“Really Not Required” by Colin Warwick provides the only information I have to date on HMS Rushen Castle’s first crew – all items in quotation marks below are taken from this book. I understand from his son that Colin Warwick wrote “Really Not Required” from memory with a minimum of research, so it is possible there may be errors in his recollections. That said, my impression from the book is that he took the line, if in doubt leave it out … as such the information provided in relation to the crew is somewhat scant, with the forenames of most and the surnames of petty officers, ratings and seamen particularly “thin on the ground”.
Here however is what I could find:
Commanding Officer: Lieutenant Commander Colin Warwick RNR. See "Rushen Castle's First Commanding Officer" and also the "World War II Unit Histories & Officers" website.
Colin Warwick describes his deck officers as, with one exception, “seasoned men out of escort ships”.
First Lieutenant: Lieutenant Eric W. Clubb RNR (my father). “Clubb was a career merchant navy officer … who had been a submarine navigator in the Mediterranean. Due to a bad attack of dysentery he had been transferred to escort ships after leaving hospital. He was as thin as a rake and hoping to regain weight.”
See "Rushen Castle's First Number One" and, for a more detailed account of his wartime career, the "World War II Unit Histories & Officers" website.
Navigator: Sub-Lieutenant Weeks “held a second officer’s certificate. He was bright, young and eager to learn ship-handling.”
Gunnery Officer: Lieutenant Gwinnell RNVR “was formerly a peacetime insurance company executive, soon to be addressed as ‘Dad’ by the younger officers.”
Signals Officer: Lieutenant McMullen RNVR “was from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He was young and newly married.”
Asdic Officer: Lieutenant Billany RNVR was “a former merchant navy seaman … who was hoping to qualify for his second officer’s certificate so as to work on coastal shipping in peacetime.”
Unspecified Deck Officer: Lieutenant Cecil Vernon Rhodes, “related through his grandparents to the Cecil Rhodes of South Africa and founder of Rhodesia.” Colin Warwick describes him as South African Navy – he was the exception referred to above in terms of experience.
Medical Officer: A Surgeon Lieutenant RNVR. Colin Warwick tells us no more other than he was known as ‘Doc’.
Engineer Officer: Lieutenant RNVR. Colin Warwick tells us no more other than he was known as ‘The Plumber’.
Coxswain: Sadly I cannot find that Colin Warwick gives us the name of this individual, whom I know my father held in very high regard. He was a “long service regular navy chief petty officer …” in charge of “… the petty officers, leading ratings and ratings.”
Colin Warwick goes on to say, “The coxswain, approaching the end of his service, worked hand in glove with Lt Clubb, and his watch and quarter bill assignments were posted when sea trials were being made. Lt Clubb and I made a consensus of opinion as to the officers’ deck watch assignments.”
Towards the end of “Really Not Required”, Colin Warwick writes, “After handing over to my relief in Liverpool I had gone down to the petty officers’ mess on Rushen Castle to chat with my former coxswain. Upon asking him whether he was going to sign on for another term of service he had replied:
“’Skipper, my present term of service has already expired. I’d be no good working on the outside and I am signing on once more. This is a lazy life in peacetime. Most often we only go to sea during the week and are always back in harbour for the weekends!’”
In addition to the above, I can find references to a Stoker Petty Officer Harman, and an Ordinary Seaman Salmon, but no-one else. Any corrections to the above, and additions that can be made, would be gratefully received.
(Added 9 April 2006) See also my article "More about HMS Rushen Castle's Wartime Officers".
