2nd Clarinet
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In Memory - HMS Galatea15th December 1941.
On the 15th December 1941, the following members of the Royal Marines Band Service gave their lives while serving onboard HMS Galatea.
Bandmaster A.F.J. Martin
Band Corporal C.J. Franks
Musicians W.J. Porter, J. Scholes, R.P. Rattue, S.M. Lovatt, A.J.S. Salter, R.H. Gedge, H.J. Maynard, R.A. Love, C.D. Green and C.Ball.
I have posted below, the circumstances of that day.
HMS Galatea was an Arethusa-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy.
She was built by Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. (Greenock, Scotland), with the keel being laid down on the 2 June 1933.
She was launched on the 9 August 1934, and commissioned 14 August 1935.
History
Galatea joined the Mediterranean Fleet on commissioning and acted as flagship, Rear Admiral (Destroyers). After the outbreak of war she was ordered home, and between February and March 1940 she took part in the operations to intercept Axis merchantmen attempting to break out of Vigo.
In April 1940 she was involved in the Norwegian Campaign, and in May joined the Nore Command as Flagship of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron.
On 4 April 1940, the Polish destroyers Burza, Grom and Byskawica reached their new homebase Rosyth. In the afternoon they left the harbour with Galatea, her sister ship Arethusa and three destroyers. They were ordered to conduct a patrol in the North Sea and were later ordered to intercept German invasion groups heading for Norway.
On 1 September 1940 Galatea struck a mine. She remained with the Home Fleet, under refit, until May 1941, and was involved in hunting the Bismarck operations.
In July 1941 she joined the Mediterranean Fleet via the Red Sea, and by November was based at Malta with Force "K", operating against the Axis supply convoys to North Africa.
Fate
On 14 December 1941 before midnight Galatea was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-557 off Alexandria, Egypt. Captain Sim, 22 officers and 447 ratings were killed.
Some 100 survivors were picked up by the destroyers HMS Griffin and HMS Hotspur.
Ironically, U-557 was accidentally sunk less than 48 hours later, by the Italian Torpedo Boat Orione.
THAT FATEFUL NIGHT
U-557 left Messina for operations in the Eastern Mediterranean on 9 December 1941 and patrolled in the area between Alexandria and Tobruk.
Meanwhile, Galatea was under the command of Captain E.W.B. Sim as a unit of the 15th Cruiser Squadron; Force B was returning to Alexandria from an unsuccessful search for Italian convoys going to Benghazi.
On the night of 14th December 1941 Galatea was attacked by German dive bombers; the attacks persisted for about seven hours.
Just before midnight, when north west of Alexandria, Galatea became a target for U-557 which hit her with two torpedoes in quick succession.
The cruiser turned over and sank in three minutes. Captain Sim, 22 officers and 447 ratings were killed.
About 100 survivors were picked up by the destroyers Griffin and Hotspur.
U-557 headed back to reach the base of the 23rd flotilla Salamis.
At 18:06 on 16 December it gave a short radio signal that she was 18 hours before the port and the crew were no doubt still congratulating itself after having sunk a British Cruiser.
It so happened that on the same day, at 18:00, the Italian motor torpedo boat Orione left the port of Suda on Crete.
The commander was unaware that a German U-boat was in the area of Crete. When he saw a submarine at 21:44, heading in a northerly direction, he decided to ram it supposing it to be British.
U-557 sank immediately with all hands (43) lost in the position as given by the Italian Commander of 35deg 33min N, 23deg 14min E; that is on the 16th parallel west of Phalasarna on Crete.
A theory has been put forward that Galatea sank so fast because the Captain had given permission for bulkhead doors to be opened.
He was possibly convinced his ship was safe, being close to Alexandria, and as there had not been any reports of hostile craft in the area. - this has not been proven.
To those named above and the ships company who also died…..R.I.P.
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sticky blue
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RIP to all 
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bootybandy
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| sticky blue wrote: | | RIP to all |
Should I wait for Hornblower to post or leave it a while???????
I think I'll leave it a while.
Yup, that's what I'll do....
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Hornblower
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2nd Clarinet
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Well done HB..........!
Take no notice of him, he's from the a foreign land, buys Tom Jones, and Male Voice Choir records and still listens to his collection of tapes of Max Boyce........
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Hornblower
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I know...
because...
I WAS THERE!!!!
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2nd Clarinet
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WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
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bootybandy
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Vewy Gwood.....
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