Andrew Lees Skipper

[holly1]

I was stunned and reduced to tears when the photograph of my Uncle Andy appeared on this site. He was my father's younger brother, a year separated them, and I recall the photograph being published in the Picture Post. We had a copy in our home but it disappeared many years ago It is my understanding that he perished in Dover harbour. The boat had been on a mine sweep of the channel, and the crew went to the pub for a pint. He said he would join them when he had written a letter to his wife, Ann but known as Nan, back home in Aberdeen. He didn't make the pub as German planes who had been on an air-raid on London discharged their unused bombs on Dover harbour and the boat got a direct hit. His grave is in Dover cemetery but I understand that only his hand and wrist with RNR insignia were found. His wife and mother were never given the full details. My Dad's hair went grey overnight when the news came through. Both his brothers were lost at sea. Can anyone tell me more?

[DavidH]

Andrew R Lees is shown as being killed 15 September 1940, along with five other members of the crew of the BOTANIC; however the BOTANIC evidently survived this attack, as she is shown as being lost in 1942.

[holly1]

At the time, the information given to the wife and family of Andrew Lees was that he was the only man to be killed, could this have been because the RNR did not give out information about deaths to other families involved. Nor do I recognise the name of his boat as being the Botanic and its amazing that the ship survived but my uncle and now I am to understand these other men didn't. Can you throw light on this? His only surviving sister died in June this year, so I am unable to check from family sources, just what my father and grandfather told me. Thank you for your help .

[hdw]

That's a very moving story, Holly, and it could easily have been my dad's story, in which case I wouldn't be here today. My dad was a petty officer in the boom defence service, and on May 22nd 1944 his ship was in Dover, when the Luftwaffe came over, and the crew were told to stay below decks, but some people can never take a telling, and my dad went above to see the action and was blown to the deck by a bomb blast. He spent the next year in various hospitals, before being invalided out in 1946, the year in which I was born.

One of his fellow-townsmen, Boom Skipper Thomas Ritchie, was on shore leave on the night of that attack, and was killed. He was known locally, on account of his dapper appearance and good looks, as "Count Ritchie".

If anyone knows any more about the events of that night in Dover, I would be very interested in the details. I think my dad was probably on HMS SKIRMISHER at the time. She was usually based at Milford Haven.

Harry