大象传媒

The Second World War saw the break up of many families and ours was one of them. In 1941 I was evacuated to Canada along with my elder half-sister, Pat Crump, who was 14 years old, and my younger sister, Janet Bruce, who was not quite five. I had just had my seventh birthday when we sailed to Canada. We travelled out with Penbury Grove School to Toronto.
My most cherished possession was an orange and yellow striped elasticated bag called 鈥楽tretchy鈥�. It held all the small items that I treasured and went on all my travels.
In the meantime my father, Colonel (John) Geoffrey Bruce had been posted back to India, accompanied by my mother and eldest half-sister, Phoebe Crump. At a cocktail party in Delhi, my mother met Mel Saunders, an American married to an English army officer.
鈥淚sn鈥檛 it wonderful that my sister, Hannah, is coming over from America for Christmas?鈥� Mel announced.
鈥淲ill she bring my three little girls?鈥� asked my mother.
Hannah Lennon, from Ann Arbor, Michigan, later appeared at our school in Toronto like a fairy godmother. She was unmarried, thirty-two years old and had never had much to do with children. After a flying visit to meet us, she decided to act as our guardian on the journey to India. A short while later she whisked Pat, Janet and me away. A voyage that should taken a few weeks developed into a yearlong journey.
We set sail from San Francisco on USS 鈥楶resident Grant鈥�. Our first port of call was Honolulu where Hannah took us ashore for the day. By the time we reached the Philippine Islands, the Japanese had Pearl Harbour. That event changed the course of the war, the course of our ship and the course of our lives.
The Captain was ordered to sail to Australia. Hannah was told that if she was not prepared to go with him, she must wait for a plane to take us to India. Our luggage was off-loaded and promptly looted. Stretchy was now more important to me than ever.
We stayed in the Boulevard Apartments on the sea front. Frequently we heard bombs exploding and saw ships go up in flames. The ballroom was
used as an air-raid shelter where we sat around on mattresses waiting for the 鈥楢ll clear鈥� to sound.
We spent Christmas in Manila and everyone did their utmost to make it a festive occasion. Hannah filled our Christmas stockings and I still have the rag doll that poked out of the top. She is called Riggy.
Japanese soldiers surrounded our apartments on New Years Day. A few days later we were taken to the Rizal Stadium to be registered. Hannah made us pack as much as we could carry which included food and water that she had wheedled from the Manager of the Boulevard Apartments. Stretchy was full to capacity with pencils, playing cards and a set of jacks. Amongst
other things, I had six tins of pears in my case which seemed to get heavier with each step that I took.
That night everyone at the Stadium was taken to San Tomas University which became an internment camp. Janet and I stayed there for about six weeks before being sent to live under the care of Dr. Del Mundo who worked with the Red Cross. We were very distressed at being parted from Hannah and Pat even though she explained that it was for our good.
At first, we stayed in the doctor鈥檚 small house along with other children from the camp. The rooms were dark and gloomy with shelves full of glass bottles containing pickled fingers, toes and other parts of the human body. Small babies, floated upside down, curled up like shells, in glass jars. It came as a relief to hear that the Doctor was moving to The Holy Ghost Convent. This was run by German nuns who kindly allowed the Red Cross to take over part of their premises.
Janet and I were not very happy at being away from Hannah and Pat. They came once a week to visit us and no amount of pleading would persuade Hannah to take us back with her. She was certain that we were better off under the Doctor鈥檚 care although we both had lice in our hair and were often ill with tummy upsets. To cure our impetigo, we were covered in Gentian Violet and looked like Ancient Britains.
After six months, on a Diplomatic Exchange Agreement, we travelled from Manila to Shanghai, in the squalor of a Japanese Cargo boat. We slept on the floor, in the hold, until a rat ran over Hannah鈥檚 face. She made a big fuss and insisted that we slept on deck under the stars.
In Shanghai we were booked into the Cathay Hotel. Hannah objected to the evening curfew and asked for us to be moved. A hotel overlooking the racecourse was our next home where we had as much freedom as we liked. We paid visits to Chinese dressmakers for new clothes and went to a Chinese pharmacist whose magical remedies got rid of our horrible lice and unsightly impetigo.
Looking and feeling better than we had for months, we embarked on the 鈥楾atsuta Maru鈥欌��, a luxurious Japanese liner used as a diplomatic ship. She had huge white crosses painted on her decks. Lorenco Marques, in Portuguese East Africa, was our next port of call. Janet and I were taken off to the beach every day by Red Cross volunteers while Hannah and Pat went sightseeing and shopping.
For the final part of the journey to Bombay, we boarded the friendly, but over-crowded troopship, the SS 鈥楥ity of Paris鈥�. When the soldiers disembarked at Suez, Janet and I missed them sorely for they had taught to play Housey-Housey and deck games, given us sweets, chewing gum and fizzy drinks.
While in Suez, the ship鈥檚 Captain sent all civilian passengers to Cairo by train. He feared for our safety should Suez be attacked from the air. Hannah was delighted to have the opportunity to see the Pyramids and the Sphinx and even more delighted to find we were staying in the famous Shepheard鈥檚 Hotel. As I was suffering from an upset tummy, I took the precaution of filling Stretchy with rolls of lavatory paper. After two days, we were back on the 鈥楥ity of Paris鈥�.
Bombay should have been our next and final stop. But no. A member of the crew developed appendicitis so we called in to Steamer Point in Aden where he was taken to hospital. After that, we really did sail to India.
When Bombay, the Gateway to India, was in sight, our ship anchored in the roads waiting for clearance. All kinds of officials climbed on board searching for spies. Even Hannah鈥檚 diaries came under suspicion and were confiscated. After three days we finally tied up in Bombay Harbour.
My mother and Phoebe were waiting to greet us and Mel, Hannah鈥檚 sister was with them. The reunions, after an absence of over two years, were emotional but equally so was the parting with Hannah. She had won our trust and respect and with her we felt secure but above all she brought warmth, happiness and humour into our lives. As long as Hannah had been with us, we knew we were safe. She had indeed been our guardian.
It was not Home Sweet Home for long. Janet and I were soon packed off to boarding school. But that is another story. (10th October, 2005)

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