209087 Ord.Sea. Maurice "Lofty" Packham Royal Navy HMS Sirius I joined HMS Sirius in 1943 at Algiers, I had no idea what I was in for. The following morning in cold light of dawn I was heaving metal ropes in my whites which soon became a different shade. No overalls had been issued. Broken fragments of wire cut my hands. I was put on the "light calibres" which fitted inside guns for trial shooting - for which there was no use in war time. I had cotton waste and heavy turps to clean them. One day a chief asked me what I was doing there and told me my correct place was Look Out on the bridge. After which those sub calibres became rustier and rustier. Sirius, I seem to remember, rolled and I was sea sick. When we approached Salerno to support the landing the Gunnery Officer told us that the Germans had a device which homed in on ship's funnels. I think one of these was confused when between us and another ship and it didn't know which way to go and missed both of us. I remembered swimming at Bizerta in company with Sub Lieut Havers who later became Chancellor. One Sunday I had an attack of migraine and should have reported to the gunnery officer to be put on another post rather than Look Out. However it cleared up and I stayed on the bridge which escaped damage when we were hit. I remember with respect and sadness the bodies of the men being committed to the waves. The trips into the Aegian were not exactly picnics. The Penelope was hit, and two other cruisers I think collided. We were ordered back to Alex. I was a CW candidate but when I was commissioned in 1944 they didn't know what to do with us and I went into Naval Control. Best wishes to all Sirius veterans.
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