大象传媒

Following the dry-docking in Alexandria, the Samstrule sailed to Bari, an Italian naval base. She was in ballast and high out of the water. There were a large number of ships at anchor in the harbour, and Samstrule was simply there to await instructions. The weather was pleasantly warm and, on a Sunday afternoon, a young steward suggested to Geoffrey that they might swim ashore. Very few members of the crew could swim at all, but Geoffrey welcomed the suggestion. It was quite stuffy onboard and the thought of lying on a sandy beach sounded very attractive.

They threw a rope ladder over the ship's side, and climbed down into the water. It was, perhaps, a quarter of a mile to the beach and they did not hurry.

After a few minutes rest on the sandy shore, Geoffrey stood up and looked around. There were green fields - pasture for cattle- and, a little way inland, a small cottage. Sitting on a bench outside the cottage was an elderly man. He waved them to come across.

It transpired that the land was his farmland. He spoke good English, and told Geoffrey and his companion that he had served with British troops during the First World War, and had actually spent some time in England. He went into the cottage and brought out a bottle of wine and some glasses, and the three of them drank each other's health.

The sun was setting and the temperature was falling: and Geoffrey and the steward, who was of course clad only in swimming trunks, decided it was time to return to the ship. So, bidding the farmer farewell, they returned to the beach and waded into the sea. The next twenty to twenty five minutes proved to be the most exhausting and frightening, yet memorable of Geoffrey's life.

He had only been swimming for a few minutes, when his legs and arms began to feel as though they were made of lead. He was struggling for breath, and his head seemed full of fumes. He rolled over onto his back; and, as he did so, he saw his companion, a few yards away, do the same. The ship seemed a very long way off. After a few moments, his head cleared sufficiently for him to resume swimming.

At times he feared he was going to drown. The steward reached the ladder first, climbed aboard and disappeared. When Geoffrey eventually grasped the ladder he felt a tremendous relief, but it was several minutes before he could summon the strength to climb the ladder.

Geoffrey had only had three glasses of wine, but he learned a lesson which he never forgot. In the years that followed, Geoffrey did a great deal of swimming- in the Persian gulf, in Australian waters, and in many other parts of the world- but he never touched a drop of alcohol for the hours immediately preceding.

Geoffrey Walker

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