MƒH HMS Prince of Wales 1941

“Dedicated to my very dear friends Anthony Smith, Submariner RN Rtd and his Wife Jamie Smith RN Rtd and to all the friends with whom they served on board HM Submarines and HMS Liverpool respectively. It is true to say that we know only too well the importance of seeing the White Ensign full hoisted and riding the Winds at Sea or otherwise in Safe Haven

To the Senior Service from our Junior Service, albeit now proudly also Centenarian. © IBM (KTW) 2020”

Part I

Jack Constance

Remember Constance when we first walked up this hill?

Oh yes Jack. Most surely I do.
You pulled my leg and said you’d outpace me
And I said the Army would never beat the RAF
And then that young sailor on the right…

Sailor?

Yes. He was standing in the doorway
just there on the right

Oh Yes. A cheeky chap.
I ticked him off.

Yes you did. You were naughty.

Yes I know.
We were stupid then.
Now what was it he said?

He laughed, remember?
And said ‘that maybe so
but the Navy can beat you both
Hands down …
And puffed a huge cloud of smoke out
Like a Jutland Barrage

Ha-ha! That he did.
A lovely boy too.

Such a shame.
Such a waste.
Six weeks later
the Prince of Wales
went down.

Aye luv. Come on.
Don’t get depressed.

Constance old girl
Is it me or is this hill getting steeper?

No Jack. And don’t ‘old constance’ me either.

Ha-ha – you should hear what the kids say then
Behind your back.

Yeah well you egg em on something rotten.
And those girls… well…

Don’t tell me now
They’ve been nicking your powders and creams again

Yes they jolly well have
And what gets me is that Lizzie said …
‘Oh Mum, the girls wouldn’t use your compact
if it’s the last thing on earth!’
Cheek of it.
And you just giggle and encourage her Jack!

Yeah well, me and Lizzie we have, ermmm, an understanding

Yes I know well your understanding
It’s any laugh at Mum’s expense

Oh get away with you Connie!

’Oh Connie’
I love it when you squeeze me like that
I can feel your fingers luv
You know darling, your feeling, your hold is as tender
Loving and beautiful as that first day we held each other
I remember thinking

‘God can this be true?
Have I actually brought this off?
Has Constance agreed to go to the town hall with me tonight?
It can’t be me. It must be the uniform she likes.’

Ha-ha!
Well truth be told
I've never said no to looking
At a good man in a good uniform
And it’s got to be said
you did strike something of a figure

Remember when we walked to the top of this hill
And you’d see me off at the station
And we’d stand below the station clock
And promise to meet there again when I came home on leave?

Of course I do luv.
And you were never late neither.

No nor you, except that one night, when you were five minutes late

Ermmmm.
I still wonder how you did it
I mean, Nan’s house gone up in that awful raid just two hours before
And you still managed to get here for me

Yes luv. Well we were all fighting weren’t we.

Aye we were that. And glad we did too.

Yeh but what a price.

Well that’s war luv.
Horrible and its just as bad today
But let’s not dwell on that.

Yes but I do worry about Jason.
His Dad tells me those submarines are so low
they’re under no threat at all if they do launch missiles
but he forgets I was young once
and I fought like Jason…

yes luv but you know what James is like.
Like father like son I always say.
Stubborn as a mule and can’t be told different.

Hehe you saying I'm like a mule?

May be I am
You certainly let rip like one at times Jack!

Constance!! May you be forgiven!

Ha-ha – as Dad always used to say to me …
‘Well it’s a poor arse that can’t speak up for itself!’

Part II

Oh hello Beattie, what a lovely dress you’ve got on.
Where’s Mum?

Mummy’s in the gallery Gran and says you’re both
to take your time
She’s getting the order in
And also to tell you, Grandad, there’s a great painting
of the Prince of Wales when it was in Port
After Mr. Churchill came back from his meeting with ummmmmm
…was it Mr. Rooooooooooooose-e-velt?”

Come on poppet.

Gran why’s Grandad gone misty?

Oh it’s age Beattie. Our eyes water in the wind.

Oh.

Hey Mum here’s Gran and Grandad.
I think you’d better get a really hot drink for Grandad coz
His eyes are watering from the wind.

Hi Mum, Hi Dad.

Hi Lizzie. Gosh that looks good.

No Grandad. It’s not good – that’s olden times talk!
It’s wicked!

Hey Beattie less of the backchat.
Get a seat for Grandma.

Mum?

Yes luv?

Why’s Grandad’s eyes watering
when not a leaf is moving?

Oh it’s nothing dear.

Yes but it happened all of a sudden
As soon as I mentioned the name of that Ship.

Oh aren’t we all full of questions today.
Memories Beattie.
Grandad’s fine.

[Beattie’s not sure Mum’s on side]

Grandma? Are you going to tell me that story again?
How Grandad was a dish?

Kenneth Thomas Webb
Liverpool

July 1, 2020
All Rights Reserved

United Kingdom - Austria - Germany - Australia - New Zealand - Canada - USA

© Kenneth Thomas Webb 2021

One of the Fifteen Founding Members of Leaders Lodge

Prime Minister Winston Churchill on board HMS Prince of Wales - August 1941 - ‘top secret’ meeting between the British Premier and President F D Roosevelt of the United States of America, the most important meeting of the Allies up to that point in the War - America was not yet in the War - the Atlantic Charter Conference which, in turn, laid the foundation stone for what would become the United Nations IBM