大象传媒

The sound of "Holy Night" or "The First Noel" bring back memories of Christmas to all of us, but my father Leslie Hesford ,remembered a rather different piece of music taking him back to an unusual and distant 24th December. He recalled :
A fine clear sunrise on Christmas eve over a calm Atlantic ocean was a cheering sight after the very stormy weather that the 23000 ton troopship 'Stratheden' and the other ships in our fast convoy had faced on previous days. The convoy was steaming eastwards, and in the afternoon, Cape Spartel in Morrocco appeared above the horizon. At a signal from the commodore ship the convoy turned 180 degrees and sailed away from the land. Just before sunset, we changed course again and headed eastwards, to pass through the Straits of Gibraltar during the hours of darkness.
To entertain the troops for Christmas Eve, the pipes and drums of the Scottish rifles (Cameronians) who were amongst the units on board, performed the ceremony of "Beating The Retreat" on the open deck and lit by a spectacular sunset over the deep blue of the Atlantic, I heard a tune on the pipes which will always recall the scene to my thoughts.
After darkness had fallen, the convoy in line ahead and in total blackout, sailed slowly through the straits with the troops lining the ships rails - gazing with envy and amazement at the bright twinkling lights of the villages and roads in Spain, far away on our Portside,to disappear from sight as we steamed into the darkness of the Meditteranean and Christmas day.
My unusual Christmas carol ? "The 79th Highlanders' farewell to Gibraltar" a reminder of an out of the ordinary Christmas Eve!

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