大象传媒

鈥淭his story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by a volunteer from CSV Newcastle on behalf of Catherine Mary Lambert and has been added to the site with her permission. Catherine Lambert fully understands the site's terms and conditions鈥�.

SAILING IN CONVOY
By
Catherine MaryLambert nee Catherine Irish Meredith

Unit Name: W.A.A.F. 4695 Section Officer

I joined the WAAF in February 1940 as a Balloon Rigger Fabric Worker (mending barrage balloons!) In 1942 I was commissioned as a Code and Cypher Officer.

In January 1944 I was posted to Blackpool for posting overseas. From there, we travelled to Liverpool to board ship, then sailed straight up to Gourock on the River Clyde to join the main convoy. It was very exciting and quite stately in a way. With all those other ships surrounding ours, we felt safe. We were assigned to a first class cabin holding eight bunk beds, 16 of us sharing. Every available space on board was taken up, even hammocks in the corridors. Meals were taken in two shifts, the whole thing was very well organised.

On board were the whole cast of Irving Berline鈥檚 show 鈥淭his is the Army鈥�, so we had readymade entertainment. On the last night on board we sw the whole show. The actual journey itself was dull. There was the fascination of watching a stray mine pass our ship and watching the aircraft sending off its planes to keep watch over the convoy.

I cannot think of the right word, but the feeling of protection and safety of being escorted down the Irish Sea, through the Bay of Biscay and into the Mediterranean to Algiers, surrounded by all those ships - well, it was quite an emotional time. We would stand at the railings speculating on how many ships there were etc. I can remember spending most of our time on board playing cards. I learned a few card games like poker, cribbage, twenty one, canasta and new market and it helped pass the time. There was evening entertainment too. I think we had a fancy dress night. There was no smoking on deck at night obviously. Going down the coast of North Africa was for me, quite magical. It was like a kaleidoscope of images leaving plenty of memories. I am sure I saw a village with the usual block houses but they were not white, they were pink. And of course Rudolph Valentino came to mind, riding off into the sunset!!

Arriving at Algiers was a wonderful sight. A long line of steps going straight up both sides of the landing stage, beautiful and 鈥� arriving into a storm of locusts!

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