Kenneth Born

Recollections of life in the Merchant Navy.

The Merchant Navy

When the Second World War broke out, Kenneth Born lived in London with his parents. Aged fifteen, he joined the Army Training Corps, before joining the Merchant Navy in 1943, aged sixteen. Kenneth fought in the ‘Battle of the Atlantic’ – he initially served on Norwegian ships, before joining the crew of a large ex-whaling ship. It had previously been damaged when sailing off the coast of Wales but had been repaired. When Kenneth boarded the ship in New York, it was heading back to Britain, carrying fuel oil, trucks and tanks.

Torpedoed

On 9th September 1944, at 6am, the ship was hit by two torpedoes. Kenneth, who had been on his way to the boat station, was trapped by a damaged cable. Although he feared that he would be dragged beneath the water as the ship sank, luckily he was able to struggle free and was rescued by a lifeboat. The level of the destruction and suffering became apparent to Kenneth as the lifeboat took him and other survivors to the rescue boat, which was torpedoed heavily. Fortunately Kenneth survived and was taken to Londonderry by a Navy Coast Guard ship. He was granted two weeks leave, before boarding another ship at Chatham Docks, bound for Antwerp with supplies. The ship was heavily bombed, an experience that Kenneth was already familiar with due to his experiences of air raids whilst on shore leave in London. The ship which Kenneth served on also came into contact with German U-Boats.

Remembering the Merchant Navy

Kenneth feels very strongly that the contribution which the Merchant Navy made towards the war effort should be recognised, as ships transported vital food and fuel supplies. The sacrifices made by those who lost their lives whilst at sea should not be forgotten.