John Francis

Recollections of service on HMS Jamaica.

John Francis served in the Royal Navy for the duration of the war and has many memories of the time, in particular of Russian Convoys. Whilst serving on HMS Jamaica, John crossed the Arctic Circle on the ship in September 1942 and received a Proclamation from Neptune from his Commanding Officer. The proclamation stated 'All Seamen: Wherever Ye May Be, Greetings: Know All Ye by these Presents that John Francis A/B RNVR did on Sept 11th 1942 appear in the northern most Reaches of my Realm'.

The conditions on the Russian Convoys were harsh and John holds in his possession a number of photographs which show the very thick ice that formed on the ship on its journeys to Russia.

HMS Jamaica was a light cruiser and as such its duty was to escort convoys. John was onboard the ship in December 1943 when it assisted in sinking the German ship, the Scharnhorst. It was the torpedoes from the HMS Jamaica that finally sank the Scharnhorst off the northern coast of Norway.