Peter Carroll is the author of Queen of Misfortune – A Lady Jane Grey Novel and Doodlebugs & Spitfires. For more information, see his website.
Captain Letts’ War
Excerpt from Peter Carroll’s new book “Doodlebugs & Spitfires”
Doodlebugs & Spitfires is available at Amazon.Com and its Kindle store, Amazon.co.uk and its Kindle store, Barnes & Noble, and any other good bookstore.
The Scapa Flow was often a dangerous place to be during the Second World War when German submarines were keen to cut supplies to the British mainland.
Britain was in the midst of a war, completely unprepared for what was happening, and on the face of it, looking like an unlikely force to defend against the mighty Hitler regime.
The brave men of the merchant navy not only had the might of the enemy submarine fleet to contend with but also the Stuka, too, the classic Blitzkrieg dive bomber of World War II, which was responsible for the bombing of Warsaw in Poland, culminating in the British declaration of war with Nazi Germany in 1939.
Nevertheless, brave men risked their lives to the fore with hope and faith in their hearts that they would get through without being spotted, their armless craft hopefully not been seen. But the enemy was resolute to starve the British into surrender, and for a while they were doing a pretty good job of doing just that.
Winston Churchill was frantically pushing the ministry of defense to speed up production of the weapons and materials of war and the training of new recruits in all the services.
It was the start for many women to do the work the men did before they were called up to fight the good fight; the husband would never again be the sole breadwinner.
But given old doubts women proved, given the necessity of the time, they could do just as well as their male counterparts.
But at the end of the day the country depended just as much on the merchant navy to feed and nourish the nation, to ensure Britain would not fall like Poland and France.
The resolute SS Crow had taken the risk despite the odds; she was on a special mission to deliver her cargo of scarce provisions come what may. But now she was hit.
The stern was holed, the enemy torpedo had found its mark. The Crow, a merchant ship, turned and faltered. Two of the ship’s company instantly lost their lives as the huge explosion lifted their bodies, depositing them with debris into the calm sea.
Completely caught off guard, the remaining crew of seven, including the captain, was in absolute chaos.
The vessel, hit to the stern, was already beginning to roll over, and a plume of black smoke rose from the funnel.
Captain Letts knew the risk, his company, too. They had tossed a coin. Should they take the safe long way, which would add a day to their journey, or the short alternative, through enemy infested waters? They had been away from home too long. Wives, sweethearts, sons, and daughters anxiously awaited their return in time for Christmas.
The short route, failing any attack, would almost ensure they were with their beloved kin for Christmas. Letts pictured his wife, Ann, and Jeff, his son, and grandchildren Jason and Elizabeth who had lost their mother in a fatal road accident just a year before.
When the coin stopped spinning, it was heads for the short passage.
But the enemy had surfaced unseen to the stern. A beam of light came from the deck; the Crow was like a sitting duck waiting to be slaughtered. The captain could do nothing; they were at the mercy of the enemy. One of the men kneeled and prayed they may be spared, but rousing cheers could be clearly heard from the submarine’s deck which meant a reward for them, their order were not to spare any foreign vessel, no matter what.
The time was up for the Crow, and the crew shivered in the brisk cold wind, waiting for the enemy’s pleasure. There was nowhere to hide, nowhere to go given the suddenness of it all.
Another ‘fish’ came streaming through the steady drifting current to penetrate the twisting Crow amidships. This was the end. Letts knew it. A reel of black smoke spiraled into the night sky as the engine room exploded with huge force. He immediately ordered the survivors, four in all, to abandon ship, throw over the escape net and scramble for their lives to the lifeboats.
“Get the hell out of here, and row the boats out of sight!” was Letts’ last command on board of the quickly sinking Crow.
Captain’s mate John Ricard yelled to his captain to join them snappy, but he seemed not to respond, like he was in a state of shock, not believing what was happening, maybe not wanting to believe.
One seaman panicked and jumped headlong into the icy waters. The three others made it, ice cold and scrambling into the lifeboats and away. Captain Letts hung on until the last, aiming to swim for it, clambering over the deck attempting to reach the nets alongside.
Without remorse, the enemy released a third fish as the flaming Crow, half sunk, twisted and turned. Letts made a final grab and hung on to the nets for his dear life. There was no place to hide; he stood out in the strong shaft of light beaming from the submarine like a sore thumb. He would have to make a jump for it and make for one of the lifeboats.
The third fish missed the Crow by inches but the tail rudder caught the nets, taking Letts with them, tangled in the strands. Now Letts knew he would die. His whole being was fading, yet he felt no pain. He would hang on till the last; he was that sort of guy.
But then something caught his eye, making him aware that the game was not over yet. The fish skimmed steadily through the waves into the darkness beyond the point where the survivors could see, and they thought their captain was a goner, that was for sure, swearing at the enemy who were now taking the dive, their mission accomplished.
But not quite. Well, not as far as Letts was concerned.
Somehow he managed to use the tangled nets as reins, pulling hard to the right to turn the fish, cutting and turning through the calm sea ahead and then, straightening out, heading back from whence it came. He was with the prevailing current now, so it was easier to hold steady as he used all the strength he could muster of his solid body to guide the fish through.
If he was to die, he was determined the sub would, too. He just about made out the hulk in the shadows as he saw the sub in full dive red alert, and he prayed he would make it before the torpedo drained its fuel and the sub had submerged.
Letts men saw him again as the bright moon highlighted his progress, realizing what their Captain was about. But with mixed emotions, on the one hand, wanting him to destroy the enemy, and on the other, hoping he would miss, but knowing that if he did, his chances of survival were minimal.
They applauded their brave captain, holding their breath and hanging on for him, just in case there was a miracle.
An ominous thud and then a frightening scraping sound made way for a huge explosion which followed, illuminating the night sky, like a beacon with a cascade of white, red, and crimson jets of flame.
Captain David Letts had won his war, but, seemingly and sadly, not his life as the remaining crew, glad to be alive, would tell the story of their brave captain.
***
Letts’ son, Jeff couldn’t hide his emotions when he explained to his two kids that their Grandfather would not be spending Christmas with them this year. “But Nanny will be here, so you must be very good,” he said.
“Then who’s doing Father Christmas this year?” enquired ten-year-old Jason with a mischievous grin.
Jeff raised a brave smile remembering how Jason had pulled off Father Christmas’ beard the year before and discovered it was his granddad. How, too, his six year old daughter Elizabeth reacted when Jason told her of his discovery.
“There’s no such person as Father Christmas,” she replied. “We all know he is Grandfather Christmas!”
“I expect, I shall have to do the honours then, Jason,“ Jeff exclaimed. “Do you mind if I am Father Christmas, though, will that be okay?”
Jason whispered into his dad’s ear: “Until Elizabeth is old enough not to believe in him anymore. But I will always believe in Grandfather Christmas.”
***
Yet on a Scottish beach David Letts thought of his past; memories drenched his mind in never ending flash backs, as if reaching out to everything that had happened during his lifetime. Was this death or life? Had he managed to untangle himself from the net holding him to a torpedo’s tail fin?
Recollections emerged as he felt his soul floating, suspended in space, as if like waiting for judgment. Then how would they deal with his case?
He distinctly heard the voice: “David Letts, you may return. Your past is incomplete, and you have so much more to learn and do, because you are a spirit of true grit. You are among the elite!”
The flashing stopped, and he was alive, stranded on that lonely beach, his body numb but strangely no more pain. But the world was again within his reach.
One man and his dog found David and soon he was in a hospital, miraculously reaching full recovery.
His mission in life was yet to unfold and eventually another story will be told.
Letts eventually died at the age of 84. Grandson Jason compiled two poems in remembrance of his courageous grandfather.
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DOODLEBUGS & SPITFIRES
Memories and Short Stories by Peter Carroll
“Doodlebugs & Spitfires” is a delightful collection of memories and short stories written by Peter Carroll, the author of “Queen of Misfortune,” in his trademark poetic and profoundly thoughtful style.
Most of his stories, previously published in limited form in local English newspapers and magazines, like “Brave New World”, “The Forties Street Tradesmen”, “Doodlebugs”, or “The Christmas of 43” evolve around his childhood in the Northern part of London during and after World War II. He describes the horrors that came with the V1 flying bombs, nicknamed the “Doodlebugs.” Heroic British pilots in their “Spitfire” airplanes would attempt to divert the flying bombs from the populated areas, sometimes successful, and sometimes not.
Doodlebugs & Spitfires is available at Amazon.Com and its Kindle store, Amazon.co.uk and its Kindle store, Barnes & Noble, and any other good bookstore.
