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.

Albert Malin recounts the early days of his Naval service spent living in a Nissen Hut on the shoreline of the Solent, coordinating the loading of D-Day landing crafts. A few weeks later, he received his first draft to HMS Oxlip, a Flower-class corvette, whose surprising appearance left him rather taken aback. Albert explains Oxlip’s role in anti-submarine convoy duties, before detailing the heart-stopping moment the crew realised the ship's power had failed, leaving them adrift and alone in the Barents Sea. A successful rescue mission afforded Albert and his crewmates a night of respite aboard sister-ship HMS Bluebell at Polyarny, the Russian base on the Arctic Coast. But the following day, as Oxlip set sail again, Albert recalls witnessing the devastating torpedo hit that sank the Bluebell, killing all but one of its 92-strong crew: a brutal reminder of the desperate situation faced by all those who sailed on the convoys during the Second World War. Every year, Albert raises a glass to the crew of the Bluebell, and by sharing his memories with us here, he ensures their legacies will also live on.

Dennis joined the Royal Navy in 1943, opting for sailor life over the army as a Margate boy with salt in his veins. He trained in Gunnery Control, specialising in an early radar technology for controlling ship guns. This was a cutting-edge skill at the time. Assigned to the newly commissioned HMS Cassandra, Dennis quickly bonded with his fellow crew members, becoming a close-knit fighting force. He recalls how, on the open sea, morale hinged on comradeship and the comforts of “canteen messing." Dennis’s first convoy was in 1944, when the Allies had started to turn the tables. His second Russian convoy brought disaster when a torpedo hit Cassandra’s bow, miraculously failing to sink the ship. Unfortunately, sixty-two of Dennis’s fellow sailors were lost – a tragedy that deeply affected him. He returned to Chatham Barracks on survivor’s leave but was later sent to the Far East. Here he observed the devastation at Hiroshima, a saddening reminder of the war’s impact. Dennis shared his eye-opening experiences in a series of interviews hosted by the Margate Blue Nose Club. An enlightening experience for those present.