We left at 00.45 hours dead beat, but as we left we were pleased to see the Skuas of the Fleet Air Arm coming in to cover the embarkation of our troops who had a destroyer standing by for them at a little fishing village seventeen miles away. We were navigated by a Swordfish at 100 knots and the old Hurricanes had to do some fairly hearty zigzagging to keep behind.  It wasn’t a nice feeling knowing that if we couldn’t get on the deck there was no way out, and remember we had gone to the trouble of hoisting them aboard in the first place as the Air Ministry having had trials, pronounced it as being impractical.  However, we had taken the precaution of setting our brakes pretty coarsely without too much risk of going on our noses The Navy again were full out and as there was a fresh breeze blowing we had 35 knots over the deck and they all came on like birds.  The last one landed at 0300 hrs just 24 hours after our first air raid the day before. Most of the boys were pretty tired, and after some very welcome eggs and bacon and cocoa we all tuned in.

The next day most of the boys appeared about lunch, when we discovered we were on our way home at 18 knots.  At teatime we were suddenly given "Action Stations" and by the time I'd got on deck, salvoes were already falling around us.  We'd been caught in fact by a couple of German cruisers. We had a couple of destroyers, one of which was blown out of the water when she went to investigate in the first place, the second did her best to lay a smoke screen, but as there was a cruiser on each quarter this wasn’t effective.

All the boys went to their abandon ship stations and when the order came, we went over the side.  The whole thing was over in 45 minutes. I swam to a raft and a few minutes later young Jameson came swimming along.  Well, we eventually had, twenty-nine people aboard, but after 3 nights and. 2 days when we were picked up, we had but seven left, of which two died later.

We spent three days on the Norwegian tramp that took us to the Faeroe Islands.  We spent a couple of days in hospital there, and were then transferred on stretchers to a couple of destroyers and brought to Rosyth.  I should have-said that the tramp picked up 39 people all told clinging to various rafts, and I think that that was all that was saved out of 1,400.

The boats that got away were sunk by heavy seas, but in most cases they so badly holed by gunfire that they all sank as they were launched.  When we were in the raft the Germans came up, had a look and then went straight away.  I've a real hatred for Germans now.

Have been here for just over a week.  Our feet are the trouble, being in the water all that time-they got a species of frost bite and have been giving us terrific stick for now for some time, We’re assured, that this is normal, and that the pain will stop “in about a week.”

46 of course, has been reformed with a new C.O and two new Flight Commanders.  I was heartbroken at first but now I realise that I couldn’t go back having lost ten fellows, the finest on earth, who’d been through some of the most difficult tasks ever asked of a fighter squadron and always with a smile and never a thought of questioning an order. And they have all gone - what a shame.

Well this is a very long letter, and being written in bed my handwriting is now chronic.  I’ve said a lot of things I'd like you to keep to yourself, but I should let George Bulman know about the show as he'd be interested in the doings of' the Hurricanes, so perhaps you’d like to pass this letter on to him.

 

Thank you for your kind wishes and the Padres.  Jameson sends his regards and so do I.

 

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

 

 

(K.B.B. CROSS)

 

 

P.S. We got 19 Huns in all.

 

 

P.P.S.  The new C.O. of 46 is S/L Maclachlan, a Canadian and a very good sort.

Text Box: No 46 Squadron RFC and RAF
We Rise to Conquer