- Contributed by听
- Blackpool_Library
- People in story:听
- Bill Dixon of the Blackpool Merchant Navy Association
- Location of story:听
- Oran, North Africa
- Background to story:听
- Civilian Force
- Article ID:听
- A5920427
- Contributed on:听
- 27 September 2005
This story has been submitted to the People鈥檚 War Website by Peter Quinn of the Lancashire Home Guard on behalf of Bill Dixon, and has been added to the site with his permission by the staff of Blackpool Central Library.
In November 1942 I was on a cargo ship named Wearpool as a follow up to Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa by American forces. We were in convoy from New York, passing through the Mediterranean, and a group of us were ordered to head towards the North African coast.
We landed in Oran with arms and stores for the US army, which were stockpiled on the quayside surrounded by rolls of barbed wire. We discovered, to our delight, that some of the stores included cases of large cans of Libby鈥檚 Fruit Salad and Carnation Milk, which were real luxuries during the war. So, myself and two friends Sammy Mac and a Welshman, set about 鈥渓iberating鈥 some cases from their captivity.
On a dark night we crept down the gangway, waiting until the American guards were at the other end of the dock. The Welsh guy went first and grabbed a case. I was second and got my case to the top of the gangway; but Sammy Mac, rushing with his case, missed the gangway in the cold, pitch dark and fell between the ship and the dock into the water! The guards hearing the commotion came over with torches. Sammy was screaming obscenities from the water. The Welshman and I, and the Yanks, managed to get a hawser over and around Sammy before he was crushed by the bulk of the ship against the quayside, and pulled him out. We thanked the guards profusely 鈥 they鈥檇 no idea as to the real reason we were on the dock - and headed up, to the warm galley, where huge helpings of fruit cocktail and carnation milk were enjoyed by all. Sammy, sat wrapped in towels, was drying off when some wit enquired, 鈥漌here鈥檚 your case Sammy?鈥 鈥淚n the bloody drink,鈥 he replied.
[The author of this piece has written a number of other contributions to the People鈥檚 War website. They are:
My last day ashore
My first ship 鈥 M. V. Wim
Jumping ship then the Ocean Volga
Convoy preparations
A Lancastrian in New York
Thanks Yanks!
Voyage around the world
I meet the "SS Grodno" and the cook!
He has also contributed two poems:
The SS Grodno 鈥 one more trip 1939
The last day of SS Kingswood]
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