‘provides a fascinating insight into the Royal navy during its imperial heyday’ – Broadly Boats
It was as Commodore HMS Western Isles that Sir Gilbert Stephenson earned his nickname, ‘The Terror of Tobermory’. Responsible for the training of new recruits in Tobermory harbour on the isle of Mull, Stephenson moulded hundreds of inexperienced recruits into trained and disciplined sailors. Tobermory and the Western Isles were a theatre in the Battle of the Atlantic and Gilbert Stephenson knew well the responsibility he faced in training up raw and inexperienced crews into a trained and effective ship’s company. His methods were directly responsible for the sinking of over 130 U-boats and the shooting down of 40 enemy aircraft. Behind his ferocity lay a marvellous sense of humour and a deep humanity. ‘Terror’ he may have been but he was loved and respected by all who met him. Even today he remains a legend. This is the story of his life.
Richard Baker served on convoy vessels during the war and was sent for training to Tobermory, where he first met this legendary figure. His book is less a formal biography than an attempt to capture the personality of one of the great characters of our time. Tobermory was the peak of Sir Gilbert’s career, but the author does not neglect the rest of this remarkable man’s life, and writes about him with genuine warmth and sympathy. |
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