大象传媒

We altered course and the water stopped coming down the speaking tube. We were still not out of the woods. On the way back we had a line up the length of the ship to hang on to when going aft. One of the other coders was in the sick bay which was aft. When I was on cooks I took his meals to him, somehow I held his meal on a plate in one hand and held on to the rope (life line) with the other. What worried me was that the railings round the ship鈥檚 decks were deflected into horizontal position round the torpedo area, which was just before the aft mess house where the sick berth was situated. The ship鈥檚 railings were deflected into horizontal position around the torpedo tubes and the gun emplacements . It made for easier gunnery but was hazardous in rough weather when one could get pitched over the side. In the aft of the ship were more seamen鈥檚 messes, X and Y gun crew and torpedo men. In addition there was the Chief Petty Officer鈥檚 mess and two or three cabins for officers. Also I think there was a mess for Engine Room Artificers as the gear room was more aft than for鈥檞d. Eventually we made it back to Trincomalee none the worse for our ordeal.

The next trip was to take reliefs to a listening post on Cocos or Christmas Island, more likely the latter. This is to the south west of Bali where I went for a holiday years later. We took some telegraphists who could read Japanese Morse and a troop ship full of 200 marines to guard them. We were at the island for the day and a Jap plane came over to see what we were up to. It flew away after circulating round. I expected at least an air attack but I suppose we were not worth them expending their meager resources at that time.

We took on board the relieved crew, they were R.A.F. wireless operators. However we left the troop ship at the island. At first thought the R.A.F. blokes had no guards but I suspect the R.A.F. regiment was there and they would hand over to the Marines. This hand over would take some time and there would be supplies to unload as well. Presumably some other destroyer would bring them back. I think the Japanese airfield was Denpasar in Bali, where I landed years later on holiday in 1994.

We also picked up an American officer with the R.A.F. squad. He lived in the Officers鈥� Mess but walked all over the ship for exercise. I do not know why but he wore a pair of pistols on his hips on his exercise walks; whether it was the fear of a Jap climbing over the side from out of the sea or fear of the crew. The other officers just recreated on B gun deck and walked from side to side in short lengths. They never ventured to any other part of the ship except on duty. Myself, I rarely ever saw an officer, never being on duty on the bridge.

There was just one other incident on the way back. During the first watch at about 21.00 two off duty seamen were having a smoke on the quarter deck when they swore that they saw a torpedo track pass behind us. Nobody believed them but I was not so sure. If they were right the lookout on duty missed seeing it. It was on this trip I noticed a new leading seaman wearing his seaman鈥檚 knife on his lanyard round his waist with the blade open. It was ready to cut the life floats free. He must have had a cause in the past to do that. I did not know that one鈥檚 seaman鈥檚 knife was housed on the end of one鈥檚 lanyard. The lanyard was part of No.1 dress as far as I knew and had to be whiter than white when worn round one鈥檚 neck.

By now I had got accustomed to sea time. I had got used to the destroyer rolling on a flat sea. It was the pitching that was difficult, going up and down as if on a lift. My ring worms had gone and my ear trouble cleared up. That had been caused by getting seawater in my ear when I was swimming. When I cut down on swimming my ear trouble went away. We had a film show on board every time we put into harbour now. The weather was cooler and wetter. I had given over washing my hair as much as it was coming out. Now I was using plenty of Brillcream. I had a cold through sleeping in a draught. Also I was getting plump through the lack of exercise.

Before Christmas 1944 we had been in dry dock in Bombay and been in Trincomalee Harbour for two weeks. A lot of water polo was played and quiz games held between messes. .On Christmas Day we went to sea, it was someone鈥檚 duty to patrol outside Trincomalee Harbour and I think we lost the toss for it. All the other ships in the harbour gave us a long cheer as we went by them on our way out. We had a good day and plenty to eat. Our Christmas dinner consisted of a small portion of turkey, stuffing, roast potatoes, mint sauce, plum duff and mince pie. Tea was ordinary with Christmas cake that did not rise as much as it should. Supper was hard to face, it was boiled potatoes, apple sauce, cold pork and peas.

There was a church service in the morning and the rest of the day was treated like Sunday. Later in the morning rounds were made. Rounds were the inspection of the ships living quarters. These rounds were not the proper ones. First came the junior AB (Able Seaman) dressed in the Coxswain鈥檚 uniform (the senior non-commissioned officer on board). Next came the junior OD (Ordinary Seaman) dressed as the Captain. The midshipman came dressed as a Full Lieutenant. There followed a gang of officers dressed up in silly clothes. Then the Captain came with his 2陆 rings of ranks showing. Finally the junior stoker came dressed up as the Chief Stoker. Everyone had borrowed uniforms to denote their Christmas Day ranks. One officer carried a very large bag in which he was supposed to have presents for every mess in the ship. He brought a very little parcel with just a little something in it. All the presents were so small he could have put them all in one pocket. The Engineer (a Lieutenant) was wearing a lamp shade upside down and he was muttering away in 鈥済ibberish鈥� like a Turk. The day passed on very nicely. I had the last dog watch - 6pm-8pm - which was not bad, it followed my previous watch of 4am-8am, yes 4am-8am, on Christmas morning 1944.

As regards pay I was getting one shilling (5p) a day extra for Far Eastern Campaign and sixpence (2陆p) a day for Tropical Pay. As yet I did not qualify for long service award which was another shilling (5p) a day after three years service. We got three shillings (15p) cheer money for Christmas with which the mess bought fresh and tinned fruit.

After Christmas we went back to Bombay, our flotilla leader鈥檚 ship HMS Rotherham went into dry dock this time. We gave a gunnery display to about 200 Combined Operation Officers from Burma. Also I had a temporary filling to a tooth made by a lady dentist. At least she did notice that I needed a filling. Two other dentists previously found nothing wrong with my teeth. Unfortunately the filling came out soon after she had done it. I go every six months now to have my teeth checked, it is free.

I had been eating a lot of fruit, tinned and fresh, and had been doing a lot more swimming. If one swims one misses one鈥檚 afternoon nap. Swimming makes one tired but is good exercise I had been swimming in a lagoon and had caught the sun, also I had swum in some public baths which were very salty and burned my nose. . We got tins of pears, apricots and grapefruit in the canteen. The NAAFI manager held the honorary rank of Petty Officer and opened his store twice a day for an hour each time. I had my photograph taken in the streets and developed within 10 minutes. I finished up having a supper of green salad, tomatoes, onions and spring lettuce. We were getting plenty of ice cream and fruit salads, pink ice cream cold but nice. Also there were iced coffees, iced sodas and iced chocolate available ashore and it is a wonder we did not get upset stomachs as the locals were not all that fussy on hygiene. One walks slow so as not to sweat too much. I had slept on the upper deck but there had been a monsoon and my hammock was wet through. I had to dry it down in the stokers鈥� boiler room.

We were practicing for a fleet regatta; whaling boats were rowing up and down at fantastic speeds. Our ship was not doing so very well.

Bombay is oriental and rather dirty. There were some high class shops and picture houses, cafes and refreshment bars all of very good standard. The beggars in the street soil your clothes touching one begging for money. They were a pest. One could buy anything and things were cheap. I bought a few things, wallets, cigarette case, handkerchiefs, buttons, buckles, cotton khaki and navy blue shorts for every day wear. Also I bought a tin trunk to keep my kit in and cockroaches out. Finally I bought an embroidered cloth of the Taj Mahal. I saw quite a few pictures, 鈥淭he Cobra Woman鈥�, 鈥淒ream Island鈥� and 鈥淕host Catchers鈥�. By now I was broke but had shown my new pal the sights of Bombay. I had spent my savings of 12 Pounds in five days. We were amused watching a Chinese couple eat with their chopsticks in a Chinese restaurant we were in. We had knives and forks for our egg and chips. They bent their heads to within a few inches above their plate and chop sticked their food in their mouth at close range. People dressed very well apart from the beggars who wore rags and slept on a blanket on the pavement. Coming out of the pictures late in the evenings one had to watch where one put one鈥檚 big naval boots else there would be a scream as some poor beggar was trodden upon. All they seemed to eat was various types of grasses. When they washed they washed at a tap in a square. Their lives were those of vagrants, it was said millions lived like that. We started getting paid by the fortnight now instead of monthly as previously. This helped to build up funds again.

After we left Bombay nothing out of the ordinary happened. We must have done ordinary jobs, routine escort and convoy work. Anyway our ship needed a refit, our guns needed re-boring and our engines needed patching up. So we were booked into Simonstown, South Africa, for a couple of months for a refit..

The journey there was interesting. First of all we crossed the Equator and by-passed The Seychelles. The climate got cooler and cooler. It was pleasant not to sweat all the time. At times I even wore a jumper.

The weather worsened and we had to have the life line up on the upper deck. The passage through the Mozambique Channel was very rough for two days. When we reached the Durban Roads (parking lots for ships) we heaved to (parked) a mile from the jetty. A stroppy South African ex-boxing champion was put ashore and sent on leave. I think the officers took the micky out of him. He was lowered in the whaler with the crew and they had a mile to row. It was choppy and they were soaked through. All his kit bag was wet. He was dropped on the jetty and the whaler came back, the crew like drowned rats. I don鈥檛 know what the South African port officials thought, they must have rubbed their eyes in astonishment.

This South African met another member of the crew in their home town later. Why this second sailor was not sent on leave at the same date with him is not known. However sailor number.2 -who appeared white- was seen by sailor number.1 as number.2 was walking down the street with his sister, who was coloured. Number.1 reported number.2 to the authorities and he never came back to the ship. They had both been in the same mess and both were quartermasters and had sat side by side eating their meals. Apartheid!!

We were sleeping with blankets at night it was that much cooler. We were soon in Simonstown Naval Base after leaving Durban. One of the main languages was English. The main town was Capetown about 20 miles away by train. The climate was like sunny Spain/Italy and not much activity. I ate some cheap grapes at 6d (2陆p) per lb and some apples at 3d (1陆p) each and drank plenty of lager. I even tried some peppermint brandy but did not like it very much. They call them 鈥渟tarboard lights鈥� after the green colour. It gave me a thick head. Now I only had a shower every other day as one does not sweat as much here. Went roller skating in a nearby township, Wynberg I think.

Moored next to us was our sister ship the Roebuck. Her smoke stack was like a pepper pot. She had been shelled by the Japs and B gun was wiped out, 12 ratings killed. One of her jobs had been to go and give a certain installation on the Burmese coast a good shelling every now and then. She heaved to between two landmarks and set her guns at a certain angle and let fly. Unfortunately the Japs brought up a field gun and set the range on Roebuck鈥檚 favoured stance. The next time Roebuck went there they pasted her. The ship had to be towed back to Trincomalee.

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