 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Unique Visitors!
Contact editor@heskethbank.com
Service Provider Hubmaker
© 2001-2008 All rights reserved.
The
Story Of John Hornby 1901-1974
Author - John Haydn
Barker Hornby, 2001. Edited and Published 2003 Copyright © Hubmaker
No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without the
prior consent of the publisher.
|
Chapter 4 - Time Aboard Destroyers John's next posting was to "Egmont II" and the destroyer "Keppel" from 2nd February 1926 until 15th June 1928. Keppel spent this period of her life visiting Gibraltar, Malta, Argostoli, Skiathos, Egypt, Suez, Aden, Singapore, Hong Kong and China. Her role in China seemed to remain more in my father's memory than anything else, and his experiences were not good. The Navy's role was, at yet another time of civil war in China, to guard British nationals. Keppel patrolled the Yangtse River almost continuously to cover and support businessmen who had to trade with the Chinese people. The ship had to fight her way through firing from both sides of the river from Nanking to Wuhu, on the way to Hankow. He often spoke of the vast number of bloated bodies floating down and up river on the tide, victims presumably of the civil war. In his artifacts is a copy of the following poem, in his own handwriting, but I don't suppose it is his own composition.
My father did, however, have many enjoyable times, as some of his photographs show, taken at Wei Hai Wei, and in Jessfield Park, Shanghai. There seemed to be plenty of tea parties, Embassy events and days out.
I have a contemporary newspaper photograph of the 3rd destroyer flotilla leaving Hong Kong, bound for the Mediterranean. Britain, at this time, surrendered the concessions (areas) of Hankow, Nanking and Chinkiang to China. He left the ship on 15th June 1928, again for "Vivid" before joining the aircraft carrier Glorious on the 7th January 1930, for three years, on promotion to "Petty Officer". Whilst at Vivid at this time, he sought permission to "practise on the piano in the canteen theatre from 4-5 pm". I don't know if it was ever granted, but I never heard him play. His favourite piece of music was Handel's "Largo". It seems that during his service on Keppel he was deprived of his "good conduct" badge (13th October 1927) but it was restored six months later. He never told me why, and I never asked. I did ask my mother, in recent years, but she always insisted she didn't know. Keppel had a distinguished war record. She served in the 13th destroyer flotilla and Force H at Gibraltar and in the Meditteranean from 1940-42, acting as escort to Atlantic and Russian convoys, in particular the tragic PQ 17, when she was leader of the close escort support vessels. In 1943 she was partially converted to along range escort, and later on sank 3 German "U" boats, U713, U229 and U344 the last in company with other ships. She remained on Russian convoys until 1945, survived the war and was sold out of service in July 1945. Introduction & Contents | Next Chapter More Local Genealogy | More Local History |
||||
