Eighty years ago ~ within living memory, World War Two had begun in Europe. The rivers and broads were on the front line facing the continental battleground. His Majesty's Government placed the waterways under marshall law and a special unit was formed to protect the area from potential enemy invasion. Over the coming weeks, an exclusive series will shed a light on this relatively covert and long forgotten story of the men and women who served 'on board' HMS IOLANTHE.
The following articles are composed by Nigel and Sara Royall and based on first hand accounts from young Jack Powles.
The group from Base Headquarters, Hoveton and Wroxham commanded by Lieut Hart, RNVR, coming upstream.
Jack Powles owned and ran the famous Hoveton ~ Wroxham boatyard of that name (sited where Wroxham Hotel now stands) where his nephew Young Jack Powles worked as a boat builder.
One day Young Jack saw an employee kick one of his uncle’s dogs and whose eye Young Jack blacked. His uncle went berserk and laid into his nephew knocking him down and kicking him so that he cleared his gear out and went to Norwich.
Here he met a doctor who kept his boat at the boatyard and who helped get Jack into the Navy though he was on reserved occupation and wanted really to join the RAF as he was at that time pretty obsessed with flying.
On call up to the Navy Jack went first to Lowestoft then he moved on to Yarmouth and Chatham, he found the basic training quite hard. From here he returned to the Navy base at Lowestoft where volunteers were wanted to man the motor launches patrolling the Broads. Both Jack and Eric Danes volunteered and were accepted being both sent to the Wroxham unit. In April 1940 a large sixty foot twin screw motor cruiser called ELICA (I wonder if it was actually ECILA and that the former is the local pronouncement) was towed up from Yarmouth as she drew too much water to use her own power.
Lieut Cdr Youatt, RN, the Officer in Charge of the Broads Flotilla with his First Lieutenant, Lieut Hart, RNVR.
She was under the command of Lt Com Youatt RN, 2 corps, 213 brigade, 18 (sdv) division. With him were Lt Hart and Lt Monk and they were billeted in the Kings Head Hotel with the boat used as the headquarters. The crew were Lt Friggins, petty officer Ranch, seaman Rose plus another seaman a cook and an engineer.
They took over the right hand (from the river) boatshed belonging to Jack Powles and this had the floor concreted and racks put up round the walls to take the Great War vintage rifles and about fifty MK1 ground pattern Lewis Guns. The army was in charge of the armament side of things whilst the navy manned the boats.
Map of Headquarters of HMS IOLANTHE and the immediate surrounding area.
Text and drawing: Nigel and Sara Royall
Photographs: RH (Lt) Darwall, Imperial War Museum ~ Admiralty Official Collection
Chris, Timothy
When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today.
John Maxwell Edmunds
Very interesting... I have seen another picture of HMS Iolanthe before.. I must find it again. I look forward to reading Part 2!
ReplyDelete