The Neptune Association

Diaries

Diaries

War diary of Leading Signalman John (Iaon) Evans

This is the diary of John Evans written from outbreak of war  Sept 1939 to arrival at Chatham Feb 1941

 

Extract from autobiography of Vice Admiral Sir Geoffrey Robson

This covers the Force K chase on 19 December, the mining of Kandahar and her eventual rescue by Jaguar 24 hours later

 

Account of Surgeon Lieutenant Armstrong of HMS Kandahar - the final 36 hours (19th to 20th December 1941)

The following extract is taken from a wonderful account of Kandahar's wartime service from commissioning in 1939 to being sunk in 1941. The chronicle was written in the 1940's by Surgeon Lieutenant D.M. Armstrong with help from other Kandahar officers. It was sent to the Association following a chance meeting in Monaco between Alan Armstrong (his son) and Peter Chapman the nephew of Kandahar survivor Leading Telegraphist Bertram Davies.

 

Account of Petty Officer Tom Richards of HMS Aurora - December 18th to 30th 1941

This account includes a description of the Neptune tragedy and how it was seen from HMS Aurora. He wrote it as the ship was returning to Malta on December 19th.

 

War diary of Chief Petty Officer John (Jack) Charles Evans, Electrical Artificer 2nd Class - 28th August 1939 to 11th February 1941

This remarkable account of the ship's service in the first year and a half of the war was hand written on 99 pages of a large notebook.

 

War diary of Ordinary Seaman John Smith - May 1940 to January 1941

This account starts with a signal sent to the French Fleet and continues through the events of the following eight months including John Smith's personal geographical and historical notes on HMS Neptune's ports of call.

  

Journal of Midshipman Nigel Fawcett - January 1940 to February 1941

Nigel Fawcett who served as a Midshipman in HMS Neptune from January 1940 to February 1941, when she arrived back in Chatham for a short refit, has given the Association his Journal covering the period and Commander Nick Nick Wright has made this enlightening summary of  its contents.

 

Extract from the Journal of Midshipman Mark Alford, HMS Lively - 18th, 19th & 22nd December 1941 

Mark Alford, who served as a Midshipman in HMS Neptune from February to December 1941, subsequently served in HMS Lively and was present, at the age of 18, when Force K struck the minefield off Tripoli.  His journal (extracted by his widow,Valerie) graphically describes the events and confusion of that night from his vantage point. Some of his conclusions written in the immediate aftermath are at variance with the conclusions of the subsequent Board of Enquiry (see elsewhere on this site).

 

 

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