大象传媒

After we left some rough seas in the ATLANTIC with many girls experiencing becoming sea sick, we landed in less turbulent water. We felt safe in the convoy not even thinking we might be attacked. (When one is young one feels invincible: we would NOT be attacked!!) I think we were just lucky. When looking out we always saw the other ships in the convoy and the ships protecting us!! We felt nothing would harm us!

I was looking forward to the PANAMA CANAL and entering more tropical weather and scenery. The CANAL it self was a tremendous experience: we were allowed to get off the ship in COLON but were advised to stay together and NOT go into little side streets.
It was hot and humid. When we came into the last part of the Canal memories of my childhood in the Dutch East Indies suddenly struck me: I remembered the humid tropical smell in the air, I remembered the vegetation: it was as if I was coming Home!
After all these years in Holland, living through the German occupation, freezing in sub zero weather without enough heat, liberated way before the rest of Holland, signing up for the Dutch East Indies and never even thinking how I would react to the tropics again!!
But here I was!! So grateful to be back in old familiar weather and scenery. The smell of the tropics: hot and humid, the vegetation. Crocodiles sunning themselves with their "mouths" wide-open.... That was my first impression: idealizing it all I am sure!

When we pulled into the Pacific the ocean was different; enormous expanses of water: no horizons :no end to water and water with different colours because of the blue skies above and......no one protecting us. We zigzagged to confuse the Japanese submarines. But soon we forgot about any possible torpedoes!!

It was hot and humid in our cabin: we were allowed to sleep on deck: What a treat! I loved the starry skies: the Southern Cross was my favourite! The entrances to the area where we slept had guards: we felt safe!! Early in the morning we were awakened by calls:"WAKEY WAKEY LADIES: It is quarter to 6." And we got off quickly as they started to wash the decks with streams of seawater...

We were looking forward to having another delicious breakfast. I was in my cabin when I heard a tremendous commotion in the other cabin: girls screaming. I poked my head around the door and saw one of the girls trying to beat some one with a life vest. Whoever it was disappeared quickly. I asked one of them what happened? Apparently a guy had come in and exposed him self. I decided to go and tell the security officer about what happened. He asked whether I saw anything Neg.of course. He said" Keep your eyes open and report anything unusual." We went to breakfast and forgot all about it. A few weeks later: the same screaming and commotion one of the girls trying to chase someone out of their cabin with a life vests. Same story! a guy exposing himself. He had problems! I went to the Security Officer to report the second incident. "Keep your eyes open'"etc.

Because I had only sixpence when I got on board I could not buy anything like a soft drink or candy. ( I bought" things" at Woolworth in W鈥檋ampton to send to my family.) I played cards and all kind of games with the RAAF officers on deck .They were a nice bunch and I had fun!! They said:"Josephine, if you would press our uniform pants and shirts we will give you anything you want: soft drinks or candy". I thought that was a good deal. So one night I went down to the "Hold" to press some pants etc. The corridor was dimly lit. When I was finished I put all the clothes over my arm hot iron in my right hand and started to go upstairs.

All of a sudden somebody put an arm around my neck. I tried to look who it was some joker?? It was an arm in a dark blue knit sweater. I told that person to remove the arm! A male voice said NO"! I had to think fast: I knew he did not have anything nice in mind for me.
So I said:" If you don't take your arm off my neck I am going to put this nice hot iron in your face and we will know who you are'". In no time flat he let go he looked like a crew member in a dark blue outfit. PHEW that was a narrow escape. I went straight to the security officer who asked whether I had a good look at his face. I said: "NOT really it was pretty dark down there". "Ok, he said. We'll keep in touch"........

And he did! In the next instalment you will hear the "D茅nouement"

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