HMS Diadem
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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