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This Story Has Been Inputted By A 大象传媒 Radio Bristol Peoples War Volunteer.

A Lad Called Bris (One Sailor鈥檚 War) 鈥� Part 6

Bris was a well seasoned hand after passing the Petty Officers course with good results. He reported to the Chief Stoker of H.M.S. Chance and entered the mess deck where a commotion was going on. Someone was shouting 鈥渜uick Lofty quick鈥�. Bris saw a stocky fellow was swinging from a hammock bar with his legs and behind up in the air. Lofty was a telegraphist who also shared a mess with the stokers, he struck a lighter by this mans behind who with tremendous force broke wind and to Bris鈥檚 amazement a long blue flame shot from the mans behind. What a reception he thought amid a shower of laughter. It was a long time, after repeated performances that Bris found out how it was done. A ratings clothing consisted of a singlet, pants and a boilersuit which after continuous washing wore pretty thin. The stocky mans name was O鈥橤ilvy who apparently could break wind any time he wanted to, he would put some lighter fuel in the palm of his hand and would spread it on the rear of his boilersuit, swinging up and shouting to Lofty to strike. The warm air passing through his thin boilersuit would catch fire and a blue flame would shoot across the mess deck. At first Bris wondered what the hell O鈥橤ilvy had been drinking?

H.M.S. Chance was a diesel electric minesweeper, built by the Americans and was on delivery passage to the U.K., on 29th March 1944 and was capable of staying at sea for three weeks at a time. It was one of seven in the flotilla. Bris soon settled in and made new friends although he recognized one or two from Devonport barracks. One of these he knew was called Sid but his actual name was Jack Sidaway. Sid was a bit of hard nut and time serving man, meaning he was not only hostility rating, but serving twelve years. The blue flame character, O鈥橤ilvy, was another leading hand, an Irishman from Belfast, who would sling his hammock next to another Irishman from Dublin. On the surface they seemed to get on well together but deep down they hated each others guts and would go out of their way to annoy each other. An example of this was when O鈥橤ilvy would hang his dirty stinking socks on the hammock bar just above his countryman鈥檚 nose, while he was asleep, just to watch his nose twitch. On another occasion he would put his finger up his own anus and then hold his finger under the other Irishman鈥檚 nose whose nickname was horse. Dirty Sod! The people from northern and southern Ireland did not mix very well, rough housing in fun but half meaning it.

The comradeship on the Chance was not very nice unlike on the previous ship H.M.S. Echo. Of course there was a different role to play as the war was coming to an end. There was very little enemy action and the only danger was when a mine field was discovered. On one occasion about ninety mines were cut loose and were floating about. Ratings off watch were mustered and issued with rifles and ammunition to fire at the mines and sink them. Bris was unhappy with this situation having survived the war and was still at risk clearing these mines. He recalled a time when they called into Port Glasgow, the skipper was entertaining a wren officer in his sea cabin and the lads were lined up to take it in turns to peep-thru the porthole at them, like a lot of kids really! It became a joke after someone hoisted a pair of knickers on the mast which caused eruptions. Signals were sent back and forth from the C.O., of the flotilla to the Captain of H.M.S. Chance who was very annoyed and who promised to come down hard on the culprit responsible.

Another incident aboard the Chance was when three leading hands decided to break into the Captain鈥檚 sea cabin where he always kept a few bottles of gin. They decided to have a binge in the forepeak. When the gin ran out one of them was caught stealing another bottle and an immediate search of the ship was ordered by the Captain who led the search. Meanwhile Bris, who was with these ratings did a disappearing act, he went ashore unofficially and stayed until late at night. He was improperly dressed and how he wasn鈥檛 caught was a mystery. The skipper, the officer of the day, the jaunty and the escort arrived on the stokers mess deck after inspecting the seamen鈥檚 quarters. 鈥淎ttention on the mess deck鈥� bawled the jaunty, who is the master at arms. It didn鈥檛 take long to find the culprits. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 your name鈥� said the skipper to O鈥橤ilvy who went to speak and fell flat on his face. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 one of them鈥� said the skipper and it didn鈥檛 take long to find the others. Bris found out the next day that the three leading hands were on a charge and were in the commanding officers report. They were lucky to keep their rates but suffered loss of leave and stoppage of rum. They did not report Bris who would have most certainly come off worse being the most senior rating. He was lucky to have got away with it.

Bris remained in the Navy a year longer than he should have and had the hurt of watching other ratings being demobed before him. He had to wait for an active service P.O., with the same qualifications as himself to take his place, this was partly his own fault for going through all the courses whilst in barracks.

Finally the day came for Bris to go back to barracks to return his kit and to collect three months leave and pay and one hundred and forty pounds increment.

After his leave Bris got married.

Ends

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