HMS
Diadem
the diary of signalman John Emrys Williams
William
Marrett
Trevor
Marrett has written from New Zealand to talk about his father:
"I
would just like to thank you for your article about your grand father
who served on board HMS Diadem during the 2nd world war. My father
William Marrett served on board the Diadem from the time of her
commissioning in June 1943 until October1944, he was a Chief stoker.
As a child for a short while we live in Newcastle while the ship
was being commissioned.
"My
father would never talk about his war service, but I knew he was
on the Russian convoys as he was awarded a Blue nose Certificate
for crossing the artic circle. Until now I never knew that he was
involved in the D day landings, and all the other stuff that your
grandfather wrote about in his diary. I knew that hewas involved
in a lot of other stuff during the war from looking up his old ships.
I just want to say again thank you for the article, it has been
an eye opener for me.
"Sadly my father passed away in 1969 at the age of 69."
I replied
to Trevor to thank him for writing. I said I'd had a similar experience.
My grandfather spoke a little about how cold it was in the Arctic
Circle and about morse code, but little else of the War. It was
only when I read his diary after he'd died that I discovered he'd
played a part in such historic events.
Trevor
replied on 12 June 2013, saying:
"As you say it's amazing that it has taken all these years
to find out what happened during the war.
"In
their own small way how your grandfather, and my father helped to
change the face of the world."
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