DEMS

[Administrator]

Don’t forget our merchant marines’ sacrifices too:

We have just come through that time of the year when we remember those who served in our armed forces in both world wars and Korea.

At the beginning of the second war. merchant ships were given protection from U-boats and aircraft by mounting naval guns. To man those weapons, naval gunners, who were volunteers and highly trained, were placed on those ships. Most ships carried about 7 gunners. This continued all during the war during which a total of almost 1,200 served.

This branch of the Navy was called DEMS, Defensivly Equipped Merchant Ships. Not all who served in this branch of the navy survived. I don’t think that this branch of the navy has ever been noticed or explained, at least, not to my knowledge. I don’t think many of these men are still alive after all these years.

John Parker

Lindsay

LINK

DEFENSIVELY EQUIPPED MERCHANT SHIPS:

FOR ALL DEM'S.

DEFENSIVELY EQUIPPED MERCHANT SHIPS


D.E.M.S. The Arming of Merchant Ships in WWII

The D.E.M.S. GUNNERS:


They sailed aboard our merchant ships and manned outdated guns,

To defend against our enemies, Italians and the Huns,

They were gunners from the army or navy volunteers,

The rattle of the ack-ack was music to their ears.


Sea Ports kept artillery from the war before,

Handy now to give each ship to guard a little more,

Usually a Lewis gun they went and cheerfully manned,

But always took a hammer as it often stuck or jammed.


During those hostilities while trying not to drown,

Using Oerlikons or Bofors, to shoot the shells around,

They angled high for bombers that gave `em such concern,

Most likely from a four inch gun perched there at the stern.


Twelve pounders were the norm, set upon the bow,

That would be a three inch shell describing it just now,

They were standing by to shoot every minute of the hour,

In case a deadly U-boat showed its conning tower.


Mounted on the bridge wing, the fo'c'sle or the poop,

Ready for the action when bombers came to swoop,

They fired away at anything threatening with a will,

Showing loads of courage and not a lack of skill.


The two-man crews were legendary in annals of the sea,

Included in with seamen when naming pedigree,

They couldn’t stop torpedoes submarines would send,

But mostly those brave gunners stayed there `till the end.


Dedicated to Ted Thomas. D.E.M.s Gunner

Bristol M.N.A.

Joe Earl Dec. 09


LINK: joesverse.simplesite.com/160596375