206426 George "Bill" Marriott Royal Marines HMS Aurora from:Leicestershire Bill was part of the Royal Marine (Gunnery) Contingent on HMS Aurora when it hit a mine in December 1941. He was thrown into the water. I believe the mine struck close to a gun turret. He was subsequently picked up by another ship which was also hit and he ended up in the water again. He remembers much oil in the water, lots of coughing, swallowing of oil. He and another Royal Marine officer were both picked up and taken to Alexandria. It was planned that they would be taken back to Malta by submarine to rejoin the ship's Company. Alas, the submarine never made it and they were ordered to take ship on the long passage south, home to the UK where they subsequently rejoined the Aurora's company. He never spoke much about his experiences - only snippets especially later in life. He served on the Aurora in the Med and in the North Atlantic.
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