8.
Oct. 7, 2009

My uncle, Reginald Luxton was on Courageous when it was sunk. He was picked up and survived the war. He settled in Canada after the war. He was born in Devon.

Unsigned

7.
Aug. 19, 2009

My Grandfather, Joe Clarke was 19 at the time The Courageous was sunk, he was a radio operator on board. He is now 89 and fighting fit. He hasn't told me too much about his time on board or the actual sinking, I believe he was on watch at the time of the sinking, he was in charge of putting out the mayday. He did this, then in his words 'got the hell off it'. Like someone else on this message board has mentioned he too was rescued minus his pants!!!! I believe they lost them whilst climbing the scramble nets during rescue.

Regards,
Jakki Clarke

Additional information to the above message:
Sept. 8, 2009

Just a note to let you know I visited my grandfather this afternoon, whilst with him he found two small pictures he had and asked me to send them on to you....he has written a note on the back of one. One is of the ship as a Swordfish airplane can be seen making an approach to land, this is the moment just moments after the ship was hit. Apparently the ship had turned into the wind to allow this plane to make a landing giving the U-boat a perfect opportunity to fire at it. 

My Grandad was in full flow and regaled me with a blow by blow account of the sinking. I asked my grandfather whether he had abandoned ship by the time the large photo was taken, he thinks he hadn't and could be one of the men seen standing on the bilges. He says him and three other men stood there and removed all their clothes (apart from underwear) then they shared a cigarette before jumping. He told me a poignant tale about this moment, obviously military men have a superstition about smoking, '3 strikes and your out' (I'm sure you're familiar with this superstition).... well one of the four of them was very superstitious and declined the offer to smoke so my grandfather said as he wasn't bothered he offered to take the 3rd strike, but sadly of the four of them the man who declined the cigarette died and even more ironically his job as a civilian had been as a lifeguard.....

My grandad says it goes to show that fate is a funny thing. He also told me that when they removed their clothes they all folded them neatly and placed them in little piles.... he laughs at the thought of it now. He was on watch at the time of the attack and was in charge of the radio's but once hit all the electrics on board failed and as the ship listed the back up battery spilled it's acid all over the floor so they had no means of sending out a mayday.  At this point they were told to abandon their posts.

He thinks he was in the water for approx 45 minuets before he was rescued first by a lifeboat and then by a cruiser, he said thankfully the water wasn't too cold. He also confessed to not wearing the regulation life jacket.... he said that although they were supposed to wear them at all times many didn't.... in his words "I wasn't planning on going in the water so why wear one" also he said that as they had four cruisers around them for protection they felt very safe.

The build up to the attack started when they received a mayday from a merchant ship so two of their cruisers and a Swordfish plane were sent to help leaving the Courageous with just 2 cruisers at the front for protection.  As the Swordfish returned from helping the merchant ship the U-boat struck. He thinks it must have been lurking off their port side for some time. He is very philosophical about the whole thing, he says that "had they spotted the U-boat first they would have done to them exactly what they did to Courageous". He said the U-boat captain was following orders the same as every other man during WW2. 

My grandfather was VERY lucky during the war as not only was he on the Courageous, but he was on HMS Lowestoft when it was accidentally rammed by the Leopard (a Free French Ship) which mistook it for a surfaced German U-boat and he also survived after the HMS Quail was mined off the coast of Bari.... I believe it was around this time he survived a strafing attack by the Luftwaffe whilst on shore leave.

I hope you find his stories as fascinating as we all do. If you have any questions for him don't hesitate to ask..... unfortunately the only thing he struggles to remember are names, but at nearly 90 I guess we can forgive him!!

Regards,
Jakki Clarke

6.
Aug. 15, 2009

My age is 71, my Father was on HMS Courageous, his name is William George Stephens. I was a few months old, he visited me at my foster home, and with him was the ship's mascot, a German shepard dog, he was panting, I quickly gave the dog a dish of water, it was so heavy, my father William gave me a hand. My father promised me that on his return he was going to bring a big tin of sweets home on his next leave, my father then returned to his ship, soon to be blown up and sunk.    

The Germans picked up my father and a few others and sent them to a concentration camp, two years after the war ended, my father was found in a second secret experimental camp, when clearing out the experimental camps. My father was left to rot with only half of brain, no arms or legs, which left me with a mother in a mental institution, I was completely alone. The church and God helped me to survive. What really happened? I do not know if my father is still alive. Thank you for your interest, it will help me to find out WHAT REALLY HAPPEND?

Yours faithfully,
A. D. Stephens

5.
Aug. 1, 2009

My father's mother's brother was Arthur Donovan, born 16 September 1886 in Malta according to a family Bible.
We understand that he was a radio operator at St Michael's Mount, England and my father's sister [still alive] has identified the cottage he lived in on St Michael's Mount. He was supposed to be only a few days from [early?] retirement when WWII started and we believe that he died on the HMS Courageous. I hope that this might be of help and I would welcome confirmation that he was on the HMS Courageous, possibly as a radio operator.

Regards,
Graham H. Wilson

4.
July 6, 2009

My brother has just given me some copies of my Dads' war records. I see that he was on HMS Courageous in 1938 I believe. It says from 8th Jan 38 to 29th Dec 38. I don't know if they meant Dec 39. He was a Royal Marine. His name was Edward Fallon (nickname of NIP/NIPPER). I was wondering if anyone out there has any knowledge of him or his time on the ship? I know that it is a long shot, but hope springs eternal.

With thanks,
Judy Sweeney (nee Fallon)

3.
Apr. 15, 2009

We also lost an Uncle (John Gregory) on the Courageous. He was 19 yrs of age and a Royal Naval Volunteer (Wireless) Reserve. His name is on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, does anyone remember him ?

Regards,
John Gregory & Susan Williams

2.
May 24, 2007

Do you know if there are any internal photos of HMS Courageous, my father died in her.

Tony Weekes

1.
Mar. 5, 2006

Is there any survivor(s) out there who was on the “Courageous” was sunk.? My father, now 84, survived and I am looking to see if there is any help in forming a lasting memory for him. He spent all his working life in the RAF so I guess he was a young fleet air arm starter. He has never said much about what happened so my details are very limited, so I would like to think I could talk to him with some knowledge.

Regards,
Ian

Oct. 9, 2007
Second reply to message 1:

I can't offer very much info except that the Courageous was built for WW1 and was used as a light aircraft carrier in WW2. As she turned into the wind for the aircraft to take of she was torpedoed and sunk on the 17th Sept 1939. My grandfather was on the carrier having a bath at the time! ( Mr Victor Whalen ) I recall a newspaper cutting hung on the wall and trying to locate it as my grandfather was mentioned in it having had to swim to shore nude.

Regards,
Ellen