Bill Forster
18-12-2010, 18:22
If you had been able to come to the book launch for A HARD FOUGHT SHIP at the RN Museum, Portsmouth, you would have seen the diminutive figure of Sydney Compston DSM, only 5ft 6inch but wearing the green beret of the Commandos.
Sydney Compston volunteered for the Royal Navy in November 1939 and was accepted just before he received his call-up papers for the local infantry regiment. After initial training at HMS Drake in Devonport, Plymouth, he was posted to HMS Venomous and remained aboard until its refit at Troon following the collision with HMS Keppel in December 1941. He was aboard during the action at Boulogne when Venomous evacuated the Welsh and Irish Guards on the 23 May 1940 and on five trips to the north Mole and beaches at Dunkirk where from his post at B Gun he saw General Alexander, the commanding officer of the BEF, on the open bridge.
Sydney's memory of his time on Venomous was exceptionally good and he made a very significant contribution to the new edition of A Hard Fought Ship. He described the fitting of ASDIC during the refit at Portsmouth in 1940 and contrasted this modern technology to detect U-boats with the cutlasses which in the tradition of Nelson's navy were stored ready for use. His name crops up repeatedly in the index and he recalled many incidents for the book and the names of shipmates for adding to the list of ratings.
For Sydney Compston service as an AB on HMS Venomous from 1940-2 was only the prelude to an exciting war with the RN Commandos. Sadly he died last month aged 91 and with help from his son, Brian, who drove him to the launch I have created a page on my web site describing his part in allied landings in Algeria, Sicily and Normandy where he was wounded and awarded the DSM.
The book is the best memorial to his time on HMS Venomous.
But please take a look at: http://www.holywellhousepublishing.co.uk/Compston.html
Bill Forster
Sydney Compston volunteered for the Royal Navy in November 1939 and was accepted just before he received his call-up papers for the local infantry regiment. After initial training at HMS Drake in Devonport, Plymouth, he was posted to HMS Venomous and remained aboard until its refit at Troon following the collision with HMS Keppel in December 1941. He was aboard during the action at Boulogne when Venomous evacuated the Welsh and Irish Guards on the 23 May 1940 and on five trips to the north Mole and beaches at Dunkirk where from his post at B Gun he saw General Alexander, the commanding officer of the BEF, on the open bridge.
Sydney's memory of his time on Venomous was exceptionally good and he made a very significant contribution to the new edition of A Hard Fought Ship. He described the fitting of ASDIC during the refit at Portsmouth in 1940 and contrasted this modern technology to detect U-boats with the cutlasses which in the tradition of Nelson's navy were stored ready for use. His name crops up repeatedly in the index and he recalled many incidents for the book and the names of shipmates for adding to the list of ratings.
For Sydney Compston service as an AB on HMS Venomous from 1940-2 was only the prelude to an exciting war with the RN Commandos. Sadly he died last month aged 91 and with help from his son, Brian, who drove him to the launch I have created a page on my web site describing his part in allied landings in Algeria, Sicily and Normandy where he was wounded and awarded the DSM.
The book is the best memorial to his time on HMS Venomous.
But please take a look at: http://www.holywellhousepublishing.co.uk/Compston.html
Bill Forster