Sunday morning the fleet commenced its return journey. We had expected a great deal of bombing by this time but no enemy aircraft were seen.

During the last dog watch, we parted company with the fleet and headed for Suda Bay (Crete) in company with HM Ships Orion, Ajax, Gloucester and HMAS Perth.

Early in the afternoon we were heavily attacked by nine JU-88s and for the first time, HMS York's pom-poms went into action. We received three individual diving attacks on York, two of which came extremely close, one stick of bombs falling right astern and another just off the port bow.

I was target direction officer for the starboard pom-pom, and when we opened fire for the first time, the muzzle was very close to the officers' galley Charlie Noble (stove pipe) so clouds of soot descended all around, blinding us and blackening our faces. This "smoked out" the cook who came rushing up on deck thinking that a bomb was responsible. The attack lasted for half an hour but no damage was done. We proceeded on to Suda Bay arriving at 0730 Tuesday morning.

There were several alerts during the day, but no enemy aircraft appeared. In the afternoon the officers went whaler sailing in the bay.

Due to several dawn air attacks on Suda Bay, it was decided the ship would go to action stations at 0515 Wednesday morning, thus I put down for a "shake" at 0515. I was due to be thoroughly "shaken."

After dark, HM Ships Orion, Ajax and Perth put to sea, and about two hours before sunrise, HMS Carlisleleft the harbour. For these movements, the leading lights and boom marking lights were left on, enabling five Italian torpedo boats (1)to enter with the greatest of ease.

Suddenly at 0516, a terrific explosion caused the ship to heel violently to port and was followed by a mighty rush of water. I was thrown from my hammock against the rifle racks on the bulkhead, and being slightly stunned by such a rude awakening, could not decide whether we were at sea, or in harbour.

All the lights and power failed, so black silence prevailed for the next few moments. I hastily donned a few clothes and proceeded out onto the quarterdeck, arriving in time to see a torpedo boat strike a big oiler on our starboard bow.

At this time we believed the explosions were caused by bombs, so an anti-aircraft barrage was put up around the harbour and we went to action stations.

The ship began to settle rapidly and list to starboard, the explosion having occurred between the after boiler room and the forward engine room on the starboard side. (As we later learned, the steaming boiler blew up which added considerably to the damage.) When dawn came it appeared the ship would sink if left at anchor, so with the help of HMS Hero (an H-class destroyer later to be transferred to the RCN and renamed Chaudiere) and two tugs, we slipped our cable and were towed onto the mud. By this time the starboard gunwale was within six inches of the water, and both boiler rooms were flooded. Several reconnaissance aircraft came over to observe the damage, but no bombs were dropped.

At 0800, a Lieutenant came aboard from the Naval Officer in Charge's office to tell us that we had been hit by an Italian torpedo boat. Five had entered the harbour but only two had damaged ships and the five Italian officers who had operated them, were prisoners in Suda Bay. Two boats had blown up ashore while the remaining third had been taken intact. (It was later seen running around the harbour driven by one of our Lieutenants[A].) Our torpedo officer went to investigate this boat and in the process, the pistol blew up in his face and cost him his sight.

As soon as the ship was firmly fixed in the mud, fifty percent of her company was sent ashore to live in barracks and a camp with LCdr. Harrison in charge. I was made the 1st Lieutenant of the barracks with 180 men in my charge. I started to grow a beard.

Fortunately, there were only five casualties resulting from the explosion, including two fatalities.

The "torpedoing" of York proved to be a prelude to the now famous fleet action off Cape Matapan. While we were lying powerless in Suda Bay, reports came in of how our fleet had destroyed four cruisers, three destroyers and possibly one battleship of the Italian navy. Later, many survivors were brought into Suda Bay by our destroyers, including the Captain of the cruiserZara. They were all extremely glad to be alive and out of the war, and said they had no idea the British fleet was anywhere near them at the time Warspite opened fire.

The next days were spent in organizing our camp and barracks ashore and in de-storing our ship.

On the morning of Friday, March 28, I discovered the body of Able Seaman Brigham washed up on the beach and had to make the necessary burial arrangements. We buried him at sea that afternoon from HMS Moonstone.

(At this point my journal was submitted to the Captain's office, wherever that might have been, and I didn't see it again until it arrived in the mail while I was doing Sub's courses. It was unmarked!)

The torpedo officer was LCdr. Robin Buckley. I was privileged to escort him for the rest of his short stay in Crete until he was flown out in a Sunderland flying boat. Although he was blind, his face and eyes appeared to be undamaged, and with great courage and perseverance, he learned to live with his handicap. When I next saw him, he was in uniform teaching Sub's courses in HMS Vernon. A remarkable gentleman and naval officer.

1. The Italian torpedo boats were in fact, one-man fast planing dinghies (some sources refer to them as type "MTM" Explosive Motor Boats. Ed.). They were 14-foot, turtle-deck shallow draft motor boats fitted with a six-cylinder engine and twin propellers on a single shaft. Each carried an explosive charge weighing 500 pounds, fitted into a compartment in the bows. It was later established there were six boats in all, and had been embarked in the Italian destroyers Sella and Crispi at Stampalio, then hoisted out about ten miles east of Suda Bay. Back