker, Magpie, Wren, Kite, Loch Killin, Lochy, Loch Fada, Loch Ruthven, Dominica and others. The main purpose was to be a self-contained group of anti-submarine vessels trained to a high level of efficiency to seek out and kill the U-boats that were sinking so many allied merchant ships. They were not involved in escort duties. The escorts stayed with a convoy to provide close protection and were not supposed to leave the convoy. The SEG freely ranged the North Atlantic to go wherever U-boats were expected or located.

The Group ships between them carried all the latest detection and anti-sub equipment. One or two vessels would be fitted with HF/DF, Hedgehog and later Squid - as well as their usual armament so that at least one or two of the Group ships could provide any particular strategic need as required. The Group would usually be on patrol for up to six weeks at a time and then return to home base – Gladstone Dock in Liverpool – for a five-day boiler clean and re-provision. During the five day rest period 50% of the officers and crew would have a chance for a few of days home leave. During my time on Wren we were involved in killing at least eight confirmed U-boats plus others which could not be confirmed due to lack of physical evidence – such as bodies or debris which could not have been sent through the torpedo tubes as decoys. 

This picture (left) of the open bridge was taken on Wren about May ’44. Lt (N) Hunt RNR was the OOW. It shows the twin 4-inch guns of “B” turret – which was always on full alert. Just ahead of Lt Hunt was the entrance to the small ASDIC shack compartment which was the main A/S detection equipment. The ‘pings’ from the underwater transponders were broadcast through speakers on the bridge so the OOW could maintain a constant check in case of an echo. The ASDIC operator of course was always on duty and crouched in the small compartment as he constantly adjusted his instruments to meet the changing sea environment. On the bottom left of the picture was a small curtained chart table to hold the current charts – well curtained with dimmed red lights for use at night. Cruising for six weeks at a time around the North Atlantic can become pretty boring except for the occasional excitement of action stations.

This was the “A” gun crew on WREN taken in 1944 with S/Lt Green (far left) as OIC. I don’t have a record of the names.

The full sized image is reproduced below

Splicing The Mainbrace!

“Up Spirits”, the 11:00am ritual in those days – or as permitted on special occasions after a particularly gruelling encounter with the enemy.

Photo (left) taken of depth charges being dropped over the stern during an actual attack by WREN. In this case the charges were set to ‘deep’ so the only evidence of the exploding charge is the water stirred up near the top right of the picture. The second photo shows the depth charge being “fired” outboard on the port side. The third photo shows the results from shallow/medium depth charges dropped over the stern.

Much has been written about Capt Walkers’ very successful “Plaster” method to kill U-boats. One of the drawbacks of attacking a U-boat was that when a small ship like Wren dropped charges on a “contact” they had to be going at full speed so as not to blow themselves out of the water with their own charges. The effect of going full speed meant contact was frequently lost because the noise from your own ship drowned out the “Pings” from the ASDIC, and an astute U-boat could take evasive action. Also, if the U-boat was ‘deep’ the limited angle of the ASDIC beam would lose contact hundreds of yards before the actual point of contact. Again an astute U-boat could manoeuvre out of the way. Walkers ‘Plaster’ method was to run three of the Group in line abreast at an incredibly slow speed of about 7 knots - to minimize noise. One of the others would maintain contact on the target and direct the three attackers over the target. At the appropriate time Walker would give the order to fire. Then each of the three attackers would start dropping their charges over the stern and the two outboard ships would fire additional charges to port or starboard - depending on their position. This would provide a very broad and destructive coverage from which few U-boats could escape. Whilst this method was most effective against the U-boat it was also very hard on the three thin-skinned very vulnerable but heavily armed attackers.

As the shallow and deep armed depth charges cascaded around the suspect targets, blowing their spumes of water over the unprotected deck crews, just about every light bulb, piece of crockery and anything not stowed properly would be smashed. The internal vibrations, thunderous noise from the depth charges, water sloshing about internally and externally took it’s own toll on the hulls of the ships. Rivets would ‘pop’, water would be seeping into many areas but regardless of your own safety the attack had to continue. Travelling at seven knots was about the minimum a ship could go and still maintain reasonable steerageway and control in any sort of turbulent sea state. It also placed each vessel into a most dangerous and vulnerable position. The one or two controlling ships – whist maintaining their distance from the fray and contact with the U-boat - were equally vulnerable during the attack, as they had to remain quiet but still moving – controlling with the combination of ASDIC and Radar. The new acoustic torpedoes that aimed to home in on the propellers provided a further unknown threat at that time.

Almost invariable, after a couple of plaster attacks, the worst affected ships would have to return to dock for quick leak repairs and restocking supplies and depth charges.

Tony Green's Medals

Picture of a bridge game in the wardroom.  This picture of a bridge game going on in the wardroom to pass the time was fairly typical. S/Lt Green (With the cigarette holder for ‘luck’) was partnered with S/Lt “Guns” Brown. On Green’s right is Lt “Junior” Taylor with, I believe his partner Lt Roberts the ASDIC officer. On the bulkhead behind Green’s head there was a small shelf that contained a simple ladies handbag."

On the bulkhead behind Green’s head there was a small shelf that contained a simple ladies handbag. Thereby hung an interesting tale of valour and courage in the line of duty! The sign over the handbag read “Ladies Survival Kit”. Inside the bag was a pair of panties and a bra – all a WREN would require in the event of a rescue at sea! Both articles were of course won in combat so were considered the spoils of battle. The handbag came from a different source. When the Wren was in dry-dock all ‘heads’ were locked to prevent their use so we had to use the shore facilities. On one occasion during a party on board one ‘head’ was unlocked to allow use by the ladies with strict instructions – “pee only please” One lady got her knickers in a twist in the confined space and her handbag dropped into the bowl. This bag was then recovered, cleaned and fumigated but she refused to take it back. Thus we ended up with the unique survivors kit - the story that became public after we had visits from the “Press”.

HMS Wren was first commissioned in 1943 and all WREN’S in the service ‘volunteered’ a days pay towards the cost of the vessel. So she became known as the WREN’S own ship and as a courtesy, every time we went into port – Liverpool, Falmouth, Milford Haven for example where there was a WREN base we would send them a signal saying: “Your ship is in port, come and visit!” One day in Liverpool we had a surprise visit from the “Hen” WREN – Dame Laughton Mathews who was the sister of Charles Laughton and – I’m not sure of her WREN rank except that she ran the WREN’S – but she had come to visit “their” ship. She toured the ship and was then invited to the wardroom for the inevitable cup-of-tea. After some general chatter about the ship and the 2EG, to our surprise she asked where the Ladies Survival kit was? Somewhat surprised and embarrassed, we retrieved the ‘kit’ from the locker where it had been stowed for her visit. She took the whole thing in good spirits – I think more amused by our embarrassment than anything else.

Eventually the Allied armies reached the French coast cutting off all access to the Bay of Biscay ports and thus the mission of the 2EG came to a close and the Group was reassigned. Wren went to Leith in Scotland where she was to have a complete refit for service as an independent command in the Persian Gulf and Barbary Coast – with main emphasis on slave traffic control. After leaving Wren I was assigned to HMS Kingfisher for the sole purpose of decommissioning her and then running her skeletal remains onto the beach at Harwich to rot in her own good time.

2009: I have been unable to contact Tony for quite some time and, consequently, fear the worst. mk