Post by Administrator on Jan 17, 2014 23:07:18 GMT
Bob Hinwood remembered as widow is presented with Arctic Star:
Six years after his death:
BOB Hinwood rarely talked about the horrors he faced as a young sailor on the Arctic Convoys during the Second World War.
Many were tightlipped about their experiences in the campaign which cost more than 3,000 lives.
“Eventually he told me one or two things and said I’m not telling you any more,” said Joan, 93.
One was when the ship almost capsized due to the weight of ice. It was listing heavily. “They didn’t think it was going to get up. They were all ready to go.”
Immersion would have meant certain death within a matter of minutes. Desperately they hacked away at the ice and the ship returned to an even keel.
Crews of merchantmen that were sunk knew their chances of being picked up by other ships were almost non-existent. The orders were to carry on regardless. Stopping to help survivors would present another target for the U-boat commanders.
Bob was also aboard Obdurate during the Battle of the Barents Sea when the British destroyers saw off an attack by much bigger German ships including the Admiral Hipper.
A salvo from the Hipper straddled Obdurate and one of Bob’s best friends was killed alongside him.
Occasionally, in his later years Bob would allow his family a glimpse of the horror, describing the ship steaming through survivors and dropping depth charges as it went because the IC equipment had pinpointed a submarine below.
Conditions were gruelling even without the constant threat of U-boats and enemy bombers. Sailors lived in wet and freezing conditions.
In rough seas the galley fires could not be lit, denying them the comfort of a hot meal for days on end.
LINK
Six years after his death:
BOB Hinwood rarely talked about the horrors he faced as a young sailor on the Arctic Convoys during the Second World War.
Many were tightlipped about their experiences in the campaign which cost more than 3,000 lives.
“Eventually he told me one or two things and said I’m not telling you any more,” said Joan, 93.
One was when the ship almost capsized due to the weight of ice. It was listing heavily. “They didn’t think it was going to get up. They were all ready to go.”
Immersion would have meant certain death within a matter of minutes. Desperately they hacked away at the ice and the ship returned to an even keel.
Crews of merchantmen that were sunk knew their chances of being picked up by other ships were almost non-existent. The orders were to carry on regardless. Stopping to help survivors would present another target for the U-boat commanders.
Bob was also aboard Obdurate during the Battle of the Barents Sea when the British destroyers saw off an attack by much bigger German ships including the Admiral Hipper.
A salvo from the Hipper straddled Obdurate and one of Bob’s best friends was killed alongside him.
Occasionally, in his later years Bob would allow his family a glimpse of the horror, describing the ship steaming through survivors and dropping depth charges as it went because the IC equipment had pinpointed a submarine below.
Conditions were gruelling even without the constant threat of U-boats and enemy bombers. Sailors lived in wet and freezing conditions.
In rough seas the galley fires could not be lit, denying them the comfort of a hot meal for days on end.
LINK