大象传媒

Our journey home from Cairo to ferry out another aircraft from UK seems lengthy now, but remembering there was a war on in Europe in the 1940鈥檚 there weren鈥檛 many other options. I was sent on the Queen Mary 1 joining it at Suez, and went to Simonstown, outside Capetown, South Africa without an escort vessel. Also on board was an ENSA party (entertainments party for forces) and some German prisoners with a Polish Army escort. The crew of the Queen Mary 1 was probably more numerous than those of her passengers. We had a most enjoyable 7 or 8 days during our journey getting to South Africa. The ENSA party disembarked at South Africa, leaving only our crew who were going to ferry out more aircraft, the German prisoners of war and their Polish escort. On leaving Simonstown we crossed the South Atlantic to Rio de Janeiro and anchored off the port. On the first day we were anchored off Rio, the German prisoners were allowed on deck to get some fresh air, and some of them jumped overboard when they recognized the 鈥楽ugar Loaf鈥� Mountains and surrounding scenery. They had decided to 鈥榮wim for it鈥�, knowing that Brazil was a neutral country, but they were recaptured and received punishment from their escort for their attempted escape. On leaving Rio, we next docked at New York where the German prisoners of war and their Polish escort disembarked at Ellis Island, at the Hudson River estuary. We then docked next to the French Liner 鈥楴ormandy鈥� and received a very warm welcome from people on the dockside who asked if we would be allowed to disembark whilst in port. Our authorities decided to allow us to get some shore leave for one night. I went to Jack Dempsey鈥檚 restaurant as this was the only place where we could get our money changed to dollars. All the party returned to the ship on time, and no one abused the time ashore. Our next mode of travel was by rail from New York to Canada. Our party was made up of a motley crew, some dressed in khaki and some in Air Force blue and some a mixture of khaki and Air Force blue, when we arrived at a very haughty Air Force station in New Brunswick. The camp authorities decided to attempt to bring some semblance of order to our party, but we were all Sergeants and Flight Sergeants and the camp authorities were only Drill Sergeants, and their actions didn鈥檛 receive our full approval, their efforts eventually being given up as 鈥榓 bad job鈥�. We were told we were allowed to go on leave, so I decided to visit some relatives in Detroit. I hadn鈥檛 enough money to get there, but I had enough money to send them a cable saying if they would send me the money for my fare, I would come and visit them. They didn鈥檛 even know that I was in North America, but after a few hours, back came a cablegram sending me the money. All I had to do was cash the registered cablegram and buy my ticket and head off to Detroit from Eastern Canada. I arrived at a town which was the nearest border crossing point to Detroit, a town called Windsor. During my train journey I had conversation with several people who asked where I was going and how was I faring. I told them my destination, but said I had a difficulty in that my money was all in Canadian dollars and wasn鈥檛 sure whether I would be allowed into America with the Canadian money. The people in my carriage had a 鈥榳hip round鈥� and gave me American dollars, so I had both currencies. I got off the train at Windsor and went to the channel marked 鈥楢liens鈥� where the American Customs Officer was very helpful to ensure I got to my relatives address. He advised me to make sure I brought back all the Canadian dollars I had with me. I went out to the taxi rank and showed one of the drivers the address of my Aunt where I was going, and he dropped me off there. My Aunt鈥檚 family paid off the taxi driver. I stayed there for about two weeks and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Everywhere they took me people were very generous and gave me more American dollars. I eventually sent a cable off to my crew mates in New Brunswick and asked them if I had to rejoin them. Their reply cable to me to said to "return right away鈥�, so I thanked my Aunt for her hospitality and headed east again. When I arrived at New Brunswick all my crew had left and were aboard a ship at Halifax, waiting to cross the North Atlantic. The staff at New Brunswick made travel arrangements for me and I was able to rejoin my crew at Halifax on SS Strathearne, a liner. It was the middle of the summer and we had hammocks outside. All was quiet and peaceful when we left Halifax, but once out in the middle of the Atlantic the U Boats attacked. We were in convoy and could see ships which had been attacked, sinking. Fortunately our ship was not hit and we eventually made it to Glasgow. At Glasgow we had to disembark ourselves as there was a Stevedores strike taking place. We had to go down into the hold and get our own kit bags and off load them. I think I was given a few days leave to come home to Lurgan, N. Ireland, before we all met up again a RAF Lynham. We took another aircraft out, but this time we only got as far as Malta and were held there to augment the strength of the Beauford Squadron. The Beauford were used as Torpedo Bombers. After I had completed 30 operational flights with 39 Squadron I was posted as an instructor to the Canal Zone in Egypt for about 7 or 8 months before going back on operational flying again.

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