大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by a volunteer from CSV Actiondesk on behalf of Mr Stan Hilton and has been added to the site with his permission. Mr Hilton fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

My ship HMS Rother was having repairs in Liverpool Docks in 1943. We sailors were detailed to do certain tasks of cleaning and re organising, so that extra men could be taken on board for our next orders.

I remember the boson鈥檚 whistle sounding mid morning, which meant everyone was required on deck, we must have looked a motley crew in our working gear, but we assembled in true Navy fashion. Five minutes later we couldn鈥檛 believe our eyes, we were being inspected by Montgommery and his wife, accompanied by their terrier dog.

They were both so ordinary and one of us, they spoke to each man in turn, giving us a chance to hold a conversation with them. They went everywhere on the ship and certainly saw how we lived.

At the end of their time with us we were assembled again and Mrs Montgommery gave us her terrier as a mascot. He went over the world with us, had more or less the run of the place. He shared our rations, shared our grief on many occasions and shared our rations when our backs were turned.

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