1961-05-13 — Page 10

*Page 6

** THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, MAY 13, 1981.

AGE

At nine o'clock on the morning of April 10, 1946, the court-martial gun was fired at the Royal Naval Barracks in Portsmouth. An hour later, in a green and cream room, the court assemblod. Five officers, headed by a captain, sot along a table covered in scarlet baize on which lay, horizontally, the sword of the accused.

The accused man was a lieutenant-commander,

'Call it off.

"RECEIVE into Thy Almighty and most gra-

protection the persons of us Thy

servants and the Fleet in which we serve.

"Preserve us from the dangers of the sea,

and from the violence of the enemy

that we

may return in safety to enjoy the blessings of the land with the fruits

of our labours."

Thre voice 01 the naval chaplain carried clearly across the blue-clad runke on the Royal of the parade ground Naval Barracks, Chatham.

On this cold, dry Sunday morning in the January of 1930 the pomp and circumstance of the ceremonial Sunday Divisions and Prayers - Royal

Marine

band, colour party, buglers and all-was a confident, reassuring occasion in which to take part..

UNUSUAL

Among the blue-topped caps, tucked securely between left elbow and ribs, were just a few bearing the gold lettering "H.M. Submarines."

con-

OF NO

RETURN

a man of medium height, slim in build, with straight fairish hair; a quiot man; outwardly a very ordinary man. This man was thora to account for his actions on a day nearly six years proviously, when he was the captain of one of His Majesty's submarinos. On that day his crow became prisoners of war. And his craft passed into onemy hands. The red and black flag of the German Navy flow from the most which had

this for any

taken for a scientist, or a uni- versity professor.

It was because the Navy had a new submarine under

Three things were generally struction in Chatham Dockyard

The first that there were a few submarine known about him. ralings

that was that he had been quietly the barracks Sunday morning. They were successful while in command of the Best arrivals of the crew his previous submarine. that was being assembled her. The

subinrine's

for name

The second was that his wife

was Scal. She would be a big had died a year or su previously submarine, displacing 2,000 tons in giving birth to his only child, when submerged. She would a son. carry 50 mines; laying them in enemy waters would be one of her chief functions.

The sallers who were to man her were a tough lot, with a good quota of heavy drinkers and scrappers: not an easy crew for a new skip-

affirmed that, third The though by no means a Bible puncher, he was certainly quiet and good-Ilving man."

At the beginning of his ac- with his crew quaintanceship there were obvious doubts Among them about whether he per to take over-especially would be the inon for the job,

for a man

Philip Lonsdale."

It was remarkable that there were any at all, for it was pr- usual for submarine personnel to be quartered in naval bar- Jacks. And from the point of view of the submariners them- selves, it was not an ideal ar-

for their addiction with rangement, to the more ceremonial aspects characteristics. of discipline tends to be alight, clothes,

of of the type

about whether he would master Rupert the men's own Lieut. Commander

acknowledged insuficiencies and succeed in they He was a man completely de- moulding them into what vald of any flamboyance of wanted more than anything else

a happy and appearance or behaviour; a man to become:

visual efficient team. outstanding

"He's too much civilian of a gentleman to be a good been submarine captain," said one. he might have

For every home

מון

In

an

The change in the crew's as- sessment of their captain took place quite quickly, with many not having realised that any thing had changed at all, let alone being able to say how the change had been néhieved.

Lonsdale succeeded by being himself. In all his dealings he gentlemanly, drin, and was

picasant.

He never courted popularity. He never displayed ill-temper.

Suddenly it was as if his ap- parent lack of overt personality had become a personality all of ship's

own.

borne the White Ensign. His submarine was the only British warship which surrendered to the Gormans on the High Seas.

Now, after six yours, what was done, what was not done, and what might have been done were to be probed and probed again.

Six years

but, of course, the roots of the Seal offair went back even before that.

is too dangerous

submarine'

MES

ENBON

But the admirul said that Seal's mission was important. It would have go ahead.

So, on April 29, Seal set off from Immingham, on the Hum-

оп estuary,

ber new assignment.

ber

FAREWELLS

way an

Only Lonsdale know hor exact destination, but among Scal's crew of 60 there were plenty of Her job on those early patroln fying scraping of metal. The to beard the Flag Officer Sub- men able to make an intelligent

intercept the was to

convoys damage was alight. Seal con- marines, the rather ferocious guess as to where the need for

tinued her mission.

Max Horton. In the Hampstead submarine mine-laying might ferrying iron ore to Germany.

block of flats from which the be greatest. There were many frustrations.

But all the perlis of these world-wide activities of the

Their last message The German ships kept inside Norway's territorial waters; and early patrols were dwarfed by Submarine Service had by this

some months been unomcial one and came from when the protection was ended the lesion given to Seal at the time for by the German invasion of end of April 1940.

directed. Bothell's purpose was two segmen in the Teviot Bank, Norway, the ships flew neutral

to attempt to persuade his fag a converted merchantman which officer to reconsider his decision had been lying near them as to send Seal on such : flags.

hazardous they took on their miner task.

The younger of the two was performing vigorously accordion and both of ther were singing at the tops of their voleer "Wish me lucit as you wave me goodbye."

THE TASK

Not ong legitimato target was offered to Seût's torpedoes. But

these patrols were not without took their dangers. Lonsdale The whole company were soon longing to Seal far into the fjords, reach

with go to sea with Lonsdale, to try ing his required positions

the ald of infrequent two- their hands with him and Seal.

eccond

tho glances through periscope.

Go lu sea they did. Within months of Seal being completed, the war began. Seal was among the first submarines to be sent into the enemy-dominated waters off Norway.

RONSON Varaflame

Once, al night, when they were on the surface, they were all but rammed by a Swedish merchant ahip.

Vessels

The sides of the two brushed and there was a terri-

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It was to enter the Skagerrak (the stretch of water between the north of Demark and Nor- way) mud to proceed from there dangerous to the much more

Kattegat (between the cast of Denmark and Sweden),

There, in a given position-

two

PLEA FAILS

the

and

on

an

Bethel urged his case: although she was allowed alternative positions if the first occupied shores of Denmark

For some reason this simple wide- gesture

was to stick one was found to be unattainable Southern Norway, the

In the she was to lay her minefield. spread enemy mineßelds,

the minds of many of Seal's ship's constant enemy surface and ale company much more clearly It was a measure of the risk patrols; the fact that nearly than most things about their last that the commanding officer of all other British submarines had couple of days before sailing. Seal's flotilla, Captain J. S. been withdrawn from the Kat Bothell, R.N., travelled south tegat because of the hazards.

(Continued on Page 7)

-ON A GREY, FORLORN DAY, VICAR BECOMES MISTER-

A bishop unfrocks Dr Thomas for open

1

and notorious sin'

By MICHAEL PARKINSON

WITH all the solemn-

ity of ecclesiastical law, the Rev. William Bryn Thomas, Doctor of Philosophy, former Vi car of the Church of the Ascension, Balham, was recently unfrocked at Southwark Cathedral.

lt 10.25 am he was still officially-a clergyman of the Church of England, Two minutes later he was plain Mr Bryn Thomas. The Reverend had disappeared.

DR THOMAS

He was absent

It started with a solemn pro- cession to the sanctuary and high altar. The Bishop of Southwark was sandwiched be- tween auffragan bishops and bewigged Diocesan Chancellor Mr E. Garth Moore.

The bishop intoned:--

"For as much as the Revd. William Bryn Thomas... has grievously offended against the law of God by open and notorious sin, whereof be hath have been fully convicted, wo met here.

Mistor

From the seventh chapter of "Beware

Then he signed the deposition It vanished as The Bishop of

"And we do hereby, by the form with a flourish of his red Southwark (De Mervyn Stock- authority committed to us by pen. wood) read the sentence of do- Almighty God, The Father, The

followed

the Son position, which

and The Holy Ghost, charges of immorality by the said "William Bryn Thomas Church court..

from All clerical offices and orders of priest od deacon respectively by this our definitive sentenco and In clear tones, his voice final

give decred which__ we theso echoing around the high, grey and promulge by wall of the cathedral, the ents." bishop sald:-

conviction of Mr Thomas on remove, depose, and degrade St. Matthew he said:

'Scandal'

pre-

Thirty minutes before

the

"Whereas the enld William service started, the congregation into the cathedral. Bryn Thomaa Has grievously straggled alrned against Almighty God There were young and ardent and has caused rave and pricate,

blahops In gaiters.

to the Church and to his holy women in headscarfs, orders, therefore wo, Mervyn.

DR STOCKWOOD

the

Birangely, as 1 sensing the

by divine permission, Bishop of solemnity of the occasion,

100 people present gathered Southwark, irst calling upon mainly at the the Most High God of Heaven enthedral.

and Earth Father, Son and 110ly

Ghost and ectling Him alone

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Sorrow

He conducted, service

of the of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they fre ravening wolves."

the

the

before our eyes do pronounce, decrow and declare that the said Five minutes before the

It was 10,91 am on a grey, William Bryn Thomas, having service started, the organ play ferlor morning. The proces-

duly ordained. In the ed been

music. Indescribably rían - left the high altar, sad Church of England to the offee sad. Badder than the sorrows congregation went home, of priest and deacon, be entirely of the Church.

organ pleyou molt endly out. removed, deposed and degraded There was a sense of tre- And somewhere a man who had from the sald office of phtest mendous sorrow throughout the called ·hinesli Reverend and deacon respectively.

whole servică.

now Mister'

Whe

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