Farmer , Sailor .R N. trade Airframe fitter .Delivery Driver.

He related to me that Bert , Fred and himself along with my father had to remove some furniture from our 
Great Grans house in  Hautville on a Sunday morning in February of 1937 with a hand cart Going down in to Cornet Street                                                                                                                                                                          they lost control on the bend the cart went off to the Albert Pier . A very Irate Father  and very amused Kids .
Another story was of Bert demolishing a wall at the bottom of Mount Arrive with his motor bike and Dad having to rebuild
Educated at Amherst  School till 1939  Steve went  to work on the Horace Camps Farm.
The family decided to leave the Island when the war started heading for Yorkshire , living at Bramston Street 
Brighouse ,Steve went back to farming though the farmer was not like Horace Camp

Being called to join up at the age of of 18 he went in to the  Royal Navy . 1943-1947.
Number DJX 641649.
Medals. Pacific Star 1939-45 War Medal ,
Served WW 2 .1943 training at HMS Glendower in Wales , then on to HMS Devonport.
1st Draft to HMS. Undine ,launched 1 June 1943, and completed 23 December 1943. based at Dartmouth 1944 ,
 Drafted to HMS Tyne23 March 1946 Destroyer Depot Ship 
Shore base in Australia. HMS Goldenhind
Aircraft Carrier’ Indomitable 1945 /46 /47,Drafted off to crew the HMS Thracian (D86)which had been captured
by IJN,Nippon Forces in Hong Kong 15Dec 1941 off Lamma Island and subsequently scuttled by Being run aground Round Island in Repulse Bay

 On the evening of the 16-17 Dec 1941,Salvaged 10 July 42 repaired and placed in service of the IJN, on the 25 Nov 42 as a patrol Vessel No 101 Reclassified on the 15 March 44as Special training ship No 1. taken to Yokohama ,
She  Returned to the R.N.Oct 1945 HMS THRACIAN was found at Yokosuka, near Tokyo after the occupation of the area in August 1945. An unsuccessful attempt to scuttle had been made and she was lying alongside a jetty where she was recovered by .
 Steve in the party from HM Destroyer UNDINE in December 1945. One surprising feature was a Japanese centimetric radar fitted aft on a special mast structure and it is reported that she had been used as a Trials ship for the successful LONG LANCE torpedoes, but the ship was clearly in poor condition. She was placed on the Disposal List at Hong Kong and sold in 1946 for breaking-up locally. Miraculously the Ship's Bell  survived her service and is now held by the Public House BLUE BOAR" at Poole, Dorset.
Steve was part of the the Crew which was to return HMS Thracian to her home port in Hong Kong.
 She had been sold for breaking up Feb46 for decommission and scrapping , a saving face exercise for the Hong Kong Government                                             
  On discharge he returned to Guernsey.

Back to work for Horace on the farm brother  Charlie related how Steve used to use excuses to get to see Hazel
by taking the the Horse and Cart down  Victoria Ave  to stop at Old Man Smiths farm where Hazel was  so you could say it ended
Where it began.

My own memories of Steve who was not only my brother but my Godfather was first being about four or five years old
watching him milk . and being caught on his sense of humour  " mick  look here only to have the cows teat pointed at me 
And a large squirt of milk  right in my face , the number of kids who were caught on this .

One other time he put four of us up on Kitty s back she was a German army horse left behind  when the troops were removed 
standing in the the farm yard ,Steve said walk on which she did then he cracked the  Coach whip shouted Charge and off we went down the field 
only to stop at the duit she did not like water , head down four of us slid down her neck in to the duit . and himself standing there laughing 

Singing Who hit Nelly in the Belly with a Vase. Rest in Peace Brother

Served WW 2 .1943 training at HMS Glendower in Wales , then on to HMS Devonport.
1st Draft to HMS. Undine , based at Dartmouth 1944 , Drafted to HMS Tyne1946 Shore base in Austrailia. HMS Goldenhind
Aircraft Carrier’ Indomittable 1945 /46 /47,Drafted off to crew the HMS Thracian (D86)which had been captured by IJN,Nippon Forces in Hong kong 15Dec 1941 off Lamma Island and subsequently scuttled by being run aground on Round Island in Repulse Bay on the evening of the 16-17 Dec 1941,.Salvaged 10 July 42 repaired and placed in service of the IJN, on the 25 Nov 42 as a patrol Vessel No 101 Reclassified on the 15 March 44 as Special training ship No 1. taken to Yokohama , Returned to the R.N.Oct 1945 Steve was part of the the crew which was to return HMS Thracian to her home port in Hong Kong. She had been sold for breaking up Feb 46 for decomission and scrapping , a saving face exercise for the Hong Kong Goverment
January                  Joined Task Force 63.
                4th          Deployed with HMS INDEFATIGABLE and HMS VICTORIOUS, H M Cruisers
                                SUFFOLK, CEYLON, ARGONAUT and BLACK PRINCE screened by HM Destroyers
                                KEMPENFELT, WHELP, GRENVILLE, WAGER, URANIA, UNDAUNTED, UNDINE
                                and URSA for air attacks on oil refineries at Pangkalang Brandan, Sumatra (Operation
                                LENTIL).
                                (Note: The unsuitability of SEAFIRE aircraft for sustained carrier operations was
                                mentioned in the report on this operation).
                16th        Sailed from Trincomalee with TF63 for offensive sweep in Indian Ocean prior to transfer
                                of British Pacific Fleet for service in Pacific area.
                24th        With HMS ILLUSTRIOUS, HMS INDEFATIGABLE and HMS VICTORIOUS carried
                                out air attacks on the oil refinery at Pladjoe, Sumatra. Cover was provided by HM
                                Battleship KING GEORGE V, HMS ARGONAUT, HMS EURYALUS and HMS BLACK
                                PRINCE screened by Fleet Destroyers. (Operation MERIDIAN ONE)
                29th        With same aircraft carriers launched raids on Soengi Gerong oil refineries and airfields
                                at Lembak and Tanglangbetoetoe (Operation MERIDIAN TWO).
                                (Note: These attacks were marred by various problems. All seven KAMIKAZE aircraft
                                which attacked Fleet in retaliation were destroyed but 16 RN aircraft were lost in action
                                and another 14 by deck landing accidents. 9 pilots captured after baling out were
                                executed by the Japanese in August 1945. (Operation MERIDIAN TWO).
               
February               
                4th          Arrived Fremantle with British Pacific Fleet.
                9th          Arrived at Sydney to prepare for operational service as TF113 with US Navy.
               
March                    Re-designated as part of Task Force 57.
                17th        Joined Task Force 57, BPF element of US 5th Fleet, at Manus
                23rd        Sailed from Ulithi to take part in combined RN/USN carrier operations in support of
                                US landings on Okinawa until 7th April (Operation ICEBERG).
               
April      
                1st           Damaged in KAMIKAZE attack during operations off Sakashima Gunto group. 14 men
                                were killed and 16 wounded. Extensive damage to Island structure and some fires were
                                started. Flight deck was cleared and fires extinguished with an hour.
                9th          Flying operations transferred to targets in Formosa (Operation ICEBERG OOLONG).
                11th        With HMS INDEFATIGABLE carried attacks on Schinchiku and Matsugama.
                16th        Transferred with TF57 to renew attacks on airfields in Ishigaki and Miyako in Sakishimas.
                20th        Returned to Leyte.
               
May       
                1st           Sailed from Leyte to resume attacks on Sakishima Gunto group.
                4th          After replenishing with ships of TG57 launched first of a series of air attacks with
                                HMS VICTORIOUS and HMS FORMIDABLE on airfields at Hiara, Nobara, Miyako
                                and Ishigaki.
                                Hit by KAMIKAZE aircraft but remained operational.
                9th          Damaged in another KAMIKAZE attack but continued flying operations with gaps for
                                replenishment until 23rd May.
                20th        In collision with HM Destroyer QUILLIAM which was seriously damaged.
                25th        Sailed for Manus on completion of operation requirement for TF57.
               
June                        Relieved by HM Aircraft Carrier IMPLACABLE and refitted in SYDNEY.
               
July                         On completion remained at Sydney.
               
August 
                15th        Transferred to RN control after Japan surrendered.
                                Took passage to Subic Bay, Philippines with HM Aircraft Carrier VENERABLE, HM
                                Cruisers EURYALUS and SWIFTSURE screened by three Fleet Destroyers
                27th        Sailed with HMS VENERABLE, HMS SWIFTSURE, HMS BLACK PRINCE, HMS EURYALUS
                                screened by HM Destroyers KEMPENFELT, URSA, QUADRANT and WHIRLWIND as
                                Task Group 111.2 to re-occupy Hong Kong.
                29th        Met HM Battleship ANSON and HM Aircraft Carrier VENGEANCE prior to entry into the
                                Colony of Hong Kong after minesweeping completed.
                30th        Carried cut air attacks with HMS VENERABLE on Japanese explosive boats in Lamma Bay.
                                Entered Hong Kong on completion.
                  
P o s t   W a r   N o t e s
                  
HMS INDOMITABLE was deployed with the BPF in the Far East until 12th November 1945 and returned to the United Kingdom on 12th December. The ship was reduced to Reserve in 1946.













Royal Navy . 1943 -1947.
Number DJX 641649.
Medals. Pacific Star 1939-45 War Medal ,Sent by post over sight by HM Minstry Defence11