大象传媒

ON TO ADEN & EGYPT

In those days Aden was a British outpost with guards at the entrance to the docks. The next day when some of us walked out there and spoke to some of the young men on guard we learned from them that they had been there since April 1939 when conscription started before war broke out.

As our ship was going slowly to its landing place we passed some very interesting structures and activity in the long haven on our left. One which interested me most was a huge tank of white salt. Then I saw another tank, but this time it held water and I realised what was being done, the sea water heated by the hot sun boiled away and left only the salt.

Eventually we came to rest at a landing stage and said goodbye to the hospital ship and its crew and we were led to another, and larger ship which was to take us to Egypt. To our joy that was not for a few days and we were able to see most of Aden. On our way to the shopping area of the town we noticed water coming down a high narrow cutting. There was a notice to say that this had been cut to allow the water to be collected. It was fresh water for drinking that had been found by an Englishman early in the century.

The ship we had changed to had quite a high ladder to the deck and the next day, after we had been in the city until dark about 6.30 pm, we had difficulty getting on board. We were warned to take particular care on deck because it had been newly painted that afternoon. The next day we visited the north west of the city. There was a high wire fence which separated Aden from Yemen. All we could see there was dry, sandy flat land which rose a little northwards. Nearby there was a library with some interesting pictures that we went in to see.

All the time we were in Aden it was hot and sunny. We were to see rather different things on our way to Egypt. As we passed Djibouti we were faced with a cold south-east wind that we did not relish; the clothes we were wearing had been suitable for the Indian Ocean but not for the Red Sea in the wind that faced us for a thousand miles.

We cheered up when we saw the mountains to our right and in front and some one called out 鈥淢ount Sinai鈥�. Then there was more joy as our ship turned into harbour; we were in Egypt. Eventually we left the ship and with our kit bags that we were glad to have, we went to the railway station. To our joy we did not have long to wait before we were on a train. When the train started there was a rush to open our bags so that we could change into our warmer battle dress.

Our final abode was at Cassassin in a very flat desert.

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