Ahoy - Mac's Web Log

April 06, 2010

Hello there,

I've just seen your website with some interest, my late father served on H M S Loch Tarbert at the end of
WW2 and she escorted some Uboats into Lishally in N Ireland, I have a couple of photos of Uboats tied up
alongside the Loch Tarbert if your interested!

Regards
Mike

Mike,

Yes please I would like a copy of the photos for Ahoy. Subject: See "Operation Deadlight"

Thanks and Regards,
Mac.

April 06, 2010

Hi Mac,

Please find attached the photos as promised. 

At the end of the war the Loch Tarbert was serving in the Indian Ocean when the war ended she was part of the far eastern fleet, my father left the ship in Trincomalee in April 1946 for demob, he came home on the
H M S Berwick which was doing trooping duties, the Berwick came back to the UK via Sydney & Cape Town. My father sailed to Australia 3 or 4 times whilst he was serving in DEMS his ship at the time was the S S Lanarkshire.

Please excuse my waffling

Mike from Hull UK

Mike,

Thank you.

Regards,

Mac.

April 08, 2010
Mac,

My father was on the Panamanian tanker "Beaconlight" on the 16th July 42 when she was torpedoed and sunk by U160 off Trinidad. The Beaconlight was on passage from Cape Town to Port o Spain when she was torpedoed in the early hours of the morning.

Regards
Mike

Mike,

I have looked up the details of the torpedoing of the tanker Beaconlight, and see you know all of that.

Best wishes,
Mac.

April 08, 2010
Mac,

I did quite a bit of research into my father's war service, the Beaconlight had been round the world and was on her way home when she was sunk.

Getting back to the H M S Loch Tarbert, I've attached a photo of her leaving the Gladstone Dock, Liverpool in 1945, she was bound for the Far East according to the old boy who sent me it.

Regards
Mike

Mike,

Back in December of 1940 I was in HMAS Australia and we were docked in Gladstone Dock, during three nights we were subjected to heavy air raids and something fell in the few feet of water we kept in the dock so that we could kick any incendary bombs that landed on deck over the side ( a job for the Midshipmen including me )

We flooded up a few days later and undocked. Another cruiser was docked and the water pumped out, sitting in the bottom of Gladstone Dock was a 4,000 pound land mine still happily ticking away.

A quick undocking of the cruiser, pumped out again whilst an explosive expert rendered it safe. So, I have happy memories of my Liverpool stay in Gladstone Dock.

A coincidence with Lock Tarbert.

Regards,
Mac.

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