大象传媒

As a merchant seaman during the war, I was sent to join a ship called the S.S.Fylla lying in the docks at Port Talbot.
During the war, one was directed to the Shipping Office to sign on a ship, not knowing anything about the vessel. We had no idea what it was carrying, where it was going, how big it was, nothing. - You could quite well have been directed to go as a passenger to the United States or Canada to crew a Liberty ship or 'Fort' ship.
However, the Fylla, as I soon discovered was something I didn't expect. It was a Danish ship and I was the only Briton out of the crew. I had signed on for six months, that was the minimum you had to spend on a ship at that time. It was strange at first, although all the crew could speak good English. I discovered the ship had been in England when Denmark was invaded in 1940. Of course this meant they were unable to return home. The crew often shawed me photographs of their families, it was sad they had no idea what was happening to them. Strangely enough it was a very happy ship, it was more like being with a family, very easy going compared to other ships I had been on. Captain Larsen was just like a father, everybody was on the same level.
After leaving the Fylla I often wondered did they ever survive the war. Years later I made enquiries at the Registrar of Shipping at Cardiff and to my great joy I learned the old 'S.S. Fylla' had returned home to Denmark in November 1945. Can you imagine what it must have been like, the feelings of the crew after five long years away to see their families again. Let's hope that this story had a very happy ending.

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