大象传媒

(This is the chapter which precedes the story of mine re the Life on board a troopship story.)
I submit the following information regarding my experience on board a troopship in1943. It is in two parts; first an introduction (353 words) and then the main story
I have, also in my possession a pack of unused playing cards from the Dominion Monarch and a considerable amount of RAF documents, forms, photographs etc relating to my RAF service which for some reason I saved. Amongst the photos is one of three Mosquitoes tied together in flight and one of Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck (He may have been a General then) when he visited RAF Station Ranchi (India) Would these and others will be of any interest?
I have made a few amendments to the diary purely for grammatical or reasons of clarity.

Part 1 Introduction
On 18th May 1942, together with a pal, I mounted my bicycle and pedalled the 8 miles to the RAF recruiting station in Wolverhampton. My interest in those days was Radio and I spent much of my leisure time building wireless sets. I volunteered as a wireless mechanic and was accepted. On August 4th. 1942 I was called to the colours. The next 12 months was spent in concentrated study on both Radio theory and RAF radio equipment at Leeds and Bolton. Finally, as a qualified wireless mechanic, I awaited a posting. I was sent to Blackpool and awaited a Draft for an overseas posting. During this time I managed to three 48hr. passes home. On the last of these my Father said to me 鈥淚f you go to Liverpool and if you board a ship called the 鈥楧ominion Monarch鈥�, look up a cousin of mine, a Mr. Bob Reid, who is the Staff Chief Engineer on board鈥� I have often wondered whether he knew more of my subsequent sailing than I realised at the time.
Eventually after a wait of three weeks we were issued with tropical kit, put on a train and taken to Liverpool docks where I did in fact board the 鈥楧ominion Monarch鈥�, a luxury liner turned troopship! Life on board a troopship was not at all pleasant and I recorded the experience in a diary, a slightly edited version which I include separately and in which I refer to my second cousin as 鈥榰ncle鈥�.

[As a footnote I have always been curious to know what happened to the Dominion Monarch and append here a few details of her history;
She was launched in1938. She was designed as a passenger-cargo vessel and at the time she was the most powerful motor liner in the world.
She was requisitioned by the government in 1940, all the interior fittings removed, fitted with 3556 berths, she commenced service as a troopship.
She was returned to Shaw Saville in 1948 and after a refit resumed her normal duties. In November 1962 she was broken up.

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