大象传媒

"Don't fret hen, your mammy with be hame soon". These words accompanied by a reassuring smile and a pat on the head were being spoken to me frequently. My mother was employed as a deep sea stewardess by the Anchor Line Shipping Company and regularly sailed the three week round trip between Glasgow and New York. She was at sea when World War 2 was declared. "Two days out of New York", she told us, once she was safely home. "We had to make a quick turn around" she continued. As far as she knew, the ship's captain had been warned that war was imminent and German U-boats waited just beyond the harbour ready to attack departing ships once hostilities began. The Transylvania must leave at once. Hurriedly, under the cover of darkness, they got under way. Strict blackout was observed and boat drills were frequent as the Transylvaia zigzagged its way across the Atlantic, a German U-boat in hot pursuit. Acutely aware of the danger they faced, passengers and crew alike wondered if they would ever see their loved ones again. It was with a sense of relief they reached the Irish Sea. Tensions eased, hope returned. Almost home, they could now relax. Suddenly they were jarred out of their complacency. The captain's evasive action had served them well, but indirectly contributed to the demise of a small coastal vessel. Mistaking it for the Transylvania, the pursuing U-boat torpedoed and sank the smaller ship. Hurrying to the scene of the disaster, the crew of the Transylvania picked up the survivors then with heavy hearts and without further incident, the voyage continued to the homeport. Glasgow had never looked so good.

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