大象传媒

Remarkable how these memories come back so readily after all this time.

Joining the Navy, late in 1944, at a Skegness holiday camp with Butlin鈥檚 logo 鈥淥ur true intent is all for your delight鈥� still across the front of the building, I soon realised what a sheltered life I had been leading. Up at 5.30am, washing in cold water in a communal washhouse lit by a single bulb with a lot of other 鈥渘ew entries鈥� came as a bit of a shock. We all felt better when we had sent our 鈥渃ivvies鈥� back home and been issued with our ill-fitting uniforms(later to be replaced by 鈥渢iddly鈥� No. 1鈥檚 from Messrs Bernards in Devonport). I can imagine how my parents felt when that brown parcel arrived.

Draft to a training ship was delayed by, of all things, German measles. I was introduced to engine and boiler rooms in the old battleship 鈥淩esolution鈥� before being posted to 鈥� Bellona鈥� (improved Dido class light cruiser of 5950 tons for those who might be interested) which was alongside in Chatham Dockyard. I remember beating a mess-mate at chess on our first day at sea.

The dubious delights of watch-keeping at sea or alongside contrasted with a Civic visit by the ship to Glasgow. The crew were given various invitations and I chose a visit to Hampden Oark football stadium.

There was a trip to Oslo to bring back an RAF contingent, and a visit to Antwerp to bring back Mr Churchill who had been with our troops advancing into Germany. At other times we went on exercises in the North Atlantic, and we learned that the sea can indeed be very rough. I spent my 21st Birthday on a fire-fighting course in Rosyth dockyard.

As the ship was being transferred to the New Zealand navy I was re-mustered to the Signals Branch and the delights of wireless telegraphy. This resulted in a brief return to Skegness which, every night, shook to the roar of Lancasters flying to Germany from the nearby airfields of Lincolnshire.

On moving from one base to another by train, I was given the job of escorting a prisoner who had had a go at a cook with a kitchen knife 鈥� kitted out with white belt and gaiters I felt quite a guy until I found out that be had to be handcuffed together for a 150 mile journey; not an easy arrangement! We got to know each other quite well.

My demob number came up eventually in 1947 and I realised how fortunate I had been. If I had been born six months earlier I might have been in Bellona on Arctic convoy escort duty. I was also lucky to have a job as a trainee clerk waiting for me in 鈥淐ivvy Street鈥�; a period of adjustment from life in the Navy that was not always easy.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.