- Contributed by听
- cornwallcsv
- People in story:听
- Jack Pidgeon
- Location of story:听
- Vancouver
- Background to story:听
- Royal Navy
- Article ID:听
- A4174896
- Contributed on:听
- 10 June 2005
Jack Pidgeon (the author) at 17 years old
This story was submitted to the People's War website by Sue Sutton on behalf of Jack Pidgeon, the author and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.
Early one morning I was on the flight deck of HMS Implacable. She was tied up almost into the town of Vancouver, on the quayside. On the opposite side of the quay six open back lorries were parked. Each one was filled with red apples but nobody on deck seemed to know why. At mid-morning the quayside became packed with people who started to throw the apples at the ship. It was Canadian 'Apple Day'! A lot of the apples were caught by members of the crew but a lot also hit the ship's side.
It was decided to open the ship to visitors and they came aboard in their hundreds. What we did not realise was what was going on right under our very noses. The headlines in the newspapers the next day wer '5,000 DOLLAR ROBBERY'. Everything that moved they took! Schools were reporting to have bombs and shell but, when checked by crew members, it was actually fire extinguishers. The main items to be taken were the ship's chronometers. We had to stay in Vancouver for a further four days before we could get replacements.
One night I went into Vancouver by myself, which is what I usually did, whilst most of the other crew headed for the nearest pub! I walked through the streets knowing I was safe as I would occasionally see a couple of Naval patrol men, (it was the duty of ships in harbour to have patrol men walking the streets). I was walking along when suddenly my surroundings changed. I was in 'China Town' Vancouver and it was like being on the streets of Hong Kong. I remember walking the length of the street, missing the safety of the ship and crew, feeling scared and thinking 'what the hell am I doing here? I'm only 16!' Then back on board and in the safety of my hammock I relived the experience which I had just gone through.
漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.
Recommended story
Story with photo