Ord.Tel. Douglas Alan Ferris
Royal Navy HMS Dorsetshire
from:Rochdale
My father, Alan Ferris, was in the Royal Navy for 12 years, having volunteered in 1938. His role was as a radio officer and telegrapher. Dad never spoke of the war until much later in his life and he told me all about the sinking of the Bismarck in 1941, his memories were still vivid of the sailors in the sea and being picked up as prisoners. Dad could not swim, I'm sure it would have been difficult if his ship had sunk.
Dad was on HMS Dorsetshire from April 1939 to October 1941 and was transferred from the Dorsetshire to HMS Southern Pride just months before the Dorsetshire was sunk. He always said how lucky he was.
He mentioned, and I have photos of him with, some friends in China, Ron Lawson, Kennedy and Jeffries. If anyone knew Ron Lawson, there is a great photo of him in dad's war time photo album. Also pictures from naval visits to Buenos Aires in 1940, Sydney and Darwin. On one trip to Fremantle, Dad met my mother, after which they wrote to each other until they married in Singapore where Dad was based after the war as a instructor in wireless telegraphy.
