Source: http://www.hmsroyaloak.co.uk/requests.html

REG BIRCH

I stumbled across your site whilst looking into my late father's RN History. I grew up listening to his WWII stories although he never spoke very much about the sinking of the Royal Oak - other than the bitterly cold water, the smell of fuel and the loss of so many lives.

He is on the "Survivors List" - R. G. (Reg Birch) and the Royal Oak was his first ship after joining the R.N in early 1939 as a 18 year old.

I guess he must of been one of the lucky few - He survived two more sinkings in the Med. later during the war. HMS Kashmir (Destroyer) off Crete I understand and HMS Hebe (Minesweeper) sunk of Bari-Italy. Like a cork he kept bobbing up in the water.

He joined the R.A.N after the War and moved to Australia. Not content with that, he served in the Vietnam conflict in 1969 and the ripe old age of (49) on HMAS Perth II.

He remained very much a navy person like so many of his friends.

He would have loved your site - I will be sending an order form for your video as I am most interested.

Malcolm Birch.

birchfamily@optusnet.com.au

Source: Malcolm Birch, son - Dec 2006

I have attached (3) war-time photo's which may be of interest.

 

No. 1. is marked June 1942 Malta Convoy - 2 days out from Gibraltar. My father is 3rd from left at rear.

 

No. 2. is marked Christmas 1942 Malta. Reg is on the left in the trench coat.

 

No. 3 is marked Portsmouth 1939 - I know he joined the RN earlier that year and got sunk for the first time on the Royal Oak at Scapa Flow later that year.

 

I have all his service medals which included a commemorative George Cross Medal which was awarded by the Government of Malta in 1993 to mark the 50th anniversary of the original award to the people of Malta.

 

I remember him telling me that they spent a lot of time underground whilst being continuously bombed and the Hebe being damaged on several occasions.

 

My brother has his actual RN Service Records at his place which I'll get a copy of to confirm some dates etc.

 

Hope this is of some interest - even though he spent a further 20+ years in the Australian Navy after the war he always spoke with respect and a kind of reverence for the dark years of 1939-45.