[submitted by Debbie Hayesmore]
My grandfather joined the Royal Marines in Liverpool in 1927 at the age of 17. He
had already served 12 years by the start of WW2.
Leonard was aboard HMS Kent from January 1944 to March 1945. During this time
he took part in the Arctic Convoys, JW56A, JW56B, RA56 and JW57. He was part of
Operation Offspring, Goodwood, Mascot and Counterblast. Notably, HMS Kent was
an escort during strikes on Tirpitz, sister ship to the Bismarck. Also, during
Counterblast HMS Kent led a force that intercepted and sank German convoy KS357,
off the coast of Norway.
HMS Kent was also an escort for HMS Queen Mary which took the Prime Minister
to the Octagon conference with the US President.
My grandfather returned from the war to my grandmother and their 3 children after
being discharged in 1948 at the rank of Sergeant. After taking a course in mechanics,
he took a job in heavy engineering in Kent. He did suffer from some PTSD. He
didn’t talk about his experiences and considered that he was just doing his job. My
grandmother told me that the family cat used to sit on the front gate and wait for him
to come home from work!
He was an avid supporter of Liverpool Football Club and I remember him watching
them on television and also filling out the football pools coupons every week.
I have a photograph of him standing on the ship’s deck in the minus 40 degrees
weather.