Robert Henry Thorne

3 March 1943 HX 228 from Newfoundland, Canada.

Tuesday 9 March 08;00 a plane from a U.S. carrier sighted a U-boat 10 miles ahead. At 1500, the carrier was short on fuel and had to turn back. At 1930, an ammunition ship had been hit and on a second ship SS Andrea F. Luckenbach, men were taking to the boats. In response the escort leader, Havant-class destroyer HMS Harvester, hunted U-444 by sweeping through the convoy. A corvette was detailed to rescue survivors as the underwater search went on. Hours passed as the destroyer remained in the attack area.

At midnight, 4 miles astern of the convoy, moving up to regain station U-444 was surfaced and going at top speed after the convoy. After the U-boat dived, Harvester sailed over the dive position and forced her to surface by depth charge attacks. Circling at speed Harvester searched and spotted the U-boat 500 yards ahead. Making revs for 27 knots the destroyer rammed U-444, disabling herself in the process. From astern French Corvette Aconit, sighted U-444 as Harvester broke free and closed to make her own ramming attack. Harvester, dead in the water, picked up one survivor and Aconit another four. Commander Tait ordered Aconit to re-join convoy HX228 and with only the damaged starboard propeller shaft turning, Harvester limped behind at 9 knots.

04;00 10 March, 50 survivors of SS William C. Gorgas (a Liberty ship sunk by U-757) were sighted and rescued.

During the morning of 11 March, Harvester's remaining shaft broke. A signal was made to Aconit "Am stopped. Stand by me".

11;00 Harvester was hit by the first torpedo from U-432. As the officers and crew prepared to abandon ship in the middle of the intensely cold Atlantic, a second torpedo was fired. The captain, seven officers, 136 ratings and 39 survivors were lost.

Aconit returned to the scene and forced U-432 to surface, then sank her with gun fire and ramming.

During the day, the French corvette picked up 60 survivors from Harvester, including 12 survivors from the William C. Gorgas. Aconit also captured 12 survivors from U-432, including the second officer. The senior surviving officer of Harvester, Lieutenant J L Briggs (gunnery control officer) interviewed the second-in-command of U-432, who had launched both torpedoes: "Why did you need to fire the second torpedo so shallow? What did you want to do, kill as many as you could?" The Oberleutnant replied "didn't think you were sinking fast enough."

Head boy at the Southwell Minster Grammar school for two years in the 1930s