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A veteran interview with

Steve ‘Soapy’ Watson

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About Steve ‘Soapy’ Watson

Credits

Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker

Transcribed by:
Rin Butler

Copyright:
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Home | Veterans | Steve ‘Soapy’ Watson

A veteran interview with

Steve ‘Soapy’ Watson

Photograph-of-Steve-Soapy-Watson-who-was-onboard-the-Submarine-HMS-Spartan-durinhg-the-Falklands-war-

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https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/steve-soapy-watson/

Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Watson, Steve. A Veteran Interview with Steve ‘Soapy’ Watson. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, 14 Feb. 2022 https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/steve-soapy-watson/. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
APA Style:
Watson, S. (2022, February 14). A Veteran Interview with Steve ‘Soapy’ Watson [Interview by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Retrieved April 18, 2025, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/steve-soapy-watson/
Chicago Style:
Watson, Steve. 2022. A Veteran Interview with Steve ‘Soapy’ Watson. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, February 14. Accessed April 18, 2025. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/steve-soapy-watson/
Harvard Style:
Watson, S. (2022). A Veteran Interview with Steve ‘Soapy’ Watson. [Interviewed by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee, 14 February. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/steve-soapy-watson/ (Accessed: 18 April 2025)
Vancouver Style:
Watson, S. A Veteran Interview with Steve ‘Soapy’ Watson [Internet]. Interview by M. Bisiker. Legasee; 2022 Feb 14 [cited 2025 Apr 18]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/steve-soapy-watson/
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Dennis Whitehead’s service on HMS Cassandra included Gunnery Control training, surviving a torpedo strike and seeing Hiroshima’s aftermath.

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.
Service:
Interviewed by:
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An interview with

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An incredible story of a Royal Marine who has had to overcome severe physical challenges after an incident in Afghanistan.

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Interviewed by:
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An interview with

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With a long-held ambition to join the Navy, Fred Estall keenly awaited the arrival of his call-up papers, which sent him first to Pwllheli in north Wales for initial sea training and then to HMS Wellesley in Liverpool for gun training. He passed out as a DEMS gunner (Defensively Equipped Merchant Ship) and went to Nova Scotia – via HMS Belfast and RMS Queen Mary – to join the crew of a Merchant Navy oil tanker. Fred talks about life on board, describing the extra work available to anyone willing to get his hands dirty – which he always was, not only because he could earn more money, but also because keeping busy helped him keep his mind off the U-boats. He explains the stark difference between the atmosphere of camaraderie in the Royal Navy and the Merchant Navy, and talks about the distinct lack of entertainment onboard a merchant ship. Recalling heavy seas, storms and the huge expanse of ocean, Fred’s memories bring vividly to life what it was like to move from tanker to tanker while the world was at war, keeping allied ships fuelled from 1940 – 1944.
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