Mervyn Salter, an able seaman and anti-aircraft gunner, joined the Royal Navy in 1942 at the age of 18. He trained at HMS Raleigh and HMS Drake before being assigned to his first ship, HMS Saumarez, an S-class destroyer. Mervyn recalls his life and duties aboard the ship, including his first voyage during which the Saumarez escorted the Queen Mary with Winston Churchill on board. He goes on to vividly describe the challenges of the Arctic convoys, sharing detailed memories of the harsh conditions, and later provides an engaging account of the Saumarez’s battle with the German battleship Scharnhorst. Mervyn also recounts the ship’s role in providing artillery support on D-Day, which remains a particularly difficult experience for him to talk about. In 1944 the Saumarez gained a new skipper and was promoted to flotilla leader, setting sail for the Pacific where a new ocean provided a new enemy. Mervyn’s reflections on his military service are testament to the courage, resilience and camaraderie that defined his time in the Royal Navy, and his closing words remind us that the events of the war and the sacrifices made by so many must never be forgotten.

John Pound served with the Royal Navy in the Korean War from 1952 to 1954. Aged 19, he travelled to Korea on the Empire Pride before boarding HMS Charity, the small C-Class destroyer upon which John was based for the duration of the war. Prior to this overseas engagement, he had spent his first two years in the Navy training at Victoria Barracks and aboard HMS Bulwark and HMS Vanguard. Trained as a radar plotter, 3rd class, John shares his experience of work aboard HMS Charity in the operations room and details what his role entailed. He also talks about life out at sea, including the freezing conditions, the system of currency around rum rations, swimming in the Yellow Sea, and visiting the American base in Sasebo and the Australian base at Kure. Recalling having to be on action stations at all times, John delves into the dangers involved in his naval duties, including one particular Easter Sunday when Korean batteries hidden in caves ambushed their ship! Upon leaving HMS Charity, John returned home and completed his radar plotter course, 2nd class, before being assigned to the HMS Albion. Now a proud member of the Suffolk Korean Veteran’s Association, John’s story permits a wonderful insight into what life was like aboard a Royal Navy ship during the Korean War.