Convoy Attacks - Men in the Water

Heroes Remember

Convoy Attacks - Men in the Water

Transcript

Interviewer: Did you ever come under attack, when you were in a convoy? Or any of the other ships in the convoy be attacked? Well, well oh yes. We've lost ships yes, yes. And, you know, there was some ships probably, when sunk in the convoy with, without us knowing it, because if the visibility was poor. And if you was in the first column and one over, and at the night time he could be torpedoed and, and very often, you'd hear depth charges and that being dropped and probably a ship could be torpedoed and you wouldn't know anything about it. But, sometimes there was . . . it's very touching when you, a ship ahead of you that gets torpedoed and you got to sail through the fellows in the water . . . But you can't stop. Interviewer: Why was it that you weren't allowed to stop? You're in a convoy, there's other ships coming up behind you and you would, if you stop, you're a sitting duck then.

Description

Mr. Pike explains how ships could be sunk in a convoy without other ships knowing, and describes how hard it was to not stop and help sailors in the water.

Ernest Pike

Mr. Ernest Pike was born in Newfoundland on September 17, 1921. With both parents being dead by 1934, Mr. Pike began to work at sea, sailing for seven months of the year and attending school in between. Wanting to fight for Canada, Mr. Pike immigrated from Newfoundland in 1941. Already sailing with Canadian National Steamship Lines, he signed up for the Merchant Navy. Mr. Pike remained with the Merchant Navy for the course of the war, sailing with numerous ships including the Chomedy, Lady Rodney, and Lady Nelson. Fracturing his skull in heavy action, Mr. Pike was laid up for three months but recovered and quickly returned to active service. Mr. Pike remained at sea after the war, eventually becoming master of the Abegweit, a P.E.I.- N.B. ferry and settling in Summerside, P.E.I., In 1966, he retired in 1978 after 35 years of service.

Meta Data