Talk:HMS Trinidad (46)

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Moved personal account here from main article space.

This text is George Lloyd 's account of what happened in the Transmitting Station of HMS Trinidad following the torpedo strike on the 29th March 1942:

Royal Marine Bandsman George Lloyd wrote this account as he was the last to leave the Transmitting Station after the torpedo strike, and kept vivid memories of what took place.

There were twenty one men in the transmitting station. Seventeen died. Lloyd was stationed close to the ladder working the switchboard; this ladder was the only way of getting in or out.

The explosion caused by the torpedo that struck the ship broke communications between the computer stations and the turrets. Warrant officer Gould (who was in charge) shouted to Lloyd to try to telephone the bridge but the lines were dead. Gould then ordered a sailor to go to the bridge and report their condition.

By this time oil had started to come through the hatch. Lloyd moved a few yards to the other side of the main room to get away from it. As the oil became a strong cascade, Gould shouted "Shut the hatch". No one moved. Everyone seemed to be completely paralysed and stayed glued to his position. Again Gould shouted "Shut the hatch!" The oil was now up to their groins. Thomas Barber (Lou), their solo cornet, went to the ladder and tried to climb. Lou was knocked backwards off the ladder by the force of the oil; he tried again; Lloyd went after him and pushed; Barber took the worst of the oil and swallowed a lot. (Later, he had to have ribs cut out to get rid of the oil in his lungs.)

Lloyd was some way up the first ladder when he lost consciousness and remembered nothing until he crawled out of the hatch two decks up. Somebody tried to get out after him, but the hatch fell on him and broke his back, so George Lloyd was the last man out of the Transmitting Station.

When he regained consciousness he was trying to haul himself out of the second hatch; Lou Barber had disappeared. He lay on the deck totally exhausted and unable to move. Then he crawled across the mess deck and up iron stairs to an upper deck where he lay down again. While he was there he heard a sailor from the deck below shouting "Anybody below, anybody below?" He had no strength to reply. Later another sailor passed by and told him to go to the Bake House and there he found Lou Barber, Corporal Palmer and some others.

Note: The original of the above text is a typescript dated 11th April 1992  bearing George Lloyd ’s signature, and sent to William Lloyd.

Benea 23:58, 27 October 2007 (UTC)