大象传媒

At the time we were on the 9 week trip from Liverpool to Suez, 1500 troops sleeping on palliases on deck or hammocks below. They had made extra kitchens up on the front and back decks of the ship and all the tea was made with sea water and was literally green, absolutely terrible. You could buy a mug of 'proper' tea for a shilling but most of us had to drink the green tea.

One of the officers was either Oxford or Cambridge educated, very well spoken and was a Coxain before the war - a 'little squirt'. Charlie Dance used to drive heavy goods lorries, a big butch man but with a squeaky little voice. On this one day we were all siting at a long table eating and drinking the green tea. The officer, a cocky little so and so, came round with the usual question 'Everything all right, any complaints?' Charlie got to his feet
and as he was angry, his voice got squeakier and squeakier and he said 'Yes I have' he slammed his mug on the table and said 'Drink this'. The little coxain drank it all down and said 'Beautiful' and walked quickly away. Everyone was stunned but I said to Charlie 'Follow him up on deck quickly' which he did just in time to see the officer being sick over the side! They did not change the tea though, we still had to put up with the green salt water stuff.

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