This image is the cover for the book The Mystery of Operation Alphabet

The Mystery of Operation Alphabet

For many years my knowledge of my grandfather, John Thomas Merrikin, was very limited. All I knew of him was that he came from Amber Hill, Lincolnshire, and was for many years a police officer in Leicester. At the beginning of WW2, my grandfather was called up into the Naval Reserve first of all on HMS Devonshire, and then Stoker First Class on HMS Acasta. 8th June 1940, grandad John Thomas Merrikin died in the Norwegian fjords after the Scharnhorst, and Gneisenau blew up HMS Acasta, and as they sank into the cruel freezing cold sea Nick Carter launched a torpedo at the Scharnhorst and damaged her quite badly. It wasn’t until I joined the GLARAC (Glorious, Ardent, Acasta) Association in 2008 that I realised that HMS Ardent, and HMS Aircraft Carrier Glorious, were also bombed by the two German battleships – both the pride of Nazi Germany. The two British destroyers were accompanying HMS Glorious on convoy. I also became aware of a huge conspiracy as to why 1531 servicemen were killed, and only 43 servicemen survived without Admiralty intervention. During the lockdown of 2020-2021, I decided to do some of my own research on the worst British naval catastrophe of WW2, and I began to write The Mystery Of Operation Alphabet to bring to life 8th June 1940. I did this by putting photographs on as many names of the war dead and survivors as possible to bring them to life too. I also wrote down stories from books and articles of what happened to the war dead and survivors in their own words, and also of their loved ones, rather than writing using my own words, as I wanted the servicemen to have their own voice. The Mystery of Operation Alphabet has endless photos of the different ships, lists of the war dead, and also I have written down as many explanations and conspiracy theories as possible as to why the three ships were blown up and 1531 men were killed. I did this by bringing to light the opinions and theories of Admiralty, naval historians, government officials, and members of the GLARAC Association so you can make up your own minds as to what happened. One of my main aims is to bring to light the bravery of commanders Barker and Glasfurd of HMS Ardent, and HMS Acasta, plus Nick Carter, leading seaman of HMS Acasta, the man who shot the Scharnhorst, to hopefully get the government to give these men military honour and recognition for what they did on 8th June 1940. Amazingly, even the commanders of the German battleships saluted the British ships HMS Glorious, HMS Ardent and especially HMS Acasta as they sunk in the Norwegian fjords to honour their bravery. Last but not least, I would like to uncover why the government has kept the ships’ records under lock and key since 1940, and why they aren’t going to be made public until 2040/41. So why not read this interesting and intriguing book to find out more? Elaine Merrikin Trimlett Glover.

Elaine Merrikin Trimlett Glover

Elaine was born in Leicester in 1961 to Valerie Rose and Bernard Merrikin. Bernard was the son of John Thomas Merrikin, whom this book is dedicated to. Elaine has children and grandchildren, and she has recently married Adrian the Bishop of OCAC in Christchurch Christian Centre, Jerusalem by Canon Andrew White the Vicar of Baghdad. Their Hebrew marriage certificate was signed with Andrew’s green pen which was the same pen used to sign Saddam Hussein’s death warrant by Chief Judge Raouf, who is also Elaine’s friend. Her love of English was inspired by her English teachers, Mr Page of Stonehill Secondary School in Birstall Leicester, and Mr Geoff Parker of Longslade Upper School also in Birstall Leicester. Both teachers were very key in her love for literature and prose. Elaine is a believer in Yeshua Messiah and has been a missionary in Chungni Suna Migori Kenya, where she was involved with Girl-Child Education, Prison Ministry and Evangelism. Elaine was a key figure in looking after Mr Raouf and his family when he and his wife came to Southampton for operations in 2011. Mr Raouf was the Chief Judge in Saddam Hussein’s trial and who sentenced him to death for war crimes against Halabja. Elaine went to stay with the Raouf family in 2011, and visited the Vicar of Baghdad, Canon Andrew White and his team during her stay in Iraq. Elaine is the Bishop of the Cross Denominational Mission, and also of Makongeni Church Chungni. Elaine is a radio presenter for Purbeck Coast Radio in Swanage, and Club Kingdom Radio in London. Amongst those she has interviewed is Canon Andrew White Vicar of Baghdad, retired Dorset Chief Constable James Vaughn, MP Desmond Swayne, MP Michael Tomlinson, Holocaust survivor Henry Schachter, Rolf Monteith and Vincent Marcroft of GLARAC Association. She has been a journalist for many years and is keen to express her views to world leaders around the globe including the late Mikhail Gorbachev president of Russia who sent Elaine an application to live there. She has also written to people like Rev Ian Paisley, IRA terrorist Bobby Sands whilst he was on hunger strike in Long Kesh, N. Ireland, during his hunger strike, and Gangster Reggie Kray who sent her a reply with a typed letter. Elaine is a published author and a poet.

Austin Macauley Publishers