HMS Diadem
HMS Diadem

the diary of signalman John Emrys Williams

I thought you might like this picture of HMS Diadem as the Pakistani Babur. I took the picture during a port visit to Karachi in 1976 (I was a gunner's mate aboard USS Semmes DDG 18). During our time there, the ship seemed to be getting steam up and I thought I was going to get to see her underway, but she stayed moored.

My dad was a gunner's mate aboard an LCT at Normandy. After the initial assault at Omaha Beach, his flotilla moved to Gold Beach and operated there until well into the fall (October, perhaps even November). During that time, he saw plenty of British warships in action, among them the Diadem.

So as it turned out, the Diadem/Babur was the only ship my dad and I both encountered in our separate Navy experiences.

I really enjoyed looking over your website -- you're preserving very important memories!

Tom Carter, Roanoke, Virginia, USA, April 2013

HMS Diadem home...