Service on a old US commissioned Destroyer

Mr. Wight talks about transferring from his first corvette, to an old US First World War four-stacker destroyer that was given to the British Navy from the Americans.

Glesby Wight

Mr Wight was born in Deer Lake, Newfoundland, on December 26,1922. As a young person Mr. Wight would spend months at a time, where others would spend from September until June each year, in the bush with his father. Unfortunately his father was killed when he was young so Mr. Wight was principally raised by his mother. Mr. Wight was not quite 18 when he volunteered to serve in the armed forces. He joined the British Navy. He sailed to England aboard the troop ship the Lady Rodney. It took eight days to cross the Atlantic and within 24 hours he was exposed to his first air raid. Mr. Wight travel to southern England to take part in torpedo training and gunnery. When he completed his training he was assigned to a Corvette based out of Londonderry, Northern Ireland, Actively sailing as part of North Atlantic convoys between The British Isles and Newfoundland. At the end of the Second World War, Mr. Wight was sailing from the Middle East to England. He celebrated in South Hampton during VE-Day. Mr. Wight couldn't wait to return to his beloved Newfoundland and was greeted at the returning train in Deer Lake by his mother and sister. After settling back into civilian life Mr. Wight took work as a bus driver before getting training as a heavy equipment operator and working in that field.

Medium:

Video

Owner:

Veterans Affairs Canada

Duration:

02:09

Person Interviewed:

Glesby Wight

War, Conflict or Mission:

Second World War

Location/Theatre:

Canada

Battle/Campaign:

Battle of the North Atlantic

Branch:

Navy

Rank:

Full Leading Seaman

Occupation:

Gunner

Copyright / Permission to Reproduce