Chapter 10 - A Quieter Time

In August 1944, John Hornby was promoted to Warrant Officer and based at HMS "Glendower" at Pwllheli, North Wales. Glendower was a former Butlins holiday camp which had been requisitioned by the Navy for use as a Seamanship Training Establishment from 1st October 1944 until it was paid off on 1st September 1946 and returned to Butlins. His role there was in the training of young sailors in boat work and seamanship. My mother, sister and I visited "Glendower" about that time and I remember the swimming pool being filled with whalers and cutters of all kinds, and I recall sitting in one of them (I would be 11 at the time). We stayed in one of the chalets. One highlight of the visit was that whilst I was there I was given my first bicycle, which was a large old black man sized machine which I could hardly ride. Where it came from I'll never know, but bicycles of any kind were very hard to come by at that time. I remember it had wooden blocks on the pedals - I was too short to reach them and I lost control on a hill and fell off and hurt myself!

August 1944, HMS Glendower, Pwllheli, North Wales. John Hornby - front row 7th from left.

A final story of Glendower. My father was out in the bay with a boat full of young seamen under training. They were caught out in a bad storm, and it took all my father's skills to make it safely ashore to the beach at Abererch.

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