大象传媒

WW2 STORIES Childhood Memories

I was born in Trinidad and my stories are based on how I saw the 2nd World War as a boy from a distance from the central area of battle, but nevertheless still very vivid in my mind. My father was a first World War survivor having been gassed at Ypres on 23 April 1915, taken prisoner by the Germans for four years. The war was as much a part of our life in Trinidad as it was in the UK, though of course we did not have the bombing. The news was sacrosanct, maps came out with red and blue colour pencils marking the various strategic lines. Silence was paramount.

I was in Boston USA the day war was declared. My mother had taken my brother and me to America to see friends but my father had stayed in Trinidad because of business. I recall clearly that he wanted the family to fly home, but my mother insisted that we go by ship. We left New York on the ss Nerissa, a small Cunard passenger cargo liner, in November 1939. I could never understand why the black and red funnel and the whole ship had been painted grey, when only three months earlier it was in colour. Boat drills, putting on life jackets and rushing up on deck was the norm. It all seemed fun but in truth was deadly serious. The ss Nerissa was sunk in April 1941.

Being an island, we were dependent on shipping bringing supplies, so although we did not have rationing of food and manufactured materials, rationing did exist in that the products were not always readily available. We would wait for a ship bringing meat from Argentina, then it would be sunk so we would have to wait for the next. The island also provided a safe shipping harbour for ships for refuelling en route from South America up to the convoy areas off Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic. As the war progressed, we started getting many survivors from sunken ships.

The Merchant Navy Club was formed for both officers and seamen, and my father who was Chairman of Furness Withy and Company a Shipping Company, and Managing Director of Trinidad Trading Company was elected Chairman of the Club for Merchant Seamen. This brought me into close contact with seamen who had been torpedoed, and whose harrowing stories of survival I heard first hand. One was of a seaman who had been in a lifeboat for over 60 days. He told us that the lifeboat started out with about 40 survivors but as the days went by some died of heat exhaustion, some slipped over the side delirious, some went mad, until there were eventually three left. The seaman remembered using some canvas to cover himself and his two friends. He was roused by gun shots hitting the lifeboat, and his movement was seen by a member of the ship that was shooting at him. He was the only survivor, his two friends having died in the night. He said he was so weak that he was fed with a teaspoon of liquid for some time before he could eat and put on weight. That seaman joined another ship when he was well enough and continued his war. As so many were expected to do The Merchant Navy seamen were never recognised for the brave and valiant service they did during the war, bringing cargos to the far corners of the British Empire. No medal was struck after the War to recognise that bravery.

Another story was of a large group of survivors in a lifeboat, who on seeing a ship in the distance all together shouted as loud as possible. The men made an enormous din, but it was the high pitched voices of the females that the distant ship heard.

There was a very strong unity on the Island and the population helped the war effort whenever possible. The Fleet Air Arm was stationed at Piarco Airport and the planes were used to spot U Boats that were always waiting of the coast to torpedo ships. There were stories of U Boats landing on the North Coast in quiet bays for the crew to swim

One day my father took my brother and me to an area overlooking the harbour. In the distance we could see a small grey shape. It was the ss Queen Mary, her three funnels distinctly clear, and my father said, 鈥淒on鈥檛 tell anyone鈥�. She was making a quick refuelling stop, and was not supposed to be there. The Queen Mary travelled without escort as she was fast enough to out run a U Boat and was used to carry troops to battle areas

We had black-outs. My father was a member of the ARP and used to put dark blue stickers with 鈥楢RP鈥檕n it and stick them over the headlights. The black outs were practised to ensure that in the event of German attacks the right action could be taken to protect the Island

In 1940 we went to Bermuda on the ss Lady Hawkins. Once more boat drills and black out over the whole ship was the norm. We also zig-zagged, never going in a straight line. Being a year older by now, my memories of the boat drills are much clearer. The boats would be hung out over the side of the ship, and even lowered just above the water. This always caused me to feel frightened, not fully understanding the importance of such practice. Everyone wore life jackets and would have to stand in certain areas. The loud blast of the funnel signalling the start of the lifeboat drill would make me jump

We remained in Bermuda until February 1941 after the birth of my sister. Again we returned to Trinidad by ship. We travelled on the ss Lady Drake. Boat drills were even more regular, German U-boats were in the area. On one boat drill the ship stopped, the lifeboats over the side ready, quite a frightening experience. Why? At the time I did not know but a U-boat had been sighted and a torpedo had just missed the ship! My dad had rushed to the cabin to pick up my three month old sister. I remember his words, 鈥淚f we sink we all go down together鈥�. The ss Lady Drake was sunk later in the war near Bermuda in 1942

Oil tankers were constantly calling into Trinidad to fill up with oil which then was taken back to England One day in Tobago while on holiday, we saw a large oil tanker on fire, drifting. It had been torpedoed and the crew had abandoned ship, but it was still afloat. It drifted in to Trinidad harbour with the tide, and the fire was put out. I remember my dad taking my brother and me out in a launch and taking us round the tanker, showing the large hole in the bow where the torpedo had hit the ship. It was so big that the launch could drive into it. All the paint on the ship was burnt and ship very rusty, but still afloat. The company that my dad worked for repaired the ship and it went back into service. The Captain, who had survived, gave my dad the ship鈥檚 chronometer which I now have.

Trinidad was leased to America for 99 years as part of the deal for 50 destroyers. Americans came in their thousands, plus Lorries, cars, ships. They commandeered the best beaches, and whole bays for ships; barracks were built almost overnight for troops; barriers were erected and many 鈥榥o go鈥� without pass areas created. They dominated the life of Trinidad. In fact the whole economy of the island was changed since they paid higher wages and lured local people to work for them. The saying was 鈥渨orking for the Yankee dollar鈥�. One day we were on one of the beaches on the north coast. Many Americans came with jeeps, rifles and chewing gum and were shooting at coconuts in the sea. One allowed me to use his rifle and gave me some live ammunition 鈥� 303 rounds!! The Americans had everything they wanted, and wasted much food, I remember my Mother talking about how bacon and eggs and meat was thrown away in dustbins and local people used to scavenge the bins for it
My dad told me that after the war ended the Americans had loaded ships with lorries, tanks, guns and aircraft and had steamed out off the coast of Trinidad and just dumped them in the sea. I could not understand this. He said it was cheaper to do that than to take them back to America.

Trinidad celebrated VE and VJ Day with carnival, and soon after I remember my first dinky toy. Also I recall my first apple; bananas mangos oranges and grapefruit were plentiful but not apples.

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