大象传媒

This third part of my Dad's 1945 diary recalls his journey home from Rangoon to Liverpool on HMT Duchess of Richmand.

(Another contributor to this site Arthur Gilbert apparently shared the same voyage home as my dad. see Going to war on the tube - chapter 7 Rangoon and home. A5011507 where Arthur Gilbert refers to the same sitings as my dad noted).

23rd October 1945
Embarked HMT Duchess of Richmond 9.30 C deck
Embarkation until dusk
Terribly overcrowded.

24th October 1945
Still lying at anchor at Elephant point.

25th October 1945
Sailed 3pm
Came into open sea about 4.30
Slept on table on mess deck.
Blood overheated
Sale of cig ration.

26th October 1945
Bit of a swell. Feeling giddy.
Slept on deck had to go below rained.
Queues all over ship. Terrible.
Sale of cig ration 20 per day.
Sweet ration

27th October 1945
Still feeling giddy

28th October 1945
Columbo POW鈥檚 allowed off
Sailed 1700 hrs.

29th October 1945
Sea fairly rough
Intermittent rain
310 miles

30th October 1945
Ships cinema. 鈥淥ld acquaintance鈥�
Lost Wallet!
Ships run over 24hrs
330 miles

31st October 1945
Passed fairly large Island
Sailing almost due west.
Ships run over 24hrs
319 miles

1st November 1945
More land to port bow
Sailed due west
Had ears syringed
Slept below decks.

2nd November 1945
PTS
Sailing through Gulf of Aden
Saw Socrates Island.
Ships run 419

3rd November 1945
PTS
Passed 12 apostles.
French troop ship 鈥楶asteur鈥� bound for Saigon.
Red Sea 鈥� not so red very hot.

4th November 1945
Passed tropic of Cancer for the last time I hope.

5th November 1945
PTS
Quite cool in shade now
15.30hrs shadwon Is 172 miles from Suez鈥�
Ships 鈥︹�︹�︹�� can wait
Ships concert starts

6th November 1945
Anchored at Suez 0700hrs
Much excitement among men at buying wares from bum boats.
Sailed 20.15 hrs through canal during night.

7th November 1945
Rose 5.30 saw part of land.
Anchored 08.15 in Port Said
Seemed clean and picturesque
Bum boats selling hand bags etc.
Sailed 1900hrs

8th November 1945
Very nippy in morning
Saw water spout stbd
Heavey sea 4pm
ships concert 1900hrs on C3 deck

9th November 1945
Not feeling too good
Getting colder and colder.

10th November 1945
Sea very rough Many sick
Had a bad time

11th November 1945
Passed Cape BON, Point
Bigerta

12th November 1945
Came into Gibralter 0700hrs
Stopped only 15 minutes.
Spanish coast, Algeria,
Spanish Morroco.
Atlas Mountains
Sierra Nevada
Portugal

13th November 1945
Member of crew died and buried.
Passed Cape l鈥�. and Trafalgar
1630 cape 鈥�.istair 鈥� Bay of Biscay calm!

14th November 1945
Ships run 429 miles best yet
388 miles to do for Blighty yet
Last night on vessel I hope!!
Excitement died into a sort of subconscious quiet.

15th November 1945
Blighty shore into sight
鈥︹��. Fog!! Liverpool docks 11.00
Docked 11.20am
Small crowd and band
RAPWI鈥�.. disembark
We disembark

16th November 1945
(Should be home!!!)

We disembarked 2 am
Train left Liverpool 3.15 am
Naafi cob and char
Sent kit bag from Lincoln town, England at
Commissioner鈥檚 expense

December 7th 1945
Demob date

9th December 1945
Mothers birthday.

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