|
Some images of Ray during his service at the Boulder 3 station in Iceland. The left hand picture shows Ray in front of the communications hut where he spent most of his time. The desolate Icelandic landscape around the Val Fjord can be seen clearly on the centre photo.
Iceland and HMS Tracker After some home leave to recuperate from his operation, Ray returned to Chatham where he received his next posting. He was to spend the next nine months at a refueling station in Iceland. The station which was code named Boulder 3, was situated about 30 miles from Reykyavik along the Val Fjord. It was one of three 'Boulder' stations in Iceland, Boulder 1 being in Reykyavik. Ray worked in the communications hut when on duty, but with little to do in his leisure time, he spent most of the time at his workplace. Recreation was confined to either bingo or the station's cinema. Reykyavik was about 30 miles away by road and took around three hours by bus or lorry on the rough lava roads, meaning that there was little opportunity to spend time there. The boat trip was less rough but took over four hours.
The war in Europe was drawing to a close, so Ray was recalled to his home base in Chatham. He returned via Liverpool and took some home leave before reaching Chatham to be given his next posting. His posting was not immediate, he spent some weeks at Chatham but was billeted at Southend on Sea. This was a considerable distance away by land, and the rail journey into London and then onto Southend took a considerable time, but the recreational and leisure time pursuits made it worthwhile. His posting eventually came through. He was to join HMS Tracker in Rosyth and sail to the far east in support of the war which was still going on out there. With the posting being potentially long and such a great distance from home, Ray was given home leave before sailing. During this leave, Ray met another local lad at the pub, Ken Billington, who told him that he was also on his was to join Tracker, but he was due there a couple of days later than Ray. Before Tracker could set sail, its mission to the far east was cancelled following the Japanese surrender. It was now ordered to set sail for Southampton were it took on board American GI's who were retuning home after the end of the war in Europe. Although Ray can't remember exact dates as to these events, history reveals that it must have been around August 15th 1945, the date of the Japanese surrender, and records show that HMS Tracker would have been there at that time. Ray left the Tracker at Southampton and retuned to the naval base at Chatham to await his next posting..
Two photographs of HMS Tracker which were taken during sea trials shortly after conversion
HMS Lightfoot Not much is known about HMS Lightfoot other than she was one of thirty one Algerine class mine sweepers which were supplied to the Royal Navy by the US and Canada between 15th August 1942 and 15th June 1944. After mine sweeping duties with the Royal Navy, she was returned to the US Navy in December 1946 and then sold to Greece on 1st February 1948.
HMS Tracker More is known about HMS Tracker (D24), a Bogue class escort carrier. She was originally built to be the merchantman Mormacmail at the Tacoma shipyards. Before she had been completed, the US Navy purchased the ship and she was converted to escort carrier BAVG-6 during 1942 at Portland, Oregon. Early in 1943 she was transferred to the Royal Navy and renamed HMS Tracker. Tracker had a distinguished career during her time with the Royal Navy. She served as a convoy escort in the North Atlantic and the Baltic, and she was part of the naval screen for the D-Day landings. In November 1944, Tracker was loaned back to the US Navy to be used to ferry aircraft and personnel in the Pacific. She returned to the UK early in August 1945 and was allocated to the reserve fleet. She was due to leave for the far east during August, but with the Japanese surrender, the sailing was cancelled. She was returned to the USN at the Norfolk Navy Yards on 29th November 1945. During 1946 she was sold into merchant service and became the Argentinean vessel Corrientes. She was scrapped at Antwerp in Sept 1964.
|
