STEVE Jones joined HMS Matabele in January 1941 and served as leading torpedo operator in charge of depth charges.

On January 10, 1942 he left for a torpedo course at HMS Defiance, at Devonport, as Matabele set sail to join convoy PQ48.

Seven days later it was sunk by U48. Everyone on board died, including some of Mr Jones' friends and the man who had taken his place as torpedo operator.

In memory of those friends Mr Jones, of Bleachfield street, Alcester, recalls a night on the ship as a 21-year-old man on depth charge duties.

"Balaclava, duffel coat and sea boots lay beneath my hammock; tired and wet I fall asleep. The sea is rough tonight. The snoring sounds as men sleep and the smell of sweaty socks greets me as I am wakened for the middle-watch by a voice shouting: "Wakey, wakey, time for your watch".

"I descend from my hammock still tired and wet from my previous watch, the broken silence of sleeping men now turns to murmured groans. Once again I change into sea-boots, balaclava and duffel coat. I climb once again up the slippery ladder to the upper deck, the lashing sea is still pounding the ship. It's dark and miserable and I can hardly see through the sea spray. I slowly make my way aft along the safety stay followed by some of the guns crew. I hold on tight, one false move with my hands from the stays and I am gone forever and swallowed by the raging Atlantic sea.

"Gradually I feel my way along the starboard side. I can hardly see the stern. Then suddenly through the sea spray I see the depth charges. This now is my watch position for the next four hours of the middle watch. I rest against the transformer near my communication point hoping soon that the monotony will be broken by a submarine alert. I can now hear the tapping feet of the guns crew who are on the deck above and the pounding waves of the sea. I have no sense of time. The minutes and hours go by slowly. I'm wondering if Plymouth is getting bombed tonight and how many poor souls will be killed. I'm thinking also of mum and dad and the family. Hoping they are all OK. They are probably thinking of me.

"The ship has just altered course. I wonder if we have contacted a sub. I shall soon know in a moment if the alarm bell sounds. Nothing seems to have happened so we go on pounding our way through the ocean. It seems ages since I came on watch. The guns crew above me are tapping their feet. They are probably cold, wet and hungry like myself. I wonder how many German subs are out there shadowing us. They are probably thinking the same about us. War is a terrible thing but its kill or be killed. I hope some of our ships are pounding the Gerries somewhere in the Atlantic. We are losing so much shipping we have to stop them. "The end seems a long way off. How wonderful it will be to get back to civilisation again, to have a nice hot bath and change of clothing, the smell of the countryside, new mown hay and to see the family again. This is our sixth day at sea. It seems ages since I came on watch. Soon, hopefully, I will get relieved."