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Legion chief recalls horror sinkings

From the archive, first published Wednesday 6th Nov 2002.

ONE veteran of the Second World War who will be thinking of fallen comrades on Remembrance Sunday is the president of Alcester's Royal British Legion.

Former sailor Jim Adams, 80, also lost two brothers in the war and was lucky to survive himself after two of the ships he was on board were sunk.

Mr Adams joined the Royal Navy at 16 in 1938 and was thrown into war a year later.

He became an officer but was invalided out of the service in 1947 because of damage to his hearing.

Mr Adams was on the cruiser HMS Spartan off the coast of Italy providing support for the Anzio landings as part of Operation Shingle.

But while at anchor on January 29, 1944, Spartan was bombed at sunset by 18 enemy aircraft.

One bomb blew a large hole in the upper deck, collapsing the mast and flooding the boiler room.

A serious fire began and the ship keeled over to port.

An hour later the crew abandoned ship and within just 10 minutes, the Spartan was on the seabed.

Five officers and 41 ratings were posted killed or missing, presumed dead.

This was the second time Mr Adams had cheated death.

Off the coast of Tunisia on August 13, 1942, he survived an attack by Italian torpedo boats on the cruiser HMS Manchester.

More than 150 crewmen were killed.

He also served on the destroyers HMS Tetcott and HMS Whitshed.

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