240244 Stok1. William Henry Tuffin Royal Navy HMS Malaya from:Hounslow Bill Tuffin joined the Royal Navy on 4th May 1937, 2 months after his 20th birthday. After training he joined the Malaya on 16 November 1937 as a Stoker 2nd Class. On 4 April 1938 he was promoted to Stoker 1st Class. He served on Malaya until 9th August 41.
At the outbreak of war he saw service in the Mediterranean and the Indian Oceans. Early 1940 he was in the Atlantic when Malaya carried UK's Gold reserves from Scotland to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and escorted Canadian troop ships back to the UK.
In April, it was back to the Med for escort duty and the anticipated Italian hostilities. Italy declared war in June 1940 and after a very busy 1940 in the Med and its part in the bombardment of Genoa in February 41, Malaya moved to cover Atlantic convoys when she was torpedoed on 20 March 41.
I remember how Dad, used to tell us, how frightening it was, especially for the Stokers who were always below decks and ran the risk of being entombed in the ship if the water tight doors activated. Fortunately, there was no loss of life on Malaya. Nevertheless, Dad said it was a very anxious time for all on board a damaged ship which took 9 days to reach Port of Spain in Trinidad. Their escort left them after 3 days so they were 6 days on their own.
The up side was that after temporary repairs in Trinidad, Malaya proceeded to the Brooklyn Navel Dock in New York for full repairs and refit. It arrived 6th of April 1941 and left 9th of July 1941. Bill stayed with the ship. During this time he was able to visit his mother's cousin in Connecticut and also went to the Kentucky Derby in May 1941. We also have a great photo of Dad when he went to the famous Jack Dempsey Bar with personnel from the USS Vincennes. He left Malaya on 9th of August 1941 after it returned to the UK via Halifax Nova Scotia on troop escort duty.
Dad went on to serve on HM Ships Despatch (destroyer) and Narborough (Capt Class Frigate). Narborough was on escort duty for Operation Neptune and did 29 troop escorts in 36 days. Narborough was escorting USS Susan B Arthur on 7th of June 44 when it struck a mine and sank. There was no loss of life. Narborough took on 700 US soldiers which overloaded Narborough and Dad said their was great relief when they reached the troop landing crafts where the soldiers left Narborough.
Mum and Dad married 1st of October 1944 and on 20th October Dad, on the Narborough was part of the 30 vessel escort for Arctic Convoy JW61. When we were small children Dad told us the stories of how cold it was up there and how big the seas were. How the waves broke over the ship and covered the decks and everything in ice. How for 24 hours of the day, someone was always chipping ice off the ship, especially the guns.
Dad continued to serve after the war, on the Narborough until 29 October 1945, and then on the minesweeper HMS Gazelle before he was discharged on 1st October 1946. He went on to have 2 daughters, 3 sons and 8 grandchildren. He was very practical and patient, and had a really good sense of humour, qualities passed on to his children and for which we thank him.
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