206798 Able Seaman Denis Alfred Remnant Royal Navy HMS Formidable from:Southampton My father had few funny stories of serving on board the Formidable. One I can reveal is about landing in Gibralter. Coming down the gangplank he was greeted by an ape taking hold of his hand. The only way you could get the ape to let go of you was to buy it a banana obviously from the ape's owner.He said he was quite scared of the ape at the time. He trained as a range finder and a kamikaze plane landed on his turret and he was engulfed in flames. He was wearing a fire suit but his friend removed top first so my father lost hair to all of his head and face and arms. He was removed to an American Hospital ship and he always recalled how good the Americans had it, with coke and icecream on tap and lots less sharing of accommadation. He only told us of his comrades and how they all made the best of things. He had sad memory of being on duty for preparing bodies for burial at sea. He performed this duty with a fellow from his mess and when they returned to their mess realised they had been preparing quite a few from their own friends.
|