大象传媒

For John C Third
HQ 59 AGRA 1944-5
The unit had been formed from the HQRA of the 59 Infantry Division when the Division was broken up in Walcheron in late 1944 to reinforce other units prior to the assault on Germany. At this time, the campaign in Burma was progressing and AA regiments, formerly deployed for the defence of Calcutta, were being converted to Field and Medium Artillery regiments. An experienced headquarter unit was needed to take command of the latter and the 59th HQRA was selected and would transfer to the Far East as quickly as possible.

The HQ returned to the UK and was temporarily billeted in Lynford Hall, Mumford, near Thetford in Norfolk. This was an exceptional property to be requisitioned being the former stately home of Lord Calder a notable brewer in pre-war days. In the early thirties his wife had been seriously injured during a storm in the North Atlantic when returning to the UK on the liner 鈥楢quitania鈥�. Permanently disabled she was confined to a wheelchair and to comfort her Lord Calder built a full sized replica of the Willow Pattern design in the garden, complete with a bridge and a mature pine tree, all within the view from her bedroom window.

The stay in Lynford Hall was not for long and the initial plan was for the unit to be flown out to India to take command of the regiments to be involved in the assault on Rangoon 鈥� this being the next major operation to clear the Japanese from Burma. The plan was abandoned when it was found that some large and fast troopships were being released from transatlantic service and the first available was the Cunarder 鈥楳auretania鈥�, soon to dock in Liverpool. The move from Norfolk in late January 1945 by road and rail was directly to the ship which for some unknown reason had been brought into Gladstone Dock.

The service personnel in control of the 鈥榩assengers鈥� were from the RAF 鈥� probably because the next shipment was to be made up of 4,000 RAF, 1,000 WAAF, and 500 Army personnel. The officers and senior NCO鈥檚 were on 鈥楢鈥� Deck, the WAAF on 鈥楤鈥� Deck, and all other ranks on lower decks. The ship鈥檚 previous port of call had been New York and her larders were stocked with things not seen since 1939 such as white bread, white sugar and all sorts of fresh fruit.

No explanation was ever given for the ship being in Gladstone Dock. The dock had a narrow entrance and was very difficult for a ship of the Mauretania鈥檚 size to negotiate even on a calm day. For some reason in February 1945 the Mersey was subjected to very strong winds throughout the day every day for three weeks. The tugs came alongside at every high tide but the ship could not be moved and the troops on board wondered if they would ever sail. There could be no complaints about the food but sleeping accommodation was difficult for everyone. For example there were 10 officers in a cabin on 鈥楢鈥� Deck intended normally for 2 passengers.

After the second week someone in authority considered that the troops must be tired of being cooped up on board and it was decided that exercise was needed. Consequently a route march through neighbouring Bootle was organised for all the services to take part in, with the exception of the WAAF. To deal with possible deserters the route was guarded all the way by police, Home Guard and any other service personnel that could be found from the neighbourhood. All sorts of excuses were made by some determined to stay on board not least the popular one of having bad feet. However, the real reason that the route march turned into a cross country run was the thought by those on the 鈥榤arch鈥� that the lead-swingers on board had all the 1,000 WAAF on 鈥楤鈥� Deck to themselves and the sooner they were back on board the better.

Troopships were of course 鈥榙ry鈥� and by week 2 all of the HQ鈥檚 stock initially taken on board to last the voyage had gone. Not however for long where the 59 AGRA was concerned as on the unit鈥檚 strength there was a Padre Dalton whose civvy parish happened to be in Bootle. He had no difficulty organising brief leaves of absence to visit his sick parishioners some of whom by coincidence were in the licensed trade or so he said. The deep pockets in his raincoat proved to be invaluable.

Towards the end of week 3 the wind dropped and the ship managed to squeeze out of the dock under the guidance of several tugs and immediately set sail. There was a destroyer escort for the rest of the day round Northern Ireland and at dawn the following morning, Rockall was in sight. The escort took off, and the ship headed south unescorted at maximum speed of over 30 knots. Two days later off the coast of Morocco near Rabat a cruiser escort took over to see the ship through the Straits of Gibraltar then unescorted again she headed east until arrival at Port Said. The passage through the Suez Canal was immediate and uneventful but for two occasions when the ship momentarily grounded by travelling too fast in narrower sections of the canal. Drawing 38 feet, and with her considerable beam whenever the ship travelled too fast draught was lost and the ship grounded. After suddenly slowing down draught was regained and the ship immediately refloated and carried on.

With the improvement in the weather permission was given for those in the most crowded parts of the ship to sleep on the open decks at night. One item of entertainment to be remembered was an exhibition of boxing which was given on the foredeck by Freddie Mills who was in the RAF at that time. The ship arrived off Bombay ten and a half days out of Liverpool and for the first time mail, using the ship鈥檚 voyage address of 鈥淎PO 7955鈥�, was brought on board. Disembarkation for most of the Army personnel and some of the RAF was to take place the following day and the ship would then proceed to Ceylon to deliver the others including all the WAAF.

In a letter from his wife the writer was surprised to learn that her cousin Edward, who was in the RAF, might be on board, as, according to his parents, he had used the same APO number address in his letters to them. No time was lost in proceeding to the ship鈥檚 adjutant鈥檚 office to enquire if Edward was amongst the RAF personnel on board. This was confirmed in less than a minute, and there followed an announcement by the Duty Officer over the ship鈥檚 PA system to the effect that 鈥� 鈥淟AC Rutherford, E. No. * should report to the Adjutant鈥檚 Office immediately. Within a few minutes there was cousin Edward as large as life outside the office wondering what he might have done to be so honoured before the ship鈥檚 company. He too was equally surprised to know that we had been on board the same ship for over four weeks without knowing.

The following day we when our separate ways until about a year later Edward turned up again this time as one of a group of ex-professional footballers similar to Dennis Compton鈥檚 exhibition side which also toured in the far east entertaining the troops. Edward had played for Glasgow Rangers before call-up. A match was arranged against the 59 AGRA Select (chosen by another part-time Group Sports Officer) and after the match Edward could not forgive being on the losing side. He said it was all due to the Madrassi from the 1st Indian Medium Regiment, playing on the right wing bare-footed, who scored the winning goal.

The unit finally moved to the North West Frontier Province and became the HQ 2 Ind. AGRA where it served for 20 months before being absorbed into the army of Pakistan.

Do any of the readers know of any subsequent permanent associations being formed between B Deck passengers and others on board?

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