Nicholas Monserrat

Does anybody know which ships Nicholas Monserrat served on in WWII? I gather that he was on HMS Campanula followed by HMS Guillemot and then HMS Shearwater, was he on any others?

Secondly, and I think it occurs in one of Monserrat's books, there is a story of the ship (?) having to call into Cork in southern Ireland during WWII with a man with appendicitis. Does this ring any bells?

The reason I am asking is that I remember being told by my father that this had happened to him (he joined the navy in '42 at the age of 17). He also encouraged me to read the Nicholas Monserrat books where I read (I think) the same story. I obviously put two and two together and assumed that he must have got the story from the book rather than vice versa and have spent the last 30 years believing my dad to be a walt of the highest order.

All this changed today when I got an email from my aunt (his younger sister) confirming the story and saying that she actually remembers her parents going via Dublin to Cork to see him.

There are two possibilities here - 1) This is a Wah! perpetrated by my insane family or 2) It actually did happen and I'm a cnut for thinking the worst of my old man.

I hope it's 2).

Thanks,

SFB

 

Some bits here, don't think it takes you much further though
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/monsarrat.htm

 

Much of his wartime experience is in his book '3 Corvettes' - effectively a narrative of his time at sea (I belive he used this to develop the story for 'The Cruel Sea'). I don't have a copy with me and it is a while since I read it so I couldn't say whether this particular incident is in it.

 

RN ships routinely called into ports on the west coast of Ireland throughout the war, all unofficially of course.

My father grew up in Westport, Co Mayo and remembers RN ships sheltering from the storms as being a common occurrance. German U Boats did it too, but the harbourmaster always phoned the British Naval Attache in Dublin and tipped him off when they did.

 

I believe he had strong connections with Malta, you might find researching Google for his Malta history might produce something for you 8)

 

I have read three corvettes again recently but couldn't find the story - I must admit that as a kid I read so many of these types of novel that it could have been in anything.

 

1940
-
1946
served RN:
23.08.1940
-
(02.1941)
First Lieutenant, HMS Campanula (corvette)
late 1941
-
mid 1942
First Lieutenant, HMS Guillemot (sloop)
03.03.1943
-
(10.1943)
Commanding Officer, HMS Shearwater (sloop)
(07.1945)


Naval Intelligence Division, Admiralty [HMS President] *
This is taken from his entry on Unit histories

 

These dates seem to comprehensively cover his time in the RNVR. I cannot find anything to suggest he served in any other ships and would suspect that, given his prolific rate of publication, that he would have written a book about it if he had. I haven't read it but didn't he write an autobiography entitled 'Life is a Four Letter Word'? Perhaps there is something in there.

 

Im sure when I was on HMS Antrim he came down our mess and asked us all loads of questions as part of his research for his new book.This was about 1975 ish

 

Nicks which mess were you down? Not 3Q by any chance! 53 Stokers, 6 Tiffs & a Writer who was the Stokers Groupie ^~ An Uckers board to pass the time. I joined just after the incident of the stolen bus in Scotland I think.

 

No I was your next door nieghbour in 3P Mess !! :thumright:

 

Snorkers!

Goodoh!