Editor's Column: FAINT FOOTSTEPS, World War II (14)

The 'Queen of the Pacific', HMS Reina Del Pacifico

Favourite Ship of Many Tired Sailors During WWII

'HMS Reina Del Pacifico' transported U.S. troops to North Africa, 1942.

Four landing craft can be seen hanging from davits. Another is in the water

near the stern of the ship, alongside an open door - for exitting troops. Photo

by J. Hall at Gourock, Scotland. FL18191, Imperial War Museum (IWM)

Introduction:

In July, 2018, I received news that my columns would no longer be needed by The Norwich Gazette, my father's hometown weekly newspaper. It was closing its doors. I was very disappointed, I didn't think my columns were that bad!!

Now it is common knowledge that small- to medium-sized newspapers across the land are under threat from other forms of news media and that problem is not all my fault. So, I'm going to continue my series of short stories related to my father's Navy memoirs and the several submissions he made to The Gazette and a few other interested parties.

Questions, comments and related information re the 900 - 1,000 Canadian sailors that volunteered for Combined Operations (many manned landing crafts during the Dieppe Raid and Operations Torch, Husky, Baytown, Avalanche, and D-Day France) can be sent to Gord H. @ gordh7700@gmail.com

North Africa PT 3: A Big Tot of Rum on the 'Reina Del Pacifico'

("Getting There was Half the Fun")

American troops manning their landing craft assault from a doorway in the side of

HMS Reina Del Pacifico during Operation 'Torch', the Allied landings in N. Africa,

November 1942. Two of the landing craft are numbered LCA 428 and LCA 447.

Photo Credit: RN Photographer Lt. F. A. Hudson, A12647, Imperial War Museum

*I believe that my father is helping get his LCA (Landing Craft, Assault) into position to take on U.S. troops. It was work, work, and more work for the first four days (without rest) during his 11 days serving near Z Beach and Arzew.

* * * * *

"TORCH was a compromise operation that met the British objective of securing victory in North Africa while allowing American armed forces the opportunity to begin their fight against Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy on a limited scale." Operation Torch, Wikipedia

* * * * *

"The six Flotillas of Canadian Landing Craft included in the forces which made the landings at Oran and Arzew (sic) had an easier time than expected; and their heaviest casualties occurred after all resistance was over, when the ships returning to England were torpedoed... The Canadian Landing Craft ferried in American and British troops almost without incident, although they were occasionally under sporadic fire from French ships and shore batteries. After the nervous initial stage was over, the men were inclined to make a picnic of the work. Nevertheless, at the conclusion of the landings it was reported that it had actually been difficult to get the men out of their craft to be relieved." Combined Operations by Clayton Marks, London, Canada. Page 69

* * * * *

My father, Doug Harrison, unloaded U.S. troops and their supplies at

Arzew, Z Beach, upper right. Map - Combined Operations, pg. 66

Arzeu and Z Beach are in the upper right side of the above map as well.

As found in The Campaign for North Africa by Jack Coggins

"Getting There was Half the Fun"

My father, Doug Harrison, writes about some of the difficulties associated with getting "the men out of their craft to be relieved" in his Navy memoirs (excerpts below from ("Dad, Well Done", pages 25 - 26):

"I worked 92 hours straight and I ate nothing except for some grapefruit juice I stole..." 

After the 92 hours my officer said, "Well done. An excellent job, Harrison. Go to Reina Del Pacifico and rest."

Such kind-hearted words must have been greatly appreciated, but before my father could gratefully comply a few "snipers in a train station" had to be eliminated. It was recorded that American gunners in a half-track flattened the station "to the ground level." Shortly thereafter (perhaps with the smell of fresh cordite still hanging in the air above Beach Z), my father made his way by landing craft - likely with all aboard feeling somewhat safer and more secure - to the side of the Reina Del. It was a very popular liner as far as some very tired Canadian sailors were concerned, and was stationed about a mile or two off shore. 

Once the small landing craft was positioned beside the resting hulk of the liner my father reached for a single fat rope dangling from far up over his head.

"I then had to climb hand over hand up a large hawser (braided rope) to reach the hand rail of Reina Del Pacifico and here my weakness showed itself. I got to the hand rail completely exhausted and couldn't let one hand go to grab the rail or I would have fallen forty feet into an LCM (Landing Craft, Mechanised) bobbing below."

Braided rope, aka hawser, found in front window of a lovely

building (below) at a Canadian Navy base. Photo GH

"Lovely building" on the grounds of CFB Esquimalt, British Columbia

Various types of braided ropes are still made inside. Photo GH

Are these called "fenders for large ships?" Made inside that

same building at Esquimalt, BC. Photo GH

Photographs found in England's Imperial War Museum reveal that U.S. troops exitted the Reina Del through an open door - with help from a rope ladder - situated no more than 8 - 9 feet  above a waiting LCA. No such short cut to the upper deck was available to Doug, but fortunately, an angel smiled in his direction when he reached the end of his rope. 

He writes, "I managed to nod my head at a cook in a Petty Officer's uniform and he hauled me in. My throat was so dry I only managed to say, Thanks, you saved my life."

Under the heading "getting there was half the fun," the better half of the fun associated with my father's journey to a ship he long-remembered* was about to begin. Though the Reina Del served in general as a troop ship from 1939 until 1946 as well as the floating HQ for a Senior Naval Officer of Landings in Sicily - less than a year after my father's visit (i.e., during Operation HUSKY beginning July, 1943) - it served up the best of hospitality for a particular worn-out young sailor.

Also in memoirs (written in the comfort of his own home during the early 1970's) my father recalls the following:

"The Reina was a ship purposely for fellows like me who were tired out, and I was fed everything good, given a big tot of rum and placed in a hammock. I slept the clock around twice - 24 hours - then went back to work."

(And after his work was completed...) "In seven days I went back aboard the Reina Del and headed for Gibraltar to regroup for the trip back to England." 

With a mind full of good memories about the Reina Del (good food, good rum, good hammocks) I bet my father was one the first to climb aboard whether by the side door or hawser.

More stories based on my father's 'Faint Footsteps' will soon follow.

*"long-remembered": Please click here to read a final article my father wrote in the 1990s - for his hometown newspaper - re Reina Del Pacifico, undoubtedly one of his favourite ships.

Please click here to read FAINT FOOTSTEPS, World War II, Part 13

Unattributed Photos GH