Jack Belcher
Last Day of U523 Between August 18th and 30th she Escorted OG.92/KMS.24 to Gibraltar. At 41 58'N, 17 59'W she sank U523. The following is an account of this event written by Jack Belcher, Quartermaster on the Wallflower. "....We were detailed for tail-end Charlie sweeps astern. The sea was calm and warm and everyone was relaxed steaming into the Spanish sun. Out of the blue the voice pipe came alive 'hard to port - maximum revs'. Seconds later came the alarm bell with its near panic movements all over the ship. The Coxswain rushed in with tin hat, blowing up his life-jacket. It was clear that we had caught a U-boat napping on the surface. My action station was the wheelhouse so I stayed put. I little thought I would still be at it 12 hours later. Wallflower pounded forward and HSD Aussie Saunders picked up the mother of all echoes. Up and in went the Hedgehog missiles - The FIRST TIME at a really definite target, then down went the first depth charge pattern quite shallow. We turned, regained contact and down went more charges. After that it was apparent she was going deep. We lost her and regained Asdic contact time and time again and the Thrower lads and Torps worked like trojans all through the night. We didn't intend to let the blighter get away. By 0430 hours the contact was pretty well static, and we were joined by HMS Wanderer and took it in turns to apply the final screw. At about 0700, Asdics confirmed she was blowing her tanks and through the wheelhouse door to starboard the sea boiled - no more than 150 yards away, this pale grey formidable shape with U523 on the conning tower and parallel with us literally reared out of the sea. Out of the tower scrambled man after man accompanied by an orangey smoke, first off it appeared they were going for the big 4 inch on the bows, so our Oerlikons opened up and shells and tracers bounced off the hull. The order 'Check-Check-Check' soon came as it was clear the poor buggers were only trying to get into the sea. Within minutes 30 to 40 men were floating about and some had been cut about a bit by the Oerlikon. The starboard boat was launched and an officer and six men rowed across in a vain attempt to capture her. They turned their attention to fishing the survivors up, when the sub began sinking fast - her sea cocks had been opened and she went down bows in the air, stern first with a huge gurgle. Scramble nets were rigged and we started hoisting them aboard. The Coxswain sent me down into the well-deck to help and one chap I pulled aboard seemed a bit dodgy - his escape apparatus was fixed under his crotch on sturdy leather belt and undoing the buckle I found his leg was almost severed. Our medical services were very primitive, rum, hot tea and cigarettes were the best we could do. Some 34 men had been taken aboard including the Captain, but some bodies had floated away beyond help. It was a day or more before we regained the convoy and Wallflower steamed through it and received a marvelous welcome from the merchant seamen at their guard rails and the ship's sirens.Finally we reached Gibraltar and all portholes were closed and the army came aboard, blindfolded them all, including the stretcher cases, then marched them away - their war was over." Return to Top