大象传媒

The following story appears courtesy of and with thanks to Les Jones and Robert Kennedy

The 23,722 tons liner: the SS Strathallan was built at Barrow-in-Furness and owned by the Peninsular & Orient Steam Navigation Company Ltd and requisitioned by the War Office as a troopship during the war. Its last Captain was J.H.Biggs CBE.

Our sincere thanks go to Alan & Georgina Greening for sharing Harry's Diaries.

Thur 28th Aug.
Fairly quiet day, it is still cold.
Frid 29th Aug.
Pay day, the most important parade of the week. We are paid 10/- one week & 5/- the next. I've just handed back the 10/- for exchange in the African coin which we get when we get to Cape Town , that won't be long now.
Sat 30th Aug.
I haven't said much about the grub so far, but it's got lousy to what it was. We get fish until we are sick of seeing it and rice. I think it walks from the holds to the boiling pots judging by the number of maggots. But still, why worry, there's a war on.
Sun 31st Aug.
Sea getting rough. Went to church service at 10.30am in the mess room. Clocks were advanced 1hr during the night.
Mon Sep 1st.
Have been in the army 2 years (too long). Sea is much rougher & a hell of a swell.
Tues Sep 2nd.
Sea is still rougher, it's quite a thrill. It's impossible to see the other ships at times; the waves are so high it's like riding on a rocking horse.
Tues 2nd Aug (Sep).
We can see land, Cape Town , the weather is dirty & a hell of a sea going.
We got in the dock and dropped anchor just about dinner time. We are all very excited hoping to get ashore today.
Cheers go up, we are getting paid 拢1 & passes & allowed ashore until midnight. My Pal I have made up with, George, and myself got away just after 5 pm. It was good to get a foot on land again. We walked down the main city street & the first thing we done was to get a good feed, eggs and bacon etc. We spent the evening touring round and sampled the beer & it was very good. It's a beautiful place & lovely buildings & some sky scrapers. We got aboard respectable but some of the lads were as tight as owls.
Wed 3rd Sept.
Went for a route march in the morning, had dinner on board & had our passes at 1 o'clock. Sent off a cable gram. Bought a letter card of views & addressed it home, to be sent after we left. We are not allowed to use the post at all. Trips are organised for the troops, so we went to Muizenburg. It's a grand sea side resort. We had free tea in the pavilion & plenty of oranges. We toured round the place & went in a boozer, they are opened all day. We went back to the pavilion at 6 o'clock & had a good hot supper. There was a dance afterwards but we were not interested so went back on the train & went to the coluseum & saw "In the Navy" & enjoyed a good show. It was grand to see the place all lit up & the electric signs all flashing. My mate being a cockney talked about them all the time. A lot of them are the same as they are (or were) in London .
Thur 4th Aug (crossed out) Sept.
We had bad luck last night. One of the R.A. lads fell between the ship & the quay getting on our boat and was drowned. A diver got him up this morning, he was only 23.
We went ashore at 1 o'clock & allowed out until midnight each night. We went to Camp Bay , another sea side resort & had another good tea, all free, bus rides included. We left soon after 4pm for the city. We had a good look round. The city is tucked right underneath the mountains, the Table mountain being the biggest. It costs 3/- to go to the top in the electric cable lift & that was a reduced fare for the troops, but we couldn't afford it. We were in the middle of the town studying the map that was given us discussing where we should go for a bust (!!) up when a civvy came and asked if he could help. He insisted that we should go to dinner with him, & it was a swell turn out in a big Hotel, you should have seen the officers & their women look. he took us for a ride round in a big flash car & then to a picture show. Two of the lads in the convoy broadcast while we were there. One sang & the other played the piano & they were good. We finished up with a couple of drinks, half lb slab of choc & then he drove us to the docks after a very good outing. The people of Cape Town are giving all the lads as excellent time. They are full of praise.
Frid 5th Aug (crossed out) Sept.
Usual route march in the morning.
We got off the boat soon after 10 o'clock & decided on going for another outing. We went to Rondebosch. The railway station is called Rosebank because of the magnificent show of roses that bloom in Jan, but we went on the bus. We went to a big pavilion & had tea and fruit. We then went to the zoo & had some fun, & managed to get away again. That took a bit of time; we went back to the hall & had some more eats etc. We then went out for the evening with some people, to their house for the evening, as we weren't interested in a dance that was being held in the hall. We had a good dinner at 7 o'clock, spent the rest of the evening talking & then had a good supper to finish up with. We had a lift back to the town in a car. We drove round the mountain side & could look right down on the city & it was a grand sight to see all the lights. The time here is 2 hrs fast of G.M.T.
Sat 6th Aug (crossed out) Sept.
We started to move out at 7am & are all very sorry to leave Cape Town . It's such a grand place & the people gave us such a wonderful time, it will always be a memory. Things are pretty quiet today; the lads are getting some sleep back on the decks. The sea is a bit choppy.
Sun 7th Sept.
It's a job to know if it is Xmas or Easter. A quiet day, everybody is talking about the time they had at the Cape . Sea is rough; it will be until we get round the Cape .
Mon 8th Sept.
Usual routine P.T and lectures, the sea is much rougher, but we are used to it now. Picked up some of the convoy that went to Dublin .
Tues 9th Sept.
Sea is rough & it is cold although we put on tropical kit again this morning. Clocks are advanced 1hr. Payday 5/-.
Wed 10th Sept.
Sea still rough. usual routine. I thought the grub would have improved after restocking at the Cape , but it's about the same..
Thur 11th Sept.
The sea has clamed down & it's much hotter. A lot of the ships have left us., there is only six now with one cruiser included. Boxing tournament in morning & afternoon and some very good scraps. Clocks are advanced 1hr tonight that put us 4hrs ahead of G.M.T...
Frid 12th Sept.
It is much hotter, we are getting near the equator again & the water has settled down nice and quiet. cruiser has been carrying out exercises, laying smoke screen & doing a bit of gun firing.
Sat 13th.
We have been having a couple of oranges with our 7 o'clock meal since we left Cape Town, what the people sent aboard for us, so we have a good old battle with the peel. We had our usual game of housy, I came up once. At 9.30pm we packed up & we went mad for a while. The orange peel battle started again & when the hammocks went up as soon as you got in them someone unhooked it & down you came with a bump. We had boxing again this afternoon but I didn't go. I was on fire picket last night & lost a bit of sleep, so I made up for it today on the deck.
Sat 13th Sept (again).
We passed land this morning at 7am, the Madagascar Island . (Boxing again this afternoon). I don't know if there was anything lurking about but suddenly all the ships put up a smokescreen & quickly altered course.
Sun 14th.
Stiff breeze going, heavy swell. First parade 8.30am, roll call & usual Sun. feet inspection. Church parade at 10 o'clock.
Mon 15th.
Boxing on A deck Sun deck. Some good bouts & Ordnance won competition on points. Another cruiser turned up & are having some gun practice. We can see the shells pitching in the sea.
Tues 16th Sept.
Clocks advanced half hr last night & another half hr tonight, that's 5hrs ahead of G.M.T. It is much hotter. It's murder sleeping below deck. My mates and I are sleeping on the top deck, even there the wind is hot.
Wed 17th Sept.
Sea is quiet and believe me it's warm. The second cruiser is gone. Wrote a couple letters to Ivy and mum.
Thur 18th.
We had a picture show in the afternoon & saw James Cagney in "G Men". We shall soon be getting in port in India , probably Bombay .
Fri 19th Sept.
We don't know for sure if we have to disembark in port & get another boat, but we are getting ready. We have fetched our universal kit bags from the hold & packed away all our surplus gear.
Sat 20th Sept.
The sea is just like a mill pond. We can see land & it's hardly 9 o'clock. We are moving in very slowly, there's a lot of shipping in the harbour.
I'm beginning to feel a bit excited. The place looks grand from here, it's 11 o'clock. I expect you are still all unconscious, it's only 7am at home as we are 5 hours ahead of G.M.T. I have been hanging out of the porthole in our mess & just seen the anchor go down. We are a little way out of the harbour, there's several hospital ships near us.
We are in Bombay . There is a Greek cruiser alongside, besides several of our own. We are staying here tonight and disembarking tomorrow morning.
Sun 21st Sept.
Reveille at 5am, packing our kit ready to get off.
We pulled alongside soon after 9am & it took us the best part of the day to transfer to the Lancashire , an old trooper that we used in the last war. being a bren gunner we had to carry the guns besides carrying our full kits & it was some caper & it was boiling hot. Our shirts were soaked through sweat, you could ring it out.
We got aboard the Lancashire & were put in the lower mess deck just above the water line & we are not allowed to open the portholes. When we were all sat down to grub & there's more to come in yet, it's hell, the sweat absolutely runs off. We shan't get ashore until tomorrow.

Continued.....
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