Sailed Over 150,000 Miles – Conisbrough Sailor’s War Record (picture)

May 1946

South Yorkshire Times May 18, 1946

Sailed Over 150,000 Miles
Conisbrough Sailor’s War Record

Img_0307 Lund

Able seaman J. W. (Jack) Lund only son of Mr and Mrs W. Lund, 22, Crookhill Road, Conisbrough has sailed over 150,000 miles and taken part in eight major actions during 3 ½ adventurous years in the Royal Navy. He is home this week from Greece for demobilisation.

An old pupil of Conisbrough modern School, able seaman Lund joined the Navy on January 11, 1943. He was trained as a seaman at Glendower (Wales) and subsequently joined the destroyer “Greenville” as an radar operater. He saw a good deal of excitement in those early days during engagements on Norwegian strikes and Biscay and English Channel patrols, but there was more to come, when, in October, 1943, they left for the Mediterranean and were later engaged in bombardments and strikes in the Adriatic.

The destroyer took part in the whole of the Anzio action and later returned to home waters, able seaman Lund arriving home a few days before D-Day.

He subsequently took a further radar course which extended to Christmas, 1944, and on January 1, 1945, he joined the destroyer “Volage.” That month he went out to the Far East and from Colombo he engaged on strikes in the Andoman sea along the Burma coast and northern Sumatra. They were badly hit and returned to Durban. Natal, for repairs, returning to Colombo in late July to await the Japanese surrender.

They subsequently sailed with the British fleet of occupation for Penang and had the interesting job of escorting the Japanese envoys for the conference talks. Eight weeks later – back to Calcutta, – taking part in the first peacetime cruise in Far East and waters and from there to England. They arrived shortly before Christmas, 1945.

A third mission began in Maron this year. The “Volage” sailed for Malta and there able seaman Lund transshipped to the “Talybont,” a small class destroyer, for a cruise among the Greek islands. He left Athens on April 30, sailed in a trooper from Toulon and from there came home over land.

Friend from Wombwell

As servicemen will, able seaman Lund sought out the Yorkshire men on board the “Volage” and had the pleasure of meeting a Wombwell sailor, able seaman Harold Dyson, of 39, Wright’s Crescent, the two were together 14 months; both ar “Times” fans, and as the one received a Wombwell edition and the other the Mexborough paper. They were able to swap each week and enjoy a comprehensive picture of home during their wanderings.

Able Seaman Dyson is still worth the “Volage” and hopes to be demobilised in September. Able seaman Lund, who is not yet 22, wears the ribbons of the 1939/45, Atlantic, Burma and Italian campaign stars.

The family has had a representative in each of the free services during the war, able seaman is Lund’s two brother-in-law serving, one for six years in the army (including the whole of the Italian campaign) and the other for 5 ¼ years in the Royal Air Force (including African, Italian and second Greek campaigns). His father, who is retired from the West Riding police force, served in the Boer War. One interesting job able seaman Lund had while still in the “Grenville” was escorting Mr Churchill to Alexandria – on his way to the Teheran conference.