大象传媒

We had come at last to an official war gun-site.Just east of the Suez Canal two miles north of Kubri Ferry. Our journey from Greenock to the our theatre of war via mines into the Suez Canal,we had real job to do.June 1942,Rommel and the Africa Corps charging down on Eygpt,and us? Why we went swimming in the canal! Well,if Drake could play bowls before defeating the Armada,we certainly had time to teach those who could'nt swim to flounder along without one foot on the bottom.That included me!.When the Suez Canal was dug a ledge about twenty feet wide was left along the side of the canal,the water here was only about four to five feet deep.However to provide guidance for the ship passing up and down the canal a line of buoys was lain a further twenty feet beyond the edge of the ledge.It became the am.bition of the non-swimmers to eventually swim out to one of these buoys.Within a matter of weeks this had been achieved.However the other more experienced swimmers had become a bit somebody had said that the canal was the border-line bewteen Asia and Africa,and if they swam right across the canal they could then claim that they had swum from Asia to Africa and back!Came the day when all the new swimmers having practiced the estimated distance across by swimming up and down the canal,together with the rest took the plunge and set off.All,that is except one,Stan Nellist he did'feel as if he was good enough yet.Days past,when suddenly Stan made up his mind,he wanted to go.Unfortunately the swimming period had ended and nearly everybody had gone back to the gun-site.He insisted that he wanted to go,I told him that I had only just learned swim and if he got into any difficulties I could help him.He would'have any of that he wanted to go.So we set off me with my newly learned breast stroke him puffing and blowing alongside.When we got to the middle I glanced to my right and saw,in the distance a tug steaming down the canal but I was'nt too bothered as it seemed so far away.When I next looked it was much nearer and we had'nt made much progress,so I asked Stan to speed up a bit.He replied 'I----'---m------going------as fast-------as -----can!'.I could see that he was making every effort but he seemed to be just flailing at the water,not making much headway at all.I knew if I showed too much concern he would panic and that would be the end,for I could see the 'bone in the teeth' of the tug and it look awful close.Trying to keep the urgency outb of my voice I urged Stan to go faster,for by now I was almost looking up at the bow of the tug but to my relief it looked as if we out of it's,when to my horror I noticed two lighters were tied to it's further side. 'Come on Stan'I cried'You must try harder'.'It's no good' he said 'I've had it'.At that moment I noticed the tug swinging away.Ome people on the canalside had noticed the difficulty and had woken one of the crew who raced to the wheel and swung it over.The bow-wave of the tug and lighters lifted Stan and pushed him towards the other side.
I stil had to work hard to encourage Stan,for he was just flailing at the water not making any head-way, though staying afloat.He still had some way to go and in his condition I thought he'd not make.I felt so helpless,I had warned him before we started that I could assist him in any way,and if I tried I stood a good chance of drowning both of us for Stan wouldcling to me like limpet.So wit more words of encouragement,we slowly approached the other side.
Ah! Yes, "the OTHER side"! We yet had to get back!
After peroid of over sixty years some things stickin one's memory, well,I'm sorry but that escapes me.I suppose the chaps on the other side must have rustled up a lorry from down the 'waggon lines',then driven down to Kubri Ferry which was only about a mlie or two down the road and smuggled us back in.

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