大象传媒

March 1st
Got up at six, it was very cold, saw land on both sides. We stopped at Port Suez 7.35 am. Set off again through Suez canal at 11.30am am now proceeding through all we can see at present is sand! We have had quite a bit of fun, calling out to the chaps on the side of the canal, it must be very agreevating seeing all these troop ships going past but I must say they have got lovely surroundings which was more than we had, but there we can鈥檛 all be lucky, but must say it has broken the monotony. I think we should reach Port Said somewhere about 10 pm, but hoping to be asleep by then. We have just passed a smashing boat, I don鈥檛 think it was a trooper I rather think it was a pleasure boat. I hope I can find the name of it before long. There were bags of women on board So that meant bags of shouting to my amusement a lot of it came from the other boat. We drew in a Port Said at 22.05 hrs, there were plenty of boats in, a couple of troopers but going India way, Poor Sods. After all the excitement we managed to get to bed at 11.30 we were clicked on and off all night.

March 2nd
Still at Port Said, bags of gumm boat about, this a lesson well learnt. We pushed off from Port Said at 3 pm it was very borring waiting for the boat to pull out but at last we are on the way. It was very cold, after we left Port Said in fact most of them put on siege at present I have a shirt angoli & shirt kd and a pullover. Im trying to keep out of B.D. as long as I can then I shall feel the benefit of it. I am sleeping down stairs tonight

March 3rd
Had a pretty good sleep but kept on slipping down in the hammock. Has been pretty cold all day again, this afternoon I watched some boxing on B. Deck, it passed the time away. Went to bed early.

March 4th
I went to bed early but couldn鈥檛 get to sleep because of the lads were messing about. We had to change to siege today and we need it as it鈥檚 very cold, the journey is now getting boring and time is going so slow. I guess it鈥檚 because were only a week or less from England. Passed Malta at nine pm and so to bed.

March 5th
Had a fairly good nights sleep, came on deck and saw land passed Cape Bon at 7.15. and now approaching Birzertal (North Africa). We had a film show this afternoon it was called Pillar to Post. When we came out the water was lovely and calm and I saw a few porpoises. Now the sea beginning to be a little rough, the waves are bashing about the sides of the ship, it鈥檚 just like thunder but I suppose we must expect it now, this is all for today.

March 6th
It has been pretty rough all night today, the seas running a bit height and it鈥檚 very cold. Today is a practice disembarkation. I heard the news today and it sounds pretty bad. If the weather doesn鈥檛 break in the next couple of days there鈥檚 going to be a lot of chaps won鈥檛 be able to get home for a while.

March 7th
Passed Gib at 5.30pm got up at 6 pm went on deck to get some tea. I was greeted with rain, the old boat is rolling and going up and down like an aeroplane. It鈥檚 been very bad all day this boat has been rolling about like a cork, quite a few has been sick. I haven鈥檛 yet but theres always a possibility. I hope we don鈥檛 get it all the way like this. I heard the news again today and the weather is very bad again. I think this is all and I think the best place is bed.

March 8th
Had quite a job to keep it down last night, as soon as I got in the hammock I felt like I wanted to be sick, but I fell asleep and forgot about it. I woke up a few times and the old boat was rocking like hell, at present she鈥檚 just rolling and the seas a little calmer, how long it will stop like this I don鈥檛 know. Till we hit the bay I expect, then it will do everything except turn over, but there we are on the last thousand miles. Heard the news again, it still keeps very bad. Had rain again this morning, proper blighty weather. We hit the bay at 16.15 hrs and up till the time of going to bed, it was pretty good.

March 9th
Got up at 6 am had a poor nights sleep, weather pretty good up till now. The old boat is rolling along nice, if it鈥檚 like this for the next 24 hrs then we shan鈥檛 have anything to grumble about. We should be out the Bay in about four hrs time then it won鈥檛 be long till we see Dear Old England. I think we should be hankering off Southampton about 5 tomorrow morning. I haven鈥檛 heard anything yet as to when we shall get off but perhaps we shall hear sometime today. Had rather a hearty breakfast of bacon & egg. It has been very cold all day and getting cold as we go along. We have just heard when we shall be getting off. North Zones getting off tomorrow. South Zone including me gets off Tuesday.

March 10th
The day Iv waited three long years for England. It was very cold all night in fact I didn鈥檛 sleep a wink where it was so cold. We dropped anchor about 5.30 this morning. We are still in the same place, when we shall get into Southampton I don鈥檛 know, it is foggy and very cold up deck, perhaps we are waiting for the fog to lift. It lifted about 2.30pm and we docked at 4.10 pm at Southampton docks. On the way in I saw the Andes and the Queen Mary, we get off this boat at about 0800 hrs tomorrow morning.

March 11th
Got up at 4.30 had breakfast at 6 am. Had quite a lot of work to do in fact the Glosters we last off the boat, we had to sweep the ship up. In the long run we were lucky as we didn鈥檛 pass any customs, we got off the boat at 9 am. Went into the custom shed to wait for Customs, instead we got on a truck which took us to Central Station, got on a train 10.17 Which I鈥檓 on at present and it鈥檚 taking us to Cheltenham, from there we have to get another train to take us back to Gloster, where the Depote is, so all we are hoping now is that they don鈥檛 keep us hanging about too long, are we cheesed !!! Arrived at Gloster Depote at 3.5 am. Was lucky to get more or less straight away on leave, left Gloster Station 5.30 arrived home at 8 ish there I saw my Son for the first time, he鈥檚 a smasher. Thus Ends the eppic story or rather Diary of my Journey home and so for 28 days leave.

The End

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