Click this link for an excellent article from the edition of LIFE Magazine, August 11, 1941. Wonderful water colours painted by Joe Brooks in recollection of the Bismarck Action from his point of view in HMS Dorsetshire, along with articles by Joe Brooks and Lt. Cdr. Geoffrey Carver, RN, the Torpedo Officer in HMS Dorsetshire.
12 comments:
Hi it's Martin Smith again.
Interesting to see Joe Brooks' obituary. Pity you censored the paragraph that follows Joe's abortive attempt to save the armless German sailor. I suppose it repeats the version about how he was confined to his cabin for leaving the ship without permission, a version with which you do not agree. Censorship is never a good thing.
My father, the observer on Dorsetshire's walrus, died a few years ago and I recently found a text he wrote about the incident. Unfortunately it ends with my father bringing Joe the summons from Captain Martin and then final word is Joe Brooks' "Jesus".
If I have time I will type it out. Unfortunately it doesn't support or contradict what happened later.
Other correspondance from Dorsetshire society members suggests that Joe Brooks' hatred of Captain Martin made him exaggerate somewhat.
For more on the life of Joe Brooks go on to YouTube and google "The Human Factor, Joe Brooks". This is a 30 minute programme made in 1989 and features interviews with the man himself and family members and work colleagues, fascinating stuff!
I knew him in his latter years. A wonderful man with an extraordinary life.
Like so many divers in the UK, was hired by Joe as early as 1971. He took onboard this Rookie Norwegian Diver and Engineer, opening doors to a life most people only read about. As time went by and hard to resist projects developed, with an open invite to join, including his last "Hurrah!" The Side Entry Well Blow out Control Programme back in 79.
My constant overseas contracts during the 80'ies kept us apart until 92. However, we made up for it until I left the UK at the end of 93.
A fine human being, a great friend, a rare individual missed by many
Thank you Bjorn...
Thank you Bjorn...
My grandmothers younger brother who I always looked up to he was an amazing man who is missed greatly by his family and friends, I will always remember being amazed watching him take off his legs and then swim faster than me
Joe Brooks contacted me after he heard an interview I gave the BBC on my book "My Father's Island". Joe had been listening to the radio whilst driving and was incredulous to find out that the 5 young German brothers he met with his father in St. Mawes had made it to the Galapagos Islands and had settled there. The Angermeyer brothers had slipped out of Hamburg to escape fighting for Hitler, then sailing past the Cornish coast, they were shipwrecked in St Mawes. Joe's father bought my family's boat "the Marie" and spent many wonderful summers on her when Joe was growing up. The Angermeyers had always wondered what had happened to Joe Brooks, The Marie and I was able to put them together after 50 yearsand he kindly sent them photographs of their beloved Marie. Meeting Joe was inspirational. I had broken my foot and was on crutches, he walking admirably on his prosthetic legs, we used to joke that we had "one good leg between us". Johanna Angermeyer
Joe was a great friend of my parents and he talked get me to do basic diving in a lead weighted suit and helmet! Later I told him of the difficulty in locating the source of a sniper’s bullet in built up areas because of the echoes of so many surfaces. He immediately set to work and developed a helmet fitting which was consisted of transducers that indicated the source and direction of the shot. The MOD Stoke his basic design and developed it and I believe it is still used today.
He was my father's cousin, met him a few times. Amazing bloke. Once scared a younger cousin by kicking a football, which went one way whilst his leg went the other
Hi distant cousin. Can you contact me at andrewcooper372@gmail.com ad I am trying together a family tree
I am that cousin of Andrew’s. I do still remember ‘cousin’ Joe’s wayward prosthetic. I’d never seen a false leg before. Joe apologised after it flew off and everyone had a good giggle. My mum thought all the naval officer Brooks were wonderful. I remember his square jaw, impressive stature and unshakable self confidence
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