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Frank Clements

Article highlights

• The career of the NAAFI worker who became a prisoner of war

• Clements' NAAFI service

• HMS Exeter in the Far East

• Surviving as a POW

• Forced labour

• Release and homecoming

Clements' NAAFI service

Frank Clements joined the Royal Naval Canteen Service in January 1940. He worked as part of the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) staff onboard various ships, rated as a Petty Officer.

The British government created NAAFI in 1921 to run recreational establishments for the Armed Forces. NAAFI also sells goods to servicemen and their families, as well as running canteens onboard Royal Navy ships.

NAAFI personnel serving onboard ships are part of the Naval Canteen Service, wear naval uniform and have battle stations, although they remain civilians.

Clements initially joined HMS Anthony. He sailed to towns on the coast of France, such as Le Havre, Cherbourg and Brest, taking part in around 33 night convoys.

He then sailed onboard HMS Highlander as part of a convoy to Norway in April 1940. The convoy was bombed by German aircraft during this voyage. He sailed in ships that formed part of the Atlantic convoys in September.

Clements left his post on HMS Highlander after eight months service in November 1940. He had a new appointment onboard HMS Exeter.

Photograph of Frank Clements onboard HMS Exeter (RNM)

Clements took leave in order to marry his fiance, Molly, in Sussex on 1 March 1941. They managed to enjoy a few days honeymoon in North Wales.

He left his new wife to work onboard HMS Exeter for trials in Scapa for a month during April. There were also other patrols to Ireland and Denmark Strait, Iceland.

HMS Exeter set sail for Freetown, Sierra Leone in June 1941, escorting a large convoy of troops to South Africa. Clements regrets the fact that he had been unable to say farewell to his wife before leaving. He recalls that:

'They told me the ship was going to sail...on the Sunday. So I thought I'll say good-bye to my wife of the Saturday night...and I crept out...Saturday morning, and saying I'll say good-bye tomorrow, and I'd only just been married hadn't I...And actually I got back on board ship and we sailed one day before we should have done. So I never said goodbye to her at all.'

Related External Links

• NAAFI

• HMS Exeter

• Royal Naval Museum - Collection Catalogue Online