D.E.M.S. 1940

Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships

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D.E.M.S 1940; the Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships gave the Royal Navy's Sea Soldiers the Royal Marines another opportunity of displaying their versatility by giving direct protection to the ships of the Merchant Navy.

For a few weeks after the fall of France, three vessels flying the White Ensign, but manned almost entirely by marines, accompanied the Channel convoys as additional escorts against the E-boats which were becoming an increasing menace.

These vessels were Dutch Schuytes-fishing boats of about 200 tons-which had escaped from Holland during the occupation. The Admiralty took them over from the Dutch Government, armed them with pom-poms, 6-pounders, and hotchkiss guns, and formed them into a flotilla under Commander Sir Geoffrey Congreve, Bt., D.S.O., R.N.

The second and third vessels of the flotilla were commanded by Lieutenant D.B. Drysdale and Lieutenant G.J. Blower who were the first Royal Marine Officers to be in charge of ships flying the White Ensign in World War II.

Marines of the World

Along with the skipper each schuyte

Had a R.N.R. navigator and 20 Royal Marines to man the armament; also two helmsmen and two enginemen who were naval ratings. The flotilla began operations in September 1940, they patrolled the channel every night. The Battle of Britain was still in progress.

The Schuyte's shallow draught made them immune from torpedo attack (or so it was believed). They would button on to any convoy with the object of attacking E-boats if they should appear in range. The E-boats kept their distance, by the Schuytes accompanying the convoys through the most dangerous areas, it gave the merchant ships confidence, and also drove off a number of enemy air attacks.

These operations lasted for six weeks, after which the flotilla was disbanded. The vessels were put to another use, and the Royal Marine gunners were employed elsewhere.

Other Royal Marine gunners have

Been helping to defend merchant ships, whether in convoy or sailing independently, since the beginning of the war. In the early days most of them were pensioners with previous war experience. Some were over 50 years of age.

The pensioners signed on as deck hands. They fought the guns of every class of ship in the Merchant Navy and of many which flew the flags of the Allied Nations. They fought in the Atlantic, in the convoys to Russia and Malta, on passages to and from the Far East, on the Cape route to the Middle East and in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Many of them saved their ships against the attacks of enemy aircraft and submarines. Marine H. Calcott was awarded the B.E.M. for his devotion to duty when one of the elder Dempster Shipping Company's vessels was chased by a U-boat. She was zigzagging at about ten knots in clear weather when a large enemy submarine was seen to be pursuing her on the surface at high speed.

At about ten-thousand yards the U-boat opened fire without a warning shot. The merchant ship used smoke floats, which seemed to hamper the enemy, so that none of the shells reached its mark.

When the U-boat was within seven-thousand yards range the steamer hoisted her ensign and Marine Calcott opened fire with a four-inch gun. His third shot detonated on the U-boat. She dived immediately and was not seen again.

A vessel of the United Merchants

Steam Company was towing to port another which had been put out of action by enemy aircraft. The ships were attacked by a Dornier 17 with bombs and machine gun fire, but Chedgey drove it off. The master of the towing ship, in a letter to the Commandant of Plymouth Division, paid tribute to the Marine.

"The sterling ability by Marine Chedgey, who not only assisted in our efforts to connect the damaged ship, but displayed that cool efficient stability and marksmanship which made the enemy's attack abortive.

His steadiness and control of the gun's crew were a credit to the Corps and but for his gallantry I am afraid all our efforts to save the vessel would have failed."

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A formation of thirty-eight German

dive-bombers came in to attack S.S. Terlings, dropping over one-hundred bombs. There were nine direct hits on the engine-room, and three on the bridge. All of the engine-room officers were killed and most of the stokers, also the cook and two cabin boys. Many others were blown into the sea.

Marine Prescott said: "My gun's crew were all machine gunned by low flying aircraft. Mr Smith the Third Officer, had a machine gun bullet through his neck, but carried on as long as he could. Mr Ludlow the Chief Officer came aft to help with the gun. The bombs had blow the boiler and the bottom out of the ship, and she started sinking."

"I clung to the gun. The Third Officer was at the training wheel even though he had been sevrely wounded. We fired a few more rounds after that. The Chief Officer up-loaded. Then the magazine went below water. Our Ammunition was gone and we had no crew."

"The Captain yelled from the sea: 'Come on, Gun's, you can do no more bloody good now.' I dived into the ditch with the others and grabbed hold of a board. The Terlings sunk and the planes came over raking us with machine gun bullets, killing most of the survivors up to that point. Everyone was wounded I had a bullet go through my thigh, the Captain who was close by was killed."

Marine Prescott was awarded Lloyd's War Medal for Bravery at Sea.

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