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Ted-Wells

A veteran interview with

Edward Wells

Ted Wells provides a fascinating account of his lengthy spell at sea during WWII. Torpedoed and bombed on numerous occasions he’s a true survivor with bucket loads of resilience. Check some of Ted’s photos…

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About Edward Wells

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Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker

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Home | Veterans | Edward Wells

A veteran interview with

Edward Wells

Ted-Wells

Ted Wells provides a fascinating account of his lengthy spell at sea during WWII. Torpedoed and bombed on numerous occasions he’s a true survivor with bucket loads of resilience. Check some of Ted’s photos…

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https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/edward-wells/

Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Wells, Edward. A Veteran Interview with Edward Wells. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, 21 Feb. 2014 https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/edward-wells/. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
APA Style:
Wells, E. (2014, February 21). A Veteran Interview with Edward Wells [Interview by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Retrieved May 18, 2025, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/edward-wells/
Chicago Style:
Wells, Edward. 2014. A Veteran Interview with Edward Wells. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, February 21. Accessed May 18, 2025. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/edward-wells/
Harvard Style:
Wells, E. (2014). A Veteran Interview with Edward Wells. [Interviewed by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee, 21 February. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/edward-wells/ (Accessed: 18 May 2025)
Vancouver Style:
Wells, E. A Veteran Interview with Edward Wells [Internet]. Interview by M. Bisiker. Legasee; 2014 Feb 21 [cited 2025 May 18]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/edward-wells/
An interview with

Malcolm Farrow

Malcom shares his vivid memories and experiences of his time with the Navy in the Falklands where he specialised in communications and electronic warfare.

Having joined the Navy first as an engineer, then as a Seaman Officer, Malcolm had reached the position of Lieutenant Commander Staff Officer and was incredibly busy on the HMS Antrim taking part in Exercise Spring Train by Gibraltar when they starting to hear rumblings about what was happening in the South Atlantic. It then came as no surprise when they were mobilised to head south. Malcolm recalls that there was initially a degree of making things up as they went along as they didn’t know what to expect and nobody, except one Royal Marines Officer, had ever been to the Falklands. One of Malcolm’s jobs was to work on deception tactics such as laying chaff around this ships to appear a larger flotilla and charting a course which looked like they might actually be heading for Argentina. At Ascension, Malcolm transfers to HMS Hermes where he recalls a frenzied race for better sleeping conditions when the Admiral said the officers could share his cabin which included the luxury of a double bed and shower. During this time, Malcolm had two main responsibilities. When on watch he was the Anti-Submarine Warfare Screen Coordinator and when not on watch he managed communications, including highly classified messages. He vividly recalls hearing the tragedy of the Sheffield directly through his headphones but that they only had a brief time to reflect before pushing on with their jobs. Malcolm describes some of their biggest challenges being rudimentary communication, lack of advance warning about airborne attacks and confusion which could arise from the three services not really having collaborated since WWII. He also remembers the tragedies of helicopter crashes and a Harrier exploding, he thinks it was often luck that meant things weren’t worse. Malcolm says it was difficult readjusting to life at home and is grateful to the public who offered members of the task group free holidays. It was a week in Wales with his family, away from home and work, that finally helped him decompress. He reflects that the Falklands will probably have been the last time the Royal Navy will fight a fleet action in that way.
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Edward Rogers

A lucky WWII seaman details what it was like to be stranded at sea after being torpedoed - and still survive.

Edward Rogers, known as 'Ted' to his friends, was born in Liverpool in 1924. Following the Blitz, Ted was still too young to join the Royal Navy aged only 16. However instead of waiting to be called up once he was old enough, he instead made the bold decision to join the Merchant Navy as an apprentice. Although Ted didn't yet know it, his first sea voyage would change his life forever. While sailing aboard the Alfred Jones, Ted and his crew were part of a vicious torpedo attack, by a U-Boat commanded by the formidable Günther Hessler. After being given orders to abandon ship as fire broke out, Ted made the unfortunate discovery that his allocated lifeboat had been destroyed in the explosion, and that he would have to swim to another for any chance of survival. Stranded 120 miles from shore in a small, overcrowded lifeboat, he was incredibly lucky to survive, though sadly two other members of the crew were not so fortunate. As part of life in the MN, burials at sea were not uncommon, however for Ted he mainly recalls the great camaraderie he shared with his crew, despite the constant threat of U-Boat attacks, including celebrations for Christmas and the eventual end of the war. It took another year following the end of the war for Ted to be demobilised, where he faced yet another big decision about his future, having to choose between maintaining a romantic relationship or training for the priesthood. Ted chose the latter, which would mark the beginning of yet another great adventure in his life.
Photo Gallery icon 1 Photo
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Alex Owens

Able seaman Alex Owens remembers his Naval service during WWII, providing protection for the fleet aboard S-class destroyer HMS Savage.

Alex talks about the first strict days of his Naval training at the shore station of HMS Ganges in Ipswich, and the even stricter regime that followed at Chatham Barracks, recalling the general attitude amongst his peers of ‘just getting on with’ whatever they had to do. His first draft as an ordinary seaman was to HMS Savage, a brand-new ship which he was one of the first to board. Unfortunately for Alex, as soon as he left the shore for the very first time, he was laid low by seasickness which took a fortnight to get over and left him temporarily unable to care if the ship sank or sailed! Alex shares stories from his time on the Russian convoys and the unimaginable hardships the crews endured. He also details close contact with the SS Penelope Barker, as well as Savage’s heroic role in the sinking of the German battleship Scharnhorst: an amazing account made even more incredible when he remembers the moment the Savage turned her guns in the wrong direction… A charming, generous and funny man, Alex’s story is that of a young sailor at sea determined to do his bit, regardless of the dangers and fears he encountered along the way.
Photo Gallery icon 7 Photos