Part of the
Acorn Archive
Hearts of Oak
Dad’s Diary 1941
Transcribed
by Sue Twyman
proud
daughter of
Lt Philip Bray
R.N. [1912 –1988]
Diary
Entries
January
1942 February 1942
January 3rd
1942
Had a raid at 10 this morning, bombs dropped on the
airfield at Luga.
we shot one fighter down in this raid. Another dive
bombing raid at noon, bombs, but none close—we shot 2 bombers and 1 fighter
down. 2 Hurricanes also crashed.
Another dive bombing raid at 4 and at 5pm.
It feels so awful that each time we are the target,
I hardly dare think of what will happen, should a bomb hit us while we are
propped up in dock like this, we should all lose our lives!
I am a bag of nerves now, and tremble at the least
sound like a bang, and I know it will take a long time to get over it. How I
pray I’m alright when I go home.
Had another raid at 7pm and it turned into a blitz.
We have fired our guns all day long, and we shall soon be out of ammunition.
The BBC has just announced the loss of our two
sister ships the night we were mined—the Neptune and the Kandahar. They have
taken a long time to let the people know!
January 4th
1942
During the night we had a nasty air raid and at 5 in
the morning, 3 bombs dropped very close to us, and one exploded near one of our
destroyers the Havock, there were 3 killed and 5 seriously injured. I keep
wondering when Auroras turn will come?
Went to Kaths and we had two very heavy air raids,
and we stood out in the street and watched the hordes of enemy bombers diving,
and dropping bombs. Terrific barrage, and shrapnel like rain. It certainly looks
as if they are after wiping Malta out!
January 20th
1942
Had 8 day raids with bombs,
. They are trying to hard for the dockyard with
Aurora in it. At 2-30 this afternoon a heavy bomb fell alongside us—it hit the dockside,
and almost toppled us over in the dock, if it had, I should not be writing this
now!
We had heaps of shrapnel came on board, a large
piece went straight through my kit-locker! Fire mains in fore part of ship
burst, and flooded every where. Near shave!!
There were 4 raids during the night and 16 people
killed at the Army Camp!
January 25th
1942
We had several heavy daylight raids. One of our
ships the Abingdon was machine gunned by four enemy fighter aircraft, there
were 7 casualties, one of them that was killed was from our ship!
January 26th
1941
Went to Kaths and had “Lancashire Hotpot” and so
enjoyed it! Especially as I am always hungry on board. Our food is very poor
now, and we are rationed with 2 boxes of matches a month, and 7 cigarettes a
day, and we are the fighting men!!
We had several daylight raids and lost 5 of our
fighters in it.
January 30th
1942
We had about eleven daylight raids today, and about
6 during the night. As I went to get into the bus to go to Kaths, a stick of
bombs fell quite near to me, just a moment after the siren had gone! I did not
take cover, but I have still got the nervous feeling! God knows I have tried to
master it. Looks as if the Germans have started to blitz the place in earnest
now.
There is no matches, soap or toothpaste or anything
else to be bought here now. The food on board is worse than ever, and I get
very hungry when not at Kaths.
February 6th
1942
We had daylight raids continuously, with many bombs.
There were 12 raids during the day, and at 10am a bomb hit the house opposite
Kaths, and all Kaths doors and windows blown off. She and kiddies alright, and
only little shaken when I went ashore at 6.
They dropped loads of bombs all over the place, but
although close to the ship, none hit us. I watched bomb after bomb leave the
planes as they came over, and felt quite alright, but the noise when they
explode, makes me feel queer! It was that damned mine—cant forget it somehow!
I watched all the raids during the day, a terrific barrage
is always put up, and we shot a bomber and a fighter down today.
February 11th
1942
A new cruiser the Cleopatra came into harbour this
afternoon, from England. She was dive bombed and slightly damaged—she has 11
dead and some injured!! Hear she has brought some mail---Hurrah!
February 12th
1942
When I came on board this morning, I found that the
destroyer “Maori” had been bombed during the night, and she had blown up and
had sunk in the harbour, 5oo yards away from us!! There were 4 killed and many
injured, poor devils
I can see the Nazis hitting us if we stay here much
longer. Makes one feel a nervous wreck!
There was a big funeral this afternoon for
Cleopatra’s dead---eleven!
Had 3 letters from Ethel (wife) today, and several
Christmas cards—it all took two and a half months to reach me, but made me
happy.
War news looks very black for us now, I think—must
strive better—come on England!
February 13th
1942
This was a black day for Malta. We have had heavy
raids all day long. The enemy bombers are most daring, and they are very brave
in the face of such a heavy barrage
Ordinary raid routine all day—and I went ashore at 5
o’clock and got caught in a real blitz. Could find no room in shelter, so had
to stay in the open. I watched 8 heavy bombs burst 500 yards from me—Manoel
Island—killing lots of service men. This was dive bombing and very accurate.
I am proud to say Aurora herself, shot down 2 enemy
bombers and damaged a third with direct hits!! This is remarkably good
shooting.
In the same raid, 4 heavy bombs killed 30 people in
Casapola?—these bombs were aimed at Aurora, but missed by quarter of a mile.
Got to Kaths after raid, they were frightened, and
Kath has promised to begin to go to a rock shelter now.
February 15th
1942
Our sister ship “Penelope” arrived in harbour at 9
this morning—she had lost the convoy of three ships she was bringing here—they
were sunk by dive bombing. War is getting very hot here now!
At ten this morning an air raid started that lasted
for 9 hours, the longest we’ve had. I watched an enemy bomber, JU88 get hit
with a 4inch shell and it came down to earth in flames—pilot must have been
cooked in it!!
Bombers came over at 6 this evening and dropped
bombs very close. They hit a cinema with about 200 people in it—heaps dead!
February 17th
1942
13 Naval ratings, killed by bombs ashore in the
cinema on Sunday, were buried today—canvas bags—no coffins available!! How
serious the situation is, are we holding our own?! I pray so.
2 Italian cruisers and a destroyer sunk yesterday by
Naval planes---up the Navy!
How I pray for this awful war to end—so that Ethel
and I could be together—that is all I want of life now. I shall look back at
you little diary, and read of all these feelings I am having—but I’ll forget
them too.
February 22nd 1942
A day of absolute Blitz and hundreds of bombs
dropped on Malta!! We were raided by enemy bombers all day long—they do not
seem to mind the daylight. At lunch time Backshell and I went to Kaths, and on
our way there, we saw two enemy bombers diving straight at us. I watched the
bombs leave the plane, watched them all the way down.
A terrific shriek and one burst just 50 yards away
from me, in the same road! I was blown into a doorway, and into the front room
of a house, bumped into two girls and ended up there!
I apologized—but they were not frightened—I was!!
Shook ourselves and carried on to lunch at Kaths Damage and casualties must
have been heavy today.
Raymond Forward
Thanks to Sue Twyman