RAF LAUNCH HSL 145
Some memories of my father's time on this vessel
By Sarah R
A few years ago, I started to research my Dad's life in the RAF/ASR, having received a pocket diary of his from 1941. I found the RAF Handbook a good starting point along with some of the books mentioned by people on the Our Newhaven website. I bought a book called 'Shot Down and in the Drink' by Graham Pitchfork, which has lots of information in it regarding life in the ASR.
A TV programme recently made me look at this again and I came across Our Newhaven, with photos of the boats and the harbour at Newhaven. I noticed that some people were wondering which boats were working from Newhaven in 1941 and thought that this information, including photos and extracts from his diary, concerning my Dad and his involvement with HSL 145, might be of interest.
My Dad was T/CPL Ron Harrill and he wrote in his diary about his entry into the RAF at Blackpool in the Autumn of 1940. He was posted to Newhaven and arrived there on 21st May 1941, and he became a fitter on HSL 145. He mentions various things about life as a fitter at that time such as call outs, patrols, crash calls and undertaking 30 hour inspections on boats that had come back damaged. He talks about cleaning the plugs, seas too rough for the boats to go out, taking the boat to Calshot for overhaul. On one occasion he takes HLS 126 out 'in the absence of Smith' [presumably his opposite number on that boat - Editor] and waiting for the "Clyde Job" HSL 142.
Dad suffered from seasickness most of the time while at Newhaven, partly due to the flat-bottomed HSL boats and, as a result of his weight loss, he was posted to Thorney Island where he worked on Tiger Moths, Beauforts and Blenheims, going on test flights and doing shop guard.
However, he told me that the RAF were short of men for the rescue boats and sent him back to Dover, where he installed the engine into HSL 122 and was on telephone watch sometimes. Another difficulty for him was the noise of the engines. He often felt it had affected his hearing for the worse as it was so loud.
I read somewhere that HSL 122 was sunk during the Dieppe Raid.
Dad mentions things such as travelling home by train, going to see films, shopping, going on parade, writing to friends and family, and going to dances, of which he was not too keen and usually hid away so that he didn't have to go!
Later in the war, according to his brother, he went north for further training and by 1944 he was working at Swinderby on Lancasters.
Calshot, July 1941. HSL 145
Front (L-R) Sgt Brand ('Brandy'), Ken Kenmer (from Trowbridge)
Back (L-R) Ken Durham, Ron Harrill, George Dewar
"This was taken in the harbour. We were playing about with a dinghy we borrowed from one of the sub chasers. The bloke next to me is Steve (Cpl) M.B.C and the one in the sweater is Johnny Bull M.B.C. He's been posted overseas. The other one is Steven L.A.C Fitter. This was on our Venice trip."
Calshot, 1941, HSL 145.
This is a Dover based HSL. "Shot up off Hastings 15/7/42. Johnny Horner killed"
I think this boat worked alongside HSL 138.
Ron Harrill's Diary, May 1941
Ron Harrill's Diary, August 1941
Ron Harrill's Diary, September 1941
Ron Harrill's Diary, September 1941 (2)
Ron Harrill's Diary, September-October 1941
All photos from the private family collection - courtesy of Sarah R