"The spirit of the Kelly was magnificent to the end and everyone of her Ship's Company behaved in accordance with the highest traditions of the Royal Navy. I felt that this knowledge might help to comfort you in your great sorrow."
This is a copy (I do have the original letter) of a letter my grandfather received after the death of his son Thomas William Bell who was KIA when HMS Kelly was sunk 1941.
The letter was passed to my father Samuel, the brother of Thomas, then passed to me when my father passed away in 1996.
Transcript:
Dear Mr Bell,
You will by now have heard the sad news of the loss of H.M.S. Kelly with so many of her gallant officers and men. I have only recently reached England and hasten to offer you my heartfely symapthy in your great personal loss. I had the honour to command the finest Ship's Company I have ever served with and wish to assure you that I share your personal grief. It may be some consolation to you to know that the Kelly was not lost in vain. You will have heard the official announcement that 3 Cruisers, the Gloucester, Fiji, and Calcutta and 6 Destroyers, the Kelly, Kashmir, Juno, Greyhound, Imperial and Hereward were lost in the Battle of Crete so that our ship rests in company with worthy sisters.
We had been sent out from England especially to help in the struggle in the Mediterranean and the 5th Destroyer Flotilla were proud to be chosen to help defend our Army in Crete from invasion by sea. On the night of the 22nd / 23rd May we were guarding the North Western Coast of Crete when the last remaining attempt to bring troops and supplies over by sea was made. Only two ships - both sailing ships attempted to force our patrol and both were instantly sunk by the Kelly and Kashmir.
General Freyberg then asked the destroyers to carry out a bombardment of the German positions and the Kelly and Kashmir entered Canea Bay to do so. The General subsequently made a signal saying how much our bombardment had heartened the British troops and that thanks to our vigilance no enemy troops or supplies had been able to land. This is surely a fine epitaph for the Kelly and her sister ship the Kashmir.
It was nearly dawn before our job was done and we retired at full speed with the German Air Force hot on our trail. We evaded all the attacks made by single aircraft, but finally succumbed to a mass attack by 24 dive bombers with very large bombs.
Another sister ship, the Kipling, whom I had detached earlier that morning, saw the bombing and came and very gallantly rescued the survivors in the face of fierce attacks.
We had the satisfaction of shooting down and damaging a number of the attacking aircraft and both ships went down with every gun firing to the last, and all were standing by their posts.
The spirit of the Kelly was magnificent to the end and everyone of her Ship's Company behaved in accordance with the highest traditions of the Royal Navy.
I felt that this knowledge might help to comfort you in your great sorrow.
Yours truly
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