大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by a volunteer from CSV Actiondesk on behalf of Mr Stan Hilton and has been added to the site with his permission. Mr Hilton fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

Whilst on convoy duties taking supplies to Namansk life was very difficult. The weather was absolutely freezing but we still had to go up and down the mast. As we climbed you feel your fingers very quickly becoming numb. I can never remember anyone falling, you were always relieved when you reached the top. Our uniforms were thickish material and the frost would cling, so that when you reached the top you resembled a snowman. Having said no one fell, I seem to remember we came down quicker than going up, but when our hands had thawed out they would bleed with rope burns.

Our rations were dreadful, I think the main problem was we would start off alright and have reasonably balanced food; but more often than not we would be detailed to go somewhere else and what was left had to be really eaked out.

We had ship鈥檚 biscuits which you couldn鈥檛 bite, they looked a bit like baby鈥檚 rusks in size, On one occasion that is all we had for four whole days. I remember we had an older seaman on board, unfortunately he didn鈥檛 have any teeth. We had to soak his biscuits in hot tea.

When I say the weather was bad you wouldn鈥檛 believe it unless you were there. I have been in the crows nest terrified, literally just trying to hold on with frozen hands. You couldn鈥檛 see anything the way the freezing snow came down. All the time we were in danger of attack. I had some very brave and loyal mates.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.