Embedded Files
This is a copy of a newspaper story found by David Roughley in his Father Jack's Possesions
Ship images only added by Peter Lee are not part of original report
First printed in an article from The Journal, (Swinton) Friday, August 27, 1943
With the Sicilian Invaders
Swinton Sailor's graphic story
Aboard Landing Craft in the Mediterranean
M/v Prinses Beatrix after her conversion to HMS Princess Beatrix Landing Craft Infantry
on which Jack Roughley served at the time of this story.
A graphic story adventures aboard an invasion craft with the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean during the invasion of North Africa, Pantellaria and Sicily is told by a Swinton man, Leading Sick Berth Attendant Jack Roughley, second son of Mr. And Mrs. Roughley, of 83, Shaftesbury Road, Swinton, in a letter to his wife, Mrs. Lucy Roughley, of 87 Cheetham Road, Swinton.
Called up in January, 1940, Leading S.B. Attendant Roughley was formerly employed as a warehouse clerk at Dean Mill, Swinton.. He will be 24 on Sunday. It is now nearly a year since he left this country and he writes: “It wasn't until we were half-way there that we were told we were bound for North Africa.” After describing the landing near Oran in which his ship took part, “one of the quietest we have done, in which we didn't even see so much as a flash-light.” He tells of visits to Algiers, Oran, Bougle and Phillipperville, and then relates how they started to run “Bomb Alley Taxis” along the North African coast, a stretch of about 200 miles which took them within close range of the Germans.
A Near Miss.
“We did that run about 20 times,” he writes, “and didn't we know it! It put me in mind of those shooting booths where a line of ducks go sailing, waiting to be shot at. We were likes that, sailing along and shot at, bombed, and attacked with torpedoes. We beat Jerry, though and came through without a scratch every time. Once or twice it was a pretty close things, watching those 'black eggs' come sailing down asking oneself, 'Is this it?' We had many 'do' with the torpedo bombers. One night about half a dozen of them started after us. You should have seen our ship shift! She broke all records, but one bright Wop (Italian) got round us and let his tin fish go. What a sigh went up when it passed through the wash at our stern.”
Leading S. B. Attendant Roughley, describes visits to Souse,Sfax, Bizerta and Malta – he had earlier taken part in the fighting of Crete, raids of the Norwegian coast and the Dieppe “raid in force” - and goes on:- Our next step was the 'sinking' of Pantellaria. It was a walk over. We arrived there there about 11 in the morning, and then the fun began. The 'battle-wagons' started by smashing a few shells into the place and then others followed suit until everybody was having a go. Just imagine yourself at the receiving end when the Mediterranean Fleet get to work'. Then to make things go a bit faster, a couple of hundred Flying Fortresses came over to join in. What a sight that was, and soon the island was completely covered by smoke. The sky was covered with our planes and the sea with our ships. The enemy soon packed up.
Sicily Next Stop
“We did not stay there very long, but soon got back ready for the next job. That was not long in coming and then we were ready for Sicily. To me I think that was the best landing we have ever made. There were enough ships and material there to take half the world, never mind a small Island. We saw only a fraction of them, because they were spread out for hundreds of miles. It was about two in the morning when we got there, a place at the very south-astern tip. The moon just about gone down and there was a kind of pale light from millions of stars. The place soon got lit up, though, for we heard our bombers coming over. That was the beginning. Searchlights went on and shells were bursting, bombs dropping, and tracers floating through the air. Belle Vue fireworks weren't in it. The enemy didn't know we were waiting a couple of miles off shore or things might have got a bit hotter. At one one time I though at he had nabbed us. A searchlight came sweeping across the water and I said to myself, 'I wonder what will happen if he spots us?' Still the light came on and I was ready to duck, not that would have been much use, when all of a sudden it swung up into the sky and went out. I often wonder why it did that. Maybe it was our Paratroopers that had landed and shoved a grenade into it.
“It was now time we took a hand, and before long there must have been thousands of troops pouring up that beach. After a time, things cooled down, but there were still bombers going over, and having their own way too. When dawn came, or big ships started to shell a few places and we watched the burst as the shells fell. Once again our fighters had the air to themselves and we had very little trouble from enemy planes. Sometime afterwards, we went further up the coast and visited Syracuse – a very nice place and hardly touched, from we could see of it. Augusta was another place we went to, but after a day or so, we got out, for it was getting a bit too warm – and I don't mean the weather.
“Now we are still somewhere in the Mediterranean, "waiting and wondering where we will be sent next. One place I like to invade is Swinton.”
Motor Vessel Prinses Beatrix back doing her more mundane Ferry work after the War
<<<<<<<<<THIS STORY IS REPEATED AS PART OF JACK ROUGHLEY NAVY HISTORY BY HIS SON DAVID>>>>>>>>>>>
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