A veteran of the Battle of the Atlantic looked back on his wartime "adventure" as Liverpool prepared to mark the battle's 80th anniversary.
Denis Rose, 98, was a sailor on merchant ships during the Battle of the Atlantic. The battle was the longest continuous military campaign during WWII and saw the Allied and Axis powers fight for control of the ocean.
The Allies worked to secure Britain's merchant shipping, bringing goods in and out of the country. As Britain's main transatlantic convoy port, Liverpool had a crucial role, receiving 1285 convoys during the war.
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Liverpool's Derby House, which now houses the Western Approaches WWII museum, was the headquarters of the Combined Operations, which looked after British shipping in the Atlantic Ocean directly to the west of Britain and Ireland.
The battle is commemorated on the anniversary of its peak, which saw the Allies defeat Germany's U-boats by mid-1943. On Tuesday (March 7), military personnel and veterans gathered at the museum on Rumford Street in Liverpool city centre to mark 80 days until the commemoration, which will take place over the weekend of May 26-28.
Mr Rose, who was born in Middlesex but has lived in West Kirby for 65 years, told the ECHO he was pleased to see a number of military personnel present at Western Approaches to mark the countdown to the 80th anniversary.
Asked about his memories of the battle, he said: "I was on the Commodore staff and we were always on merchant ships, even though they were Royal Navy or RNVR (Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve). I think, when you're 18, 19 or 20, it's a bit of an adventure.
"Nowadays people say 'bloody hell, it must have been hard', but in those days, you took no notice of it.
"You think now 'good god'. I was on tankers sometimes, imagine a torpedo hitting a tanker.
"But when you're young, you don't think of these things. Looking back, it's very interesting."
The weekend of May 26-28 will see a number of events to mark the anniversary. The commemorations will reflect on the experiences of the people behind the battle’s significant shore-side effort, including shipyards, dockers, the defenders of UK ports, Wrens, suppliers, factory workers, and their families.
It will include a riverside 1940s-themed military village, visiting vessels, fly pasts by vintage aircraft, a concert by HM Royal Marines Band at Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall, and a drumhead ceremony at the Pier Head.
A 'March of the Medals' will follow the drumhead service, and members of the public who have a family member who served during the Atlantic Campaign will be invited to register to take part.
About the plans for May, Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Councillor Roy Gladden told the ECHO: "Historically, I think it's very important to recognise. Everybody talks about D-Day, they talk about the Battle of Britain.
"Generally, if this battle had been lost then the war would've probably been lost. It was here in this city and it's commemorated here, but a lot of people don't know about it. I think we should quite rightly shout about it.
"There are a lot that people don't know about and I think it's about time that we shouted about it and be proud about it. That's what the weekend in May and the 80 days building up will be about."
Cllr Gladden praised Mr Rose and his colleagues as he spoke about the importance of first-hand accounts of the war. He said: "Denis is fantastic. To have a veteran who is still with us is great.
"I'm glad it's (the commemoration) happening now, there's only a few of the likes of Denis left with us.
"People like Denis being here to give us his account of the convoys is so important. What they had to go through is horrendous and they didn't talk about it because it was so shocking.
"We need those first hand accounts and it's fabulous to have Denis here. The courage they had - they went out every day knowing they might not come back, marvellous people."
During the commemoration weekend, the Battle of the Atlantic Memorial Charity will unveil two new memorials to those who died during the battle. A new national Battle of the Atlantic memorial will be installed at the Church of Our Lady and St Nicholas at the Pier Head, while a light installation will be found on the shores of the River Mersey at Woodside.
Commemorations will conclude at precisely 19.43 on May 28, with the attending merchant ships and warships leading a convoy down the Mersey, while Beating Retreats are performed on both shores of the river.
The 80-day countdown event also launches a series of free public lectures which will allow members of the public to explore the history and legacy of the Battle of the Atlantic. The first lecture in this series – The Naval Review, by Sir Clive Johnstone – explores the impact of geopolitics on maritime trade.
It will take place at St Nick’s Church at 5.30pm on March 8. Attendance is free, but guests must register in advance.
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