大象传媒

When I was not employed as a lookout on the bridge, I did this from a gun position on the quarterdeck. To reach this vantage point, I would climb a ladder about 10-12 feet above the deck. This meant that my head was just below the very end of the flight deck just as the stern of the ship rose steeply causing the plane to land on the gun opposite and slightly below me. you can imagine my relief when the pilot was rescued and the plane ditched. Likewise in a similar rough sea, I lost my balance once and fell from the top of the ladder to the quarterdeck below. I was shaken but not damaged - and not thrown over the side!

One very amusing incident occurred when I was accidentally drenched in the sea whilst we were approaching our mouring position, i.e. securing to a bouy. I was seated in a Bosun's chair at thye end of a long rope, being lowered over the side in order to fix the boom to the side of the ship. the young New Zealand Lieutenant who was directing this lowering operation was distracted by the Commander and did not notice I was in the sea. Needless to say I informed him of this in true naval language (swearing my head off) and was immediately back on board. A tot of rum from his private suypply rewarded this incident and I was the first to be allowed ashore. My fellow crewmembers laughed loudly at the time.

'This story was submitted to the People's War site by Gareth Watts of the CSV Action Desk, Leicester, on behalf of Teddy Briggs and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.'

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