Survivors honoured

Frederick ‘Jim’ Hutchison, a survivor of Operation Pedestal, better known locally as the Santa Marija Convoy, inaugurated his hand-printed tile at the Bay Street hall of fame on Level 0 last week.

His handprint was taken in 2010 and since his wife of 70 years, Barbara, is in care in the UK and could not be present with him, he was keen to take back a photographic memory to show her.

During Operation Pedestal, Hutchison was on the British light cruiser HMS Phoebe working as a gunner and diver.

Also present for the ceremony were other survivors of Operation Pedestal, including Allan Shaw, who was on the SS Ohio, and who also has a tile at Bay Street, Cyril Price, a Royal Marine who was on board HMS Argus, and Herbert McNeil, who was on the HMS Furious, apart from members of their families and friends.

There is also a general tile for all participants in Operation Pedestal in which Shaw wrote the word ‘Ohio’ in his own hand.