The Wartime Memories Project - The Second War

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216964 Jack Abrahams Royal Navy HMS Nigeria I stood by HMS Nigeria in the summer of 1940 while she was still brand new in the dockyard at Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne. Three months billeted ashore with Newcastle on the doorstep; a cushy number! Then two years on Russian convoys and Atlantic patrols...not so cushy. A couple of trips to Spitzbergen to evacuate Russian and Norwegian mine-workers before the mines were destroyed by Royal Engineers to stop the enemy getting hold of them. A scrap with some Germans in a fjord up in northern Norway when, due to a bit of dodgy seamanship, we managed to collide with a sinking enemy destroyer, losing our bow in the process. We limped back home under heavy escort because the Jerries thought we were a sitting duck and paid us quite a bit of attention. Then another great three more months in Newcastle getting the new bow fitted. I left her in June of 1942 so missed the infamous Operation Pedestal convoy. I knew some of the casualties of course. Bandmaster Ridout was one. A fine musician and a true gentleman. I knew him because we did a couple of concerts ashore in the Newcastle area. I wasn't a musician, just the compere of the show. I had done a bit of DJing on board (before DJs had been invented) playing records on the internal system, and Mr Ridout asked me to front the band. If you want to add some names to the ship's company list I remember Cook Jock Aberdeen, L/Wtr. E. Smart, A.B.J. Smith, Commander Ransome (Second in Command) and the Skipper, Captain Dundas. Jack Copley Add to this record.  Related Content: HMS Nigeria Can you help us to add to our records? Add a record to our website. The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them Did you or your relatives live through the Second World War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial? Were you or your relative evacuated? Did an air raid affect your area? If so please let us know. Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice. Contact us. Celebrate your own Family History Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Secomd World War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc. Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages.

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