501146 John Edward Marchant Navy HMS Kingston My father, John Edward Marchant, was the buffer aboard HMS Kingston, autumn 1939 to early 1942. He was mentioned in dispatches to HM King George VI for his part in the towing of the SS Imperial Transport, which broke in two after being torpedoed in the North Sea. It was towed to Scotland at 4 knots where a new forward half was built. In 1949 it was sold to Norway and renamed RONA.
Father was injured ashore at Alexandria and HMS Kingston sailed to Malta without him where it was hit by a bomb on the range finder, his action station. He then assisted with the navigation of a merchant cruiser to negotiate the Tobruk run, but survived its sinking 5 miles out of Tobruk to swim ashore. Found fit after his swim, he was handed a rifle and joined the soldiers besieged at Tobruk until it was relieved.
Father survived the war having been mined twice during D Day operations while serving in a mine sweeper. He died in 1983 aged 81.
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