HMS Gambia.
HMS Gambia entering Grand Harbour Malta.
On the 14th of October 1951, HMS Gambia left Malta to join the Middle East fleet. Two days steaming out of Malta she was ordered to full power to arrive in Port Said at the top of the Suez Canal as quickly as possible. Steaming at full power into a full storm and shipping green seas for most of the trip, she arrived off Port Said on the morning of October, the 17th.
Trouble had been fomented along the canal, resulting in the staff going on strike. Merchant shipping from all quarters of the globe were queueing to pass through the Canal. On arrival, Capt Durnford Slater had to organise the convoys passing through the Canal. The canal is too narrow for ships to pass, so southbound convoys go from Port said to the Bitter Lakes, midway,where they are passed by the northbound convoys from Suez.
Until the world's merchant ships en route for the canal were given specific times of arrival, as organised by the Captain, they arrived at all times of the day and night. One of the groups on strike were the mooring parties. They went out in small boats and took the ships head and stern ropes and secured them to buoys, where the ships stayed until it was their turn to leave to join a convoy.
To replace these small boats, the captain used L C A.'s (landing craft assault), manned by Royal Marine commandos, the actual job of taking the ropes and jumping from the craft on to the mooring boys was given to Boy Seamen. In fine weather this was not difficult. But, at three in the morning in the dark and the rain, when the top of the buoy was slippery, it was a different matter. When a ship arrived, it was met by an LCA, it's lines were picked up and secured. In the beginning, this could happen at any time of day or night and it was not uncommon to be called out three or four times during the night.
The buoy jumping crews were often thanked by the ships, by being called alongside to be given a bottle of wine, beer, or spirits by way of appreciation. As a 17-year-old the Royal Marines looked after me by not offering me any.
Picking up the head rope. |
Jumping to the bouy. |
Securing the line. |
Waiting for a call. |
Taking away the stern line. |
With the Royal Marine engineer. Up for a breath of fresh air! |
HMS Gambia was launched in November 1940. She was a light cruiser of the Crown Colony class. With a complement of 730 men in peace time, the wartime complement was higher. Capable of 33 knots (61 km/hr) Her range was 6500 nautical miles at 13 knots. The main armament was 12x 6 inch guns mounted in four triple gun turrets. It was said that well drilled gun crews in these turrets were capable of reloading and firing every 10 seconds. This made for a formidable broadside, especially inshore bombardment. Gambia took part in many significant operations of this sort. A large number of anti-aircraft weapons were carried, as well as two Supermarine Walrus aircraft. Transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy in 1943 to replace the two damaged cruisers Leander and Achilles, she spent the rest of the war in the Pacific, taking part in attacks on Japanese positions and supporting a series of carrier raids against oil installations and airfields. She saw action off Okinawa, Formosa and Japan, and took part in the bombardment of the Japanese city of Kamaishi on 9th of August. Being under air attack by Japanese aircraft when the cease fire was announced she is credited with firing some of the last shots of World War II. She was present on 2 September 1945 in Tokyo Bay for the signing of the Japanese instrument of surrender.
The Royal Navy has often been the first with aid on the scenes of civilian disasters. In 1953. The Greek island of Zakynthos was struck by a severe earthquake. HMS Gambia and her sister ship, HMS Bermuda were the first on the scene, bringing aid. Greek officials commented, "Greece has a long-standing tradition with the Royal Navy and it kept its infallible tradition of always being the first to help.".
Museum Curator : Peter Jordan
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