1.
Dec. 10, 2011

I was a crew member of the midget submarine XE-8 in early 1950's, due to ill health I was transferred back to General Service to finish my time (7 years). Never thought much about her fate, sold for scrap maybe, but a few years ago I was attending a meeting in the Royal Navy Submarine Museum and I found out she was in Chatham Dockyard, Kent. It took me a while to arrange a visit, but I did get there last month (Nov). My son Robert drove me down and we stopped for the night.

What a magic moment, it was a few months short of sixty years when I had seen her last, battered and bruised maybe, but my XE-8. There was a big lump in my throat, plus a tear not far away. It was something I thought would never happen ,to see my "Old Ship" after sixty years. To cap it all I went onto your outstanding site today and what did I see, you guessed it pictures of XE-8, what a bonus. Before I sign off Michael, I would like to congratulate you on your site, I cannot get enough of it, I have learned so much regarding two of my old ships namely Implacable and Illustrious. I hope you can understand all this, I didn't think I had it in me to type all this, after all I am a (doddrey) 82 year old.

Yours faithfully,
Gerald Bevan