JACK PATTERSON
We felt relief, of course, but for some of us the war went on
It was with mixed feelings Jack Patterson heard the news of Germany’s surrender.
“There was a great sense of relief, of course,” said Jack, who served with the Royal Navy. “The war was finished in Europe, but there was still one ongoing in the Far East.
“As far as I knew, for a lot of people in my position there was the possibility we would have to go there.
“There were no great celebrations for us on VE Day. We were patrolling the Pentland Firth and U-boats were surrendering – one surrendered to us.
“We took it to Loch Eriboll. It was the first time I’d seen a U-boat. It was bigger than I thought it would be, and looked sinister.
“We knew the war was nearly over but the Far East situation was lingering in the background. We didn’t fancy going out there at all.”
In July 1945, Jack was in the barracks at Portsmouth when he was given vaccinations, so knew he was being sent abroad.
“The next day, we were on HMS Illustrious with passage to Colombo, via Malta and Bombay. We spent two weeks in Colombo before heading to Singapore.
“While en route, the Americans dropped the atom bomb. We didn’t know about it until we reached Singapore, and then the war was finally over.
“We went to Saigon to pick up Dutch troops, and on to Java to drop them off, as Java was part of the Dutch East Indies.”
Jack returned home to Thornhill in Dumfries and Galloway, where he was born and lives to this day, now aged 95.
Jack took up a three-year commission with the Navy in 1946 and served all around the world. At the end of his service, he became a postman back home.
Last year, Jack returned to Gairloch, Wester Ross, where he was reunited with other veterans who served on the Arctic Convoys.
He proudly wore the esteemed Russian military award, the Admiral Ushakov Medal, which he received in 1994.
Jack added: “There are times I don’t know if I was entitled to the medal because of what others went through. However, now I feel I received it on behalf of those who did not come back, and I wear it at every possible occasion.”