 Hecla by Captain C.G.B. Coltart RN and his senior officers Courtesy of George Male
Winston Churchill leaving HMS Hecla at Havelfjord Courtesy of George Male
Herbert McWillliams, an OD on the County Type heavy cruiser, HMS Shropshire, was one of those who saw Churchill at Havelfjord and his ship was part of the escort for HMS Prince of Wales when
it left Havelfjord on the 18 August for with Churchill aboard:
he appeared I was disappointed, I expected a big man and he is really
quite small. He was dressed in a navy blue blazer with brass buttons,
and wore a cap without a badge; he looked rather like a porter on a
railway station. He was by no means quite sober, having come straight
from a luncheon party on the flagship. He had a most odd expression,
rather like an obstinate little boy caught near the pantry with jam on
his fingers, or a comedian appearing on the stage expecting a laugh.
But when he began to speak it was clear how he exercises power and
authority over so many. I didn’t like his speech all the same; none of
us really cared to be told that we should feel thrilled at being so
lucky as to have this wonderful chance to fight the Nazi evil! I would
rather have heard something about his interview in mid-ocean with
Roosevelt. Naturally, I was very glad to have had the opportunity of
hearing him speak; I stood only a few yards from his rostrum, and had
whiffs of his huge cigar which once, accidentally, he put into his ear
instead of into his mouth. He really was “pissed”!
Fourteen months later McWilliams took passage on Hecla for
the invasion beaches in Algeria and his remarkable paintings and vivid
description of its loss on the night of the 11 - 12 November 1942
in A Hard Fought Ship have preserved the memory of that night for generations to come.
Top: The Captain's motor launch at speed
Bottom: U-570 being towed into Havelfjord after its
capture on the 27 August 1941 Courtesy of Simon Skelhorne (top and bottom left) and George Male (right)
Shipwright Bill Clayton from Plymouth remembered U-570 being
towed into Havelfjord after its
capture on the 27 August. It remained alongside Hecla for three weeks
being made seaworthy. On the 29 September U-570 proceeded to
Barrow-under-Furness under its own
power with a prize crew and was commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS
Graph (P715), the only submarine to serve on both sides in the war. Jim Coulton, now
living in Lancashire, went aboard the U-boat and Engine Room Artificer
(ERA) Jabez Skelhorne helped repair it and salvaged tubes of German
cheese and a
large lump hammer to take home which his grandson, Simon Skelhorne,
still uses today.
Iceland's main town and capital, Rekjavik, was close to where Hecla was moored in Havelfjord Courtesy of Simon Skelhorne
George Male had a poor opinion of
Iceland's capital Rekjavik. He thought it was a shabby place and the
people were not at all friendly. Prior to the war the Germans had piped
hot water forty miles from thermal springs to supply all the houses in
the town and had become very popular. The British expelled the Germans
when they took over the island as a base for the convoy escorts but did
nothing for the Icelanders and their presence was naturally resented.
"Peter E. Karetka, served USN 1940 to 1946, aboard the USS Hughes
DD-410 honourably and proud as a
signalman. We anchored just beyond the breakwater at Rekyavik for
liberty in that city. I was ashore at the time. USS Hughes DD-410 while
at anchor was rammed by a freighter, nationality not known. We
tied up alongside HMS Hecla for repairs for an extended period, we had
to wait for plate steel to arrive from the USA. The hull was split to
about 10/12 inch's above water line. While alongside HMS Hecla we
were invited as guest's for meals and movies on the fantail. I was in
possession of their menu's and hat band. The Skipper of Hughes,
Donald J. Ramsey, an Englishman (sic), was a proper host while at
anchor at Havalfjord. He invited members of the British garrison for
meals and gave them a guided tour of the ship."
E-mail communication from Peter E. Karetka ("Flags").
P