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By * Fernandina Beach Mayor Greg Roland called Tuesday night for an external investigation to determine if three oceanfront houses on South Fletcher Avenue were built in compliance with city codes regarding height and setback * A study of crabs and oysters shows toxic pollution in the Pensacola Bay system is concentrated in "hot spots," especially in area bayous, rather than spread uniformly throughout the system; researchers didn't find any oysters in Perdido Bay * Oriole Beach NW Coastal Classification Map * Their colleagues in the House and Senate clearly aren't biting, so two Big Bend legislators who want to string some gaps into Florida's coastal net ban might try their luck with a petition campaign
Greetings Mac My father Cyril Hill has recently contacted you about his experiences on Harperley and was delighted to see it appear on your web site together with your kind reply. Dad found your site a week or so ago while we were trying to find details about the ships he served on during the war. Dad will be 89 next week, and our family has been trying to persuade him to write down some of his wartime experiences for posterity. However, he has some other stories which may also be of interest: ( I hope I have got these right) He was on one of the first ships to enter Singapore after it was liberated. He was on the Regent Panther in convoy HX126. He saw the Graf Spee after it was scuttled in the River Plate. etc. etc. Would you be interested in these stories if I can persuade him to write them down? If you would like more information from my Dad, do let me or him know. Best wishes and thanks for a great web site. Steve Hill
Thank you for your comments. I only said to my wife Denise, how thrilled I was to have your Dad contact me, and added, at the distance of almost 62 years from Convoy ONS-5, Cyril must be well into his eighties, and his descriptions of that night are so fresh and lucid. I went to WW2, as a 17 year old in August 1939, and I am now 83, which is about the minimum anyone could be who saw out all the war from start to finish. I would be delighted to have any of your Dad's stories, and we have quite a number of visitors to AHOY on a daily basis. Perhaps he might start with his Naval Career from entry to when he was demobbed. Those who can give us an eyewitness account of WW2 events at sea are very few, please persuade Cyril to go to it, just as soon as he feels up to it. We do need to record these stories for both family and posterity, I guess it was feeling such a need that started me off with AHOY about 3 years ago, and my, how it has grown. But, under no circumstance would I want him to feel under any pressure. Best regards to you and your family. Mac.
My goodness! You are quick off the mark in responding. It has been well said that confusion reigns once the first shot is fired. I must accept what you say about North Britain. In that case, which ship was it that I saw and which turned on her side? From your narrative it looks as if it might have been the West Maximus. But I would never have thought that all but four of the crew would have been saved. And launching four lifeboats! Could I have seen the Lorient? We'll never know. Congratulations on the impressive quality of your research. Regards,
Lorient was sunk on the 4th. of May, she sailed in Column 3 in position 34, had a crew of 46, and was in ballast. It was U-125 who I believe accounted for this ship which just disappeared with all of her crew. She did not loose off the two mandatory white rockets, not did she transmit a radio SOS on the 600 meter band. Nothing, just gone. So I would doubt it was this ship you could have seen. Within another 30 hours U-125 was no more. Now to West Maximus, she was torpedoed on the 5th. of May, only perhaps 30 seconds before your ship copped it. She was in Column 2 at position 22, thus would be on your starboard side ( there were no ships on your port side as you were part of the port Convoy column ) Your position was 13, so West Maximus was just one ship ahead of you, and in the next column ). She is reported as sinking at about 0135. My money is on West Maximus as the ship you saw. Its after midnight here in OZ, Tuesday is upon me, you have some 11 hours to go, as we are still on summertime. Take care of yourself, good men with exciting stories to Regards, Mac.
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