Photographs and recollections from Len Glassberg

Towards the end of 2005 I received an email from Len Glassberg, a former crew member who served from August 1941 to February 1943. Len told me that he had some photographs that he would like to share and also some recollections of his time aboard. He thought others may be interested, I for one feel this is a wonderful contribution to the site, thanks Len!

May I first introduce myself. I am Len Glassberg who joined HMS Arethusa at Greenock on 13th August 1941 as a very green Supply Assistant. I served with the ship until I was drafted to Coastal Forces Base in Malta in January 1943 not long before the ship left Alexandria for re-fitting in the USA. I am now 83 and with some persuasion from my family have only just succumbed to all this modern technology. Hence it is only recently that I have read all about Arethusa on the web site. Your request to hear from people who were serving on the ship in November 1942 has prompted me to delve into my own memory bank.

This photograph shows the "author" of this collection as a raw recruit at the passing out end of course picture at HMS Royal Arthur (yours truly is in the middle row - fourth from the right looking at the picture). Click on the image for a larger view, use your browser's back button to return to this page.

I was quite moved by all the press and official reports on what transpired in November 1942. Apart from all that has already been said I have two other abiding memories of that trip back to Alexandria after the torpedo struck. One press report referred to the "London Caledonian market scene" on the ship's quarterdeck as a result of transferring weight from forward. However what it didn't say was how the coil of anchor chain reached it's destination!! I can recall participating in the chain-gang which manhandled the chain virtually the length of the ship from the forward cable locker flat on to the quarterdeck. What I really wanted to draw attention to was my feeling that it was one of the stokers who had undertaken the unenviable and courageous task of severing the anchor chain down in the cable locker flat to enable it to be manhandled aft. I think the stoker in question was 'Whip' Newman - so-called because of his jockey-like stature - he was also known as the blacksmith's mate. Again I cannot be sure but I think he had some recognition for his action.

The next picture is of the damaged Arethusa moored alongside the Oiler not long after we managed to get back to Alexandria, and before she was moved into the floating dock to be patched up in order to make the journey to USA.

My other recollection concerned my additional task assisting in decoding messages and signals. This job was limited to doing some arithmetic for the duty officer. I never got to know the content of the message except on this one occasion. It concerned HMS Petard who had towed us for the latter part of the journey back to Alexandria. As you will know from the reports the journey had been extremely difficult and because of this a great camaraderie had been built up between Petard and Arethusa - we had shared such a difficult time and succeeded. Tugs were due to take us into the harbour itself to tie up to an oiler ship but just before she was due to drop the tow Petard signalled Arethusa "Old friends are best friends - let me tow you in". As we know it didn't work out that way but we finally made port under cover of darkness. For some reason that emotional message has always stuck in my mind.

I was a keen footballer in my younger days and have always treasured the attached picture of the Arethusa football team which played against the Palestine Police in Haifa in July 1942. Our “manager” of course was the ship’s P.T. Instructor and like his counterparts throughout the Navy he was affectionately known as “Clubs”. I cannot recall his real name but he is first on the left in the top row. The rest of the photo - to quote today’s football jargon - is in 2 - 3 - 5 formation with the two full-backs and the goalkeeper in the top row, three half-backs in the middle and the five forwards sitting in front. I am second from the right in the front row (ie. I played inside left).

Strange to relate this picture, it is of a Nile river steamer! It is relevant to the November 1942 story because parties of the ship's surviving crew spent a few days recreational leave on one of these steamers - I think as guests of the Gezira Sporting Club of Cairo.

I do have one or two other recollections of "lighter moments" during my time with Arethusa. I mentioned earlier that I joined the ship in August 1941. This first contact with the ship still sticks in my memory. As a very raw recruit with only a few weeks dry land service I had apparently been earmarked for early "sea service". Along with another rating whose name escapes me now we travelled overnight from Chatham Depot. The weather was rough when we arrived at Greenock and it wasn't until late in the evening that we could get out to the ship.

Although the weather had abated a little and the picket boat had managed to get alongside it was still too rough for a gangway to be lowered. Imagine my horror when the ship's crane appeared overhead and a heavy steel net was lowered on to the picket boat !!! But once bags and hammocks had been uplifted I was mighty relieved to see a rope ladder come over the ship's side. Even so the climb-up was far removed from the practice run in the swimming pool at HMS Royal Arthur (a.k.a. Butlins Camp, Skegness) during our induction training !!!

Another lighter moment-although not for one of the ship's Royal Marines-centred around my first football game for the Arethusa team soon after we arrived at Scapa Flow from Greenock. If my memory serves me correctly recreational leave at Scapa was restricted to the Naafi canteen on the island of Flotta. We played the battleship HMS Nelson and beat them 2-1 which naturally led to celebrations in the Canteen!

There was quite a lot of merriment on the picket boat returning to Arethusa and the duty Officer of the Watch insisted on absolute silence before anyone was allowed to come aboard. Twice the picket boat was turned away and ordered to come in again. On this second occasion one RM crew member (doubtless a little worse for wear) decided he had waited long enough and jumped off the picket boat as it moved away and swam the short distance to the gangway ! Needless to say he finished up in the ship's solitary cell forward to dry off in more ways than one ! There was no problem on the pichet boat's third approach !

My hope is that these recollections may jog one or two other shipmates' memories - but as one of the youngest crew members back in 1941/43 I have a feeling that there cannot be many of us left now !

The next photo is a view of the Lofotens in the Arctic Circle taken during the Combined Diversionary Operation over Xmas 1941 - the picture didn't turn out too badly bearing in mind daylight hours were virtually non-existent(the story of this raid can be picked up at www.combinedops.com/Lofoten_Islands_Raid )

The Shipmates picture shows yours truly in the centre with Jimmy Dunne -a fellow Stores Assistant on my left. I cannot identify the chap on my right. Quite clearly our rig tells you it is somewhere in the Eastern Med..

The Stores Staff picture shows our Stores Petty Officer (once again his name escapes me now) - on his right is Leading Stores Assistant Jackson with yours truly on the PO's left.

The next picture doesn't conjure up the plush "movies" of the 21st. century We did however get to see some good films with the Ship's makeshift cinema on the forecastle - yours truly is in the right foreground but I am not sure what I am perched on ! With summer whites (or lack of them) location is still in the eastern Med.

Stores colleague Jimmy Dunne with other shipmates (the two in white are possibly the ship's cooks including the Chief Cook.

The final picture of course is the more mature and finished article as Stores Petty Officer towards the end of his five and a half year's service including the August 1941 - February 1943 stint with HMS Arethusa !!!!