219150 PO. Henry George Royal Navy HMS Dorsetshire from:Swansea, South Wales My father, Henry George joined the Royal Navy before the outbreak of the war as a boy. He was aged about 14 or 15. He was at HMS Drake in Plymouth, (I was also a cadet there in the late 1950s). I believe his first seaborne duty was on HMS Dorsetshire, training with torpedoes and catapult launching of the amphibian aircraft. His rank on joining the ship was of Ordinary Seaman, and I believe he was a gunnery specialist and a Navy 'sharpshooter'.
I know that he spent some time in South Africa, (maybe Durban), and also in Canada. He did not speak much about his wartime ships. I believe he was on convoy escort ships in the North Atlantic.
The words Golden Fleece come to mind; I do not know if it was a ship or a shore establishment. (HMS Golden Fleece was a Royal Navy Minesweeper.) Towards the end of the war, or shortly after, he served on Minesweepers. His final rank was of Petty Officer, and was a 'Captain of the Gun'.
At the end of the war he joined the Royal Naval Fleet Reserve, and I think served annual training again at HMS Drake or HMS Excellent.
If you or anyone else could confirm or deny any of these facts I would be grateful.
He died around 2006.
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