大象传媒

My Afterleaving school I became an employee of a coal company and enrolled as a student in the local Mining College.As I managed to lift some prizes I was noticed by the company management and was steered through those phases necessary for becoming mines manager and was about to be sent to Heriot Watt College when the war broke out. Although I knew that it was likely that I was in a reserved occupation I wanted into the airforce.Only an old slight perforation of an eardrum failed my entry for flying crew and I became an RAF electrition.
I served from November 1939 until March 1946 in Scotland,Iceland,France,Italy and north Africa,mainly in Egypt.As you may imagine,during this service a great variety of happenings occured,some humorous, some sad and some down right dangerous. Now that I have reached the age of 86years,my memory of dates and people`s names
and place names are harder to recall but some incidents stick clearly in my mind.
The electricion`s course was easy and Charlie Ralphs and I passed out equal top from the course and were delighted when the rest of the chaps of our group treated the both of us to free drinks in the local pub.The next thing I remembered was the next day marching up and down Henlow station with my kit bag on my shoulder,shouting "Where`s the train for Edinburgh." I had been posted to Wick.
Two days after arrival I found myself in charge of a driver,a helper,a large ex furniture
van,a tractor and an enormous four wheeled vehicle.It was a steel platform with a huge steel box with padlocked doors alongone side and with a smaller box protruding from one end with padlocked door and the whole thing having a drawbar.On top of this lot reared a plastic tower about two feet square and containing four three foot long neon tubes The sergeant in the transport section asked me if I had ever driven a tractor,to which I could only reply that I had seen one once on a farm.My driver was called and told that he was to see that the tractor was hitched to this whole contraption and I was to get into the driving seat and be taught to drive it under my driver`s tuition.
This was great fun so long as we were trundelling around the airfield but next day was more than exciting when I had to weave around the streets of Wick towing this two tons vehicle. I survived ,and the following day was summoned,along with the sergeant and my driver and helper to the station adjutant`s office. The adjutant heard the sergeant`s report,then we had all to make our way to the "flashing beacon"as I had dubbed the two tonner. My title was apt as I was given the keys to open the doors to reveal petrol electric generating equipment and a board of switches and dials.The adjutant`s first order was for me to start it up and demonstrate.
I tried to look knowledgable and confronted the switchboard. It was fortunate that from my wide mining experience I could get the hang of it quite quickly and,minutes later,I startled them when I threw the main switch and we were momentarilly blinded by the dazzling white light
given off by the cluster of neons.The adjutant stood with a smile on his face,then waved for me to switch off,before motioning for me to follow him, but dismissing the others.I obediently followed him as he led the way to his office.When he was seated I stood by his desk while he took out his keys and slid one off the ring.He then unlocked a drawer and took out a metal disk of about eight inches diameter and held it up before me.
"I can now tell you just what your duties entail,you have been given an exfurniture van which is to be your living quarters on occasions.You have been given a driver,and a helper come cook,and you have demonstrated that you can operate the beacon.Now this is important,this disc transmits a signal to our aircraft,and of course prior knowledge of those signals must never be known to anyone other than you or me.When you are given a disc you must keep it hidden on yourself or++++++where we are going next.Stick it into your tunic.
"So saying, he rose and led the way back to the beacon,where he leant across to the smaller metal box projecting from one end of the larger boxes and drew a key from nis pocket which unlocked the smaller box.I was then ordered to start up the beacon but not to throw the main switch for the tubes just yet.This I soon had done and was told to look into the small box,and there I saw,projecting into it from the larger boxes,a metal rod with a nut screwed on to the end of it,a heavy electrical cable with its ends screwed to two terminals on a junction box which had a flat lever projecting from it to just above the rod.The next instruction was for me to unscrew the nut,slip the disc over the end of the rod then screw on the nut to firmly hold the disc secure.
Now I was to throw the switch to light the tubes.I did so then looked into the small box where I saw that the metal rod turned ,turning the disc, and as the disc turned I saw that the lever dropped into the cut away edges, some of those cuts on the edges were long others short.I loked up at the lit tubes and saw that they were sending out letters in morse code.
Over the next two days my driver,my helper come
cook and I were busy, under the directions of the sergeant,loading our furniture van with bedding,a small cupboard,food containers,a pressure stove with fuel,a generous supply of foodstuffs and finally a rifle and fifty rounds of ammunition signed out in my name.We were so equipped to enable us to be away from the aerodrome for several days at a time.As soon as all this was done the sergeant took us to the adjutant`s office where we were told that I was to be in overall control of any operations detailed to me by him.When he sent for me I would be given specific orders and the disc,I was to take it from there.
It seemed that until I was summoned,my time was my own. However I could not scive about getting more and more bored,so I found the flight sergeant in charge of the ground crew technical people, and offered to help where I could.This was good for both of us as one of his electricians was down with appendicitus so I had the useful experience of wotking on Hudsons.
But two days later I was sommoned to the adjutant where I was given a disc and told to get my squad and make way to Dunnet head lighthouse,prk there and then follow the instructions contained in the envelope I was now given.
When we arrived at the location given,I opened the orders,to find that the beacon had to be lit with disc running,at certain times,through each of three nights.Guard had to be on during those periods.Hudson aircraft were heard passing back and forth during those times,perhsps with bombs or supplies for Norway.
This proceedure was repeated many times over the next few months but from different locations.
I am closing this article now to contribute to my story list.
Theonly item of any interest which happened during my few months service with the beacon happened early one morning as we were returning to Wick aerodrome.Iwas leading the way along this small country road.The tractor was bowling along,making light work of towing this two ton load,the weather was fine, no wind. no rain.Following me was our exfurnishing van,about two hundred yards behind.Some way ahead I saw a hump backed bridge with sturdy stone walls on both sides and I was almost on it when I noticed a 15cwt truck approaching the bridge from the other side,if I slammed on the brakes the iron monster might slew me across the road.Surely the driver of that 15cwt will notice the bulk and slow down and let me across.My tractor had just crossed the top of the hump whenI realised that he was not going to stop,he came charging on.I slowed and crept closer to the side of the bridge,heard a slight scrape sound then noticed that he also had gone tight to his side.My foot went down on the clutch and then cut the engine.
A horrible noise alerted me to the fact that we were jammed,my steel platform was touching the stone wall on my side and from my higher position I could see that the whole side of the truck was firmly against his wall after having left a long wide score along the stonework.The other half of my outfit had now drawn up behind and my other driver and helper both climbed up and came along the steel platform to see if I was alright.The driver of the truck climbed along the other side of the beacon and was obviously about to curse me from his wide vocabulary,but refrained on seeing three of us.
As this was a quiet country road I didn`t think that we would cause much of a holdup,but this was just about the time when early maorning workers were taking to the roads on their way to work.I could see that already two cars had stopped ahead,and one was honking from behind the furniture van.My corporal,I remember now his name was Alec,now got on to the army lancecorporal and asked him to try reversing.This was done,to no avail.It was my turn to try reversing ,but received a yell from the army chap that I was tearing the side off his vehicle.Alec the told me to stop or I would push the wall down.We were now of course getting volumns of advice from the held up car drivers,whose numbers had now reached seven.
After what turned out to be a wasted ten minutes of advice and arguments my corporal`s arrangment was agreed.From where we were it was about seven miles to the airfield,and one of the drivers of a car on the Wick side of the blockage would get reversed and take Alec there,after it had agreed that the driver would be rewarded with a tankful of petrol for his trouble.Alec had decided that the only solution was to get the sergeant or an officer and a mobile crane.It was an hour later that an officer,the sergeant,Alec and the crane arrived,greeted by the applause of eleven car drivers and my helper and myself,who could now come out of our shelter of the furniture van,our retreat from the,at first, irate delayed car owners.
There is no doubt that the sorting out of the incident between the RAF,the car drivers,their employers,the police ,and whoever was responsible for the care of the bridge was the talking point of the area for weeks.
I wonder if that obliging car driver got his tankful of petrol?
A New Experience Boom. Page 1
The chance of finding out was not afforded me as,a few days laterI was posted.I was told on one day that on the following day I was to be ready to be taken to Wick railway station to catch the early train for the south.It was only that next morning, when I had the chance of studying the documents I had just been given,
that I found out that Darlington was to be my destination.Having been given a subsistance allowance I had the luxury of sitting back enjoying the scenery.
As I got out of the train and out of the station I saw an RAF corporal standing by a 15cwt pickup and assumed that he was waiting for me."So you got here at last,I`ve been waiting for over an hour for you".was the welcoming I got from this driver.
"Keep your hair on,the only excuse I`ve got is that the train must have been late"I replied.
"Sorry,I think we are all on edge,"was his answer
"What do you mean,we are all on edge,I feel fine,it was a very nice trip I had.A long one from Wick,that`s right up in the north of Scotland"I was feeling quite rested after the journey,and had been a wee bit annoyed by his greeting.But I paused and suddenly thought that I had been a bit hastey,After all he had said that he was sorry and anyway he was a corporal.
I should not have spoken to him like that.
"My turn to say sorry,what`s up?I queeried.
"Our unit has had it rough,"he commented"over the past month,we have lost one officer and one sergeant.Iwas lying about five yards behind the sergeant as he was attending to the bomb and the blasted thing went off,his body must have saved me.I was really shaken but thought it was all over,the worrying,but as soon as I am unoccupied and begin to think,I see the whole thing again."
It was my turn to speak I thought,to get his mind of it.
"Right corp,we should get going.How far have we to go and how far is it to the nearest pub?.
Iqueeried.
"Just about a couple of miles and we shall be there"he replied.
Right enough,the corporal put his foot down and only a few minutes later we were turning through a wide gate into a short driveway of about two hundred yards and then pulling up before a large country house.We got out of the truck and approached the large heavy wooden door,half of which stood open.The corporal went straight in and I followed.There was a door on the right,the corporal knocked and got a call to come in.We entered and I saw a lieutenant sitting at a desk.
We approached the desk and I put down in front of him the papers concerning my posting.The corporal turned to go but the lieutenant said,
"Hang on corporal"and after glancing at the papers continued "I`ll just have a word with",
and after annother glance at the papers,
"AC Angus then you can take him to room 6 and find him a bed,then you can bring him to see me tomorrow morning"He then turned to me and said ,
"Welcome Angus you will have quite a bit of work to do but we can leave the details until tomorrow.The corporal will show you where to kip down and where to get something to eat and we shall meet again in the morning"
The corporal and I saluted smartly and left the room.

Boom Page 2

Next morning the corporal appeared at my bedside and said that I should now get up,have my ablutions then join him downstairs for breakfast when we could have a talk and give him a chance to explain what had been happening.In about half an hour I was down in the lower hall from where we went into a large room which I thought might have been a lounge in peace time.Straight ahead in the far wall was a large bow window,through which I could see a garden and on my right was a large fireplace in which burnt a cheery fire.The fireplace still had the brass tongs,the small shovel and brush one would expect to see in normal times.
The homely picture in my mind was suddenly wiped away as my eyes swept around the room to see two long plain folding tables with benches along each side.Two of the benches were occupied by four airmen I could only describe as scruffy.On the tables were a few dirty plates.Each of the airmen held an enamel mug from which I assumed they were drinking tea.On our entrance they looked up and were gazing at the corporal and myself.The corporal spoke up and said "This ia AC1Angus,he is an electrician"This announcement was greeted with brief nods from the airmen and one spoke up saying"Maybe you can get Angus to fix the sidelights on my truck Charlie,"then after a pause "are you Scottish Angus?"
"Yes I`m Scottish,and maybe I`ll fix your headlights but it`ll have to wait until I`ve had my breakfast"I replied.
Charlie then spoke up,"Give Angus and myself a chance to get our breakfast,Archie,and what`s for it today? "Fried egg,bacon,beans and toast,"one of the other airmen replied. Just then a figure entered the room carrying a laden tray.He was dressed in overalls and on his head was a white chef`s hat.
"Here you are,corp, your tucker for two just as you ordered".
"Right thanks Bill,"said Charlie,and continued to me,"What is your Christian name,your name Angus is your surname is`nt it but I know that Angus is often used as a Christian name .A
bit confusing to me"
"The name is George"I replied,"but let`s get on with the food it smells great"

Page 3
There was silence as we tucked in and I enjoyed it,but I was impatient to ask questions. At last Charlie leant back in his chair with a huff,and he commented "That was good,you will have a lot of questions George and the Flight you saw last night told me to put you in the picture,Just give you a few details about our outfit and he would see you later. We have to meet him at two o`clock.Let`s go out and have a walk around the garden where we can get a bit of peace.We are all trying to get over the upset we had.I told you that we had one go off and we lost a couple of our outfit."
"That would make anyone feel peculiar,it must have been a bit messy"I said.
"Messy"he almost yelled,and I could see that his face had gone pale.
"Sorry you have been through a strain,but you will have to pull yourself together,these things happen,.what did you do in civy street?"I asked.
"I worked in an insurance office,"he replied,"I was attending college and of course was called up.It wasn`t a reserved occupation.With my book-keeping experience it seemed to get me promotion quickly,it must have been some officer wanted rid of paperwork.What line of work were you in before all this lot started,George?"
"Something a bit dirtier,I`m afraid,coal mining"
He stopped ,turned and looked at me,and exclaimed"By jove you are the bloke we need on this outfit,but you are an electrician.Were you that in the pits?"
"No nothing of the sort,but just a plain miner trying to get to the top.I would probably been at college now studying for my mine manager`s qualifying certificate.I understood that the company might have seen to the expence".
"You must been doing well and how come you are in the RAF,miners are reserved, we need coal for industry?"
"Yes, I could have been reserved but I had a hancering for something different and ever since primary school I have wanted to be a pilot."was my reply.
"You mean you volunteered for this lot,how come you are an electrician when you wanted to be a pilot?"Charlie wanted to know.
"It`s a long story,corp,leave it till later.It`s more immediate you tell me everything you think I need to know"
"Right then George,I told you that we had a horrible blowup,that was recently and the officer who was killed was a great friend of the flight lieutenant you saw last night.He is still in shock I think,and there was some doubt about the equipment we were useing.We can go round now to the store and you can have a look ."
We made our way round to the back of the house and,in the garden stood a rather tumble down brick building.Charlie openned the door which scraped on the concrete floor and there in a rough heap,lay an assortment of equipment and coils of wire,while on two shelves in untidy stacks stood,jumbled,more wire,and what looked to me,at first glance,like telephone equipment.
I shook my head in disbelief at the confusion.
"This is no way to leave equipment lying around and it should be in somewhere dry.This place is damp,or should I say wet?" I was looking at the far wall where I could see a damp patch stretching from the floor up to a height of four feet and as I swung round to look at the window I could see that the windowsill was wet.You`ll have to have a word with your flight about this.Who put the stuff in here?"I asked.
"That is a mystery to me"replied Charlie,I arrived three weeks ago,me from a course of truck maintenance.The sergeant and the flight had
just come of a course of explosives,fuses and detonators.I arrived with five erks,one a cook,two drivers,and two who were to do the digging for any bomb we may be called out to.
A squadron leader arrived two days later and took charge.All this equipment had arrived before us as had kitchen stuff and food etcetera.
The squadron was the one who bought it.He had been in the game of sorting out unexploded bombs for about three months and,according to flight,
had dealt with six before.
I was beginning to get the sorryful picture,
had the squadron leader become a bit blasae about things,or had there been faulty equipment,
or had he encountered a different type of fuse?
Charlie and I were getting on well together and the rest of the morning spent his time taking me around the premises,showing me the two 30cwt trucks,the 15cwt pickup,the staff car and the motor cycle.The house was quite a big place of nine rooms kitchen,two store rooms,two bath rooms and shower room.Soon it was lunch time after which Charlie took me to see the flight lieu. who had arrived.He was very pleasant and
introdused himself as Flight Lieutenant Harris.
"I believe the corporal has shown you around and I would like to get a picture of you and what you think of things here.Firstly what did you do before comimg into this unit?"I came down from

Wick where I was in charge of a flashing beacon.
It was connected with operations over Norway."
"That was my first posting after doing an electrician`s course".
"Were you an electrician before the war?"
"No sir I was a coalminer"I replied.
"Oh,have you had any experience of explosives?"
he asked."Quite a bit sir,mainly gelegnite"
"That is very interesting,I believe you will be very useful,Angus",he said."I`m sure you will have some questions to ask me now"
"I have,sir,"I replied.
"Have you any idea,sir,who dumped all that equipment in the outhouse in the garden?" Iasked
"I have no idea,it was here when I arrived recently.why Angus?"
"Would you mind sir,coming round to the store with me,and I can explain?"
"Certainly,"I`d like to get all things clear,"he replied.We made our way round to the store and met Charlie whom the lieutenant told to come with us,and Charlie,perhaps to keep in well with the lieu..started telling him all about me.
"I`ve found out that Angus here was a coalminer and has handled explosives,sir ,"
"That`s useful,I know"was the short reply,"Now Angus tell me about this store".
We had just arrived at it and Charlie started to pull the door open with me helping to drag it scraping,over the concrete.
The lieutenant looked around and shook his head.
"What a mess,we depend on this stuff for our safety.Who is supposed to look after this equipment,corporal?"he enquired . Charlie shrugged his shoulders in an expression of ignorance.
"There`s nobody allocated,sir.When we were told we were on callout I got together the stuff we were told was wanted and the driver and myself loaded it."
"And it was chucked back in like this,wasit?"
I could see that the lieu.was getting a bit high,and Charlie was getting a bit worried as I was also at the thought that I was,inadvertantly,
causing trouble.I felt that I should butt in and try to keep things cool.
"It`s not that point about jumbling things up sir,I don`t think that matters so much although I certainly wouldn`t like equipment lying about in a mess like this.It`s not the fact that the equipment is in a bit of a jumble,but that this is hardly the most suitable environment for it "I said.
"Explain just what you have in mind Angus."
"Just look around the walls,sir,I`d say that they are a bit more than damp and this is not good for any electrical stuff."was my reply.
"I begin to get the idea of your concern,what should be done about it,you are an electrician and it looks like you were sent here to look after this apparatus,I haven`t had any information concerning your duties yet?"
"I`d like to suggest sir,that all this apparatus be found a room in the main building where we can be sure that it is kept in a dry condition.I
shall test it for condition of insulation and so on"I replied.
"We shall get on with that straight away,corporal,get all the bodies around here and have everything brought into the house.You come with me Angus and we will find a suitable room"
The lieu set off at a brisk pace with me following behind.We soon found a small room which was about eight feet square and had two layers of shelves running along two side walls.
"Will this do Angus?"he asked,turning to me.
"Ideal sir.I`ll get the stuff up on the shelves and test everything"
Charlie stayed with me and soon got on to asking all about me, especially what I did in the mines and about explosives.I had to tell him that to ever become a mines manager,one had to gain certain experiences,one of which was to gain a "fireman`s certificate"which I had now.
Thecourse,towards gaining the certificate,covered testing the air in the nminefor dangerous gases,checking the roof for safety,ensuring the roof supports were adequate,
and carry sufficent explosives and firingcaps as may be needed.
"Gosh,"exclaimed Charlie,"that was some job,I`m
beginning to think that you know more about explosives,and handling them ,than the lieu."
"Don`t go shooting your mouth of about me and that stuff I have no wish to play with unexploded bombs."With the idea of changing the subject I asked how often they were called out.
To which he replied that the last call had been about a week ago when,as you know we had the accident.Before that there had been a break of nearly three weeks.
"Does Gerry drop a lot that don`t go of?"I asked
"Yes,I reckon they must hsve a lot of sabotage"said Charlie.
The next three days I spent sorting out all the apparatus.Charlie seemed to want to spend all his time with me.
"I have to go to the station to pick up a new squadron leader and a sergeant,I hope they are luckier than the last lot"
I paused and looked at Charlie,he had gone white.
"Take it easy Charlie.I`m making sure that everything is in tip top order.You`ve seen me renew some wiring,not that I found anything wrong before,just being super cautious .
"Thanks George"he replied,"I see that you are very careful and you check everything in detail
after you have done a repair.
"That`s what comes from the type of experience I`ve had"I commented,"just like your bomb business,mining was risky"
Later in the day the two arrived and within an hour of their arrival I was called in to meet the squadron leader.
"I`ve heard that you had all the apparatus moved into the house and out of the damp.Did you find any faults on any of it?"
"No sir,some insulation was frayed and some megger readings were low but I can`t say there was any fault,and now that everything is warm and dry,I`m sure the readings will be up."
"Right Angus,glad to have you with us.I`ve heard you'll keep things in good form, having had to be careful in mining. I immediately thought, wait til I get my hands on Charlie. He must have spilled the beans on me. "Thank you sir," I said, before saluting smartly and leaving.
The next few days were quiet and after a bit of diffence with Charlie over his telling about my mining and explosives experience,we got pally again and went to Darlington swimming baths together, borrowing his 15cwt to get there.But the quiet was not long lasting,Gerry visited Tyneside again and I had the chance to see how things went. Everyone had a job to do,outsiders
would have thought that there was a panic but no.
Various people picked up apparatus and loaded it on the two 30cwt trucks while the squadron leader
and sergeant got into the 15cwt driven by Charlie and I had been shouted at to get aboard it as well. A dispatch rider who had brought the message asking for our unit led the way.
It did not take us long to reach the site of the bomb.A police sergeant,a policeman and several soldiers were standing by a hole in the wall of a house.The two elderly occupants had been evacuated.They had heard a loud thump and the house had shaken.The squadron leader examined the hole,spoke a few words to our sergeant before calling me over and telling me to get out the phones and listening equipment.
"Angus I believe you have not been on this kind of caper before?"he queeried of me.
"No sir,but I`ve got out the necessaries,"I replied,"This is my first time.I expect you will want the phone lines led around the corner of that next house it seems fairly solid and you can see the bomb hole from the corner?"
"It seems that you will be a useful member of the team Angus,you are quite right, that is just what I had in mind.Get on with it"
The work went well,a bomb was dug out, loaded on to one of the 30cwt trucks, and after a jittery ride for those aboard the truck on the way to a farm field ,where the bomb was blown up, we returned to base and a good meal before tumbling into bed.I had a few experiences of those situations over the next few months and had during that time had visits to the swimming pool,sometimes getting there by bus,and it was on one of those times that I was startled to hear my name bawled out at me while I was in the water. "Angus get out of there right away,get your clothes on,I`m waiting for you in the truck."It was our sergeant shouting.
I was out,dressed and on the truck in minutes.
"What`s wrong sergeant?"I enquired.
"Don`t know Angus.You`ll find out soon."
I did,and was told that I was posted.
The co.said that I was to be at Gouroch,a port somewhere on the Clyde at a particular time,three
days hence.
"That seems to say that I am going overseas,sir"
"Seems like it"
"Do I get leave then sir?"
"I know that you are scottish Angus,but just where do you live in Scotland?"the CO asked.
He looked a bit disconcerted at my request but
after leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes for a few moments he came to life.
"Sergeant,fetch me a railway timetable,Angus how do you get to your town by rail?"
I have never since then, known the RAF admin.work
so fast.By early afternoon I was sitting in a train bound for Edinburgh and from there to Kirkcaldy,having been furnished travel documents,ration vouchers,a packed lunch and money after been given a handshake by the CO and
transport to the station by the sergeant.
My leave was uneventful as some of my best friends had also joined up.

My First Voyage.
It was at 1800hrs on a Thursday that I was lined up with a mixed bunch of airmen and sailors on the quay at Gourock waiting to board a ship which I learned later was called the Sobeiski.It had been,I was told,a Polish passenger ship in peacetime but now a trooper.We were soon hustled up the gangplank to have first,
a good meal,then some instructions in hammocks,
where we were to sleep then told that we could wander around the ship as we wished,then lights out at 2200hrs. No sooner had the lights been put out than I felt a vibration of the ship and a feeling that we were moving.
It was 700hrs when I awoke to realise that the ship was rolling I got up,found my towel and soap and followed two sailors who were carrying towels and toiletries, to where I could have a wash.After breakfast I donned my greatcoat and decided to spend the morning walking around the ship,getting to know it, as I had never been on anything bigger than a rowing boat.It was chilly out on the upper decks and the day was spent pauseing to talk with either other airmen or some of the sailors,all of whom were wondering just where we were bound for,noone seemed to know.The next morning I began the same walkabout
but soon began to stagger now and then as the ship rolled and not only was
I staggering but was feeling a bit odd.I was getting seasick.Luckily I saw a large box on the
deck near the rail,it was a float for help in disaster,it rescued me in my predicament.It was only minutes later when I made a grab for the rail and gave the sea my breakfast.I was just making it back to my seat when Rolph stopped and stated what I already knew.
"You are really seasick chum,just sit still and takeit easy,I`ll be back" He trotted off and a few minutes later I was surprised to see him come back with another steaming breakfast.We sat and he chatted, as I did as told, and ate up the meal. It did not stay with me long and I was at the rail again,treating the sea.Before I could get back to my seat again,Rolph,he had introduced himself by now,went off again,and the process was repeated,I had another meal.I am not sure how many meals I had but finally one stayed down.I was feeling better.Rolph was on hand again."You wont feel sick now,come on we`ll walk around the ship in the open and stay away from any ventilators which may be giving of engine smells" Rolph and I became good friends,he had heard me speaking and knew I was Scottish.He explained that when Germany invaded Norway the British government had asked all Norwegian ships to head for British ports.This with his government`s aproval.The British leased the ships and the Norwegians were using the money to buy aircraft.
Although only 21 years of age Rolph had been around the world twice.As we chatted about many things we watched our accompanying destroyer seem to rise above us on an enormous wave then,although only three hundred yards away,sink out of sight beyond another huge wave.Our thoughts were interrupted as the destroyer began
churning up a great deal more white foam from its stern and quickly draw away from us.Our escort was now gone,we were alone at the mercy of any roving submarine.The good ship Sobeiski
ploughed on and by late afternoon land appeared far to our starboard,there were many guesses but Rolph said that it was Iceland.He was correct,
and a few hours later we were on the quay at Reykavic where I was glad of a cup of tea from
the Salvation Army tea waggon.As the tea lady was buttering a scone for me she asked,
"Did you see some of the excitement out there?.
"Sorry,what excitement,I dont understand?"
"The story we have been hearing is that the Hood,has been sunk,and not all that far from here.
I turned and looked at Rolph,who nodded his head and remarked,"Now we know,that is why that destroyer buzzed off and left us.There would probably be something it could do"
We said nothing more as we sat there having our tea and scones,our thoughts were on how many lives may have been lost.

New field of experience,Iceland,Norwegians.

For one who had never been farther than off the Scottish coast for about a mile, in a rowboat it seemed a great adventure to be in Iceland and in the company of ex Norwegian sailors.The company on the quay were soon brought
to attention by an RAF flight lieutenant who called out the names of five of us RAF chaps who were to board a truck then wait while a norwegian officer called out twelve of the norwegians to join us and I was delighted when Rolph was among them.
The journey was only a few miles to a spot where there was a great deal of activity going on.We were on an old road a few yards up from the beach of a fiord.On a field of grass rising gently away from the shore a number of soldiers were busy building Nisson huts while right at the edge of the field,lay several unopenned very large wooden crates.
This was the beginning of a very interesting ten months with the norwegians.Our purpose of being in Iceland was to help in patrolling the North Atlantic gap.The whole of the norwegian merchant fleet had been told,at the invasion of their country,to head for a British or neutral port and the British,with the agreement of the king of Norway,leased all of them.With the payment made, the norwegians set up a training base in Toronto for flying crew for the Northrop seaplanes which arrived in huge wooden crates.
Our first job was to open those crates,empty them,put our kit inside and call them home sweet home until the squadies finished building our huts.The next day was taken up making those crates surpriseingly comfortable cutting holes for windows,covering them with transparent plastic found around various packages beside the aircraft and making makeshift doors.The following day we spent walking around the camp to get some idea of the projected layout.We were to have three aircraft stances,and as far as I could judge,ten huts on the space between the roadway and the fairly steep hill behind the camp.That was enough of free time.
There were about twenty exsailors,two officers and five of us RAF chaps,and we had to get on with puting the three planes we had taken from the crates,together.With a few snags,including finding all labels and instructions in Norwegian,we had them together and running up in a few days,thanks to Rolph`s translations.This process was being mirrored in two places other than Reykavic,one at Akerary and one at Buderary.Once all three bases were set up,regular patrols were started,always subject to weather conditions.My service with them was seldom free from exciting moments,some of them I have written in my stories section e.g."Upthe spout".
Myself.I was fortunate enough to have had the pleasure of their company for a period of ten months before being posted back to Britain to a spitfire squadron and as I was now an experience corporal,was for a time content to be in charge of other electricians,but soon got tired of office work and repetetive servicing of spitfires and one morning read on the notice board that volunteers were wanted for a apecial unit and felt that I should have a try for a change of scene.I was surprised to be called to the adjutant`s just three days later,and hear that I was posted and it was to do with what I had volunteered for.Next day I found myself at Tangmere and learned about what I had got myself in for.
Under special training we were to become an efficient fighting unit capable of defending any airstrip we may be operating from and a highly proficient maintenance team capable of servicing any type of fighter or fighter-bomber under war zone conditions.We had to become very physically fit and well able to handle weapons.We were given the means of becoming mobile,a number of trucks containing personal kit,tents,spare parts food and weapons.But that was just a start,there followed combat training at the Combined Operations Commando School at Inverary Which I must confess was tough,one exercise was to do a route march,the flight of twelve of us,ending up on the beach and being ordered to pile aboard a vessel like a ship`s liteboat,by the weight of it, and row out to a ship anchored in the loch.We had to get aboard via scrambling nets
It was a great relief when we reached the deck and a few began to ease off equipment and lay down rifles,but it was not to be.There were sudden bauled out orders from the Black Watch officer,
"You have to get home now,no time for lazing about,get across the deck and see your transport.
I expect you to get back in half the time you took to get out here."
We crossed the deck,looked down, and there it was a great big heavy wooden lifeboat,we were soon down and into it and pulling away to the ever louder orders,of "poooll,poooll".
Once we had finished the course we could sew on the Commando badges followed by the badges of the Combined Operations Command.Now we moved from place to place along the Channel coast servicing operations by fighter bombers.Our short lived stays on various locations caused odd problems.We were told to hand any laundry needing washed,to any aerodrome supplies people and pick it up later,if we had moved they would send it on to a combined operations depot.Meantime if the clean washing had not reached us when we had moved we would draw new stuff from stores. Once after several short moves, followed by a longer stay I found three lots of washing catch me up.I had no shortage of kit.
Some of us were sent of individually to various stations to find certain information on various aircraft.I was sent,on one occassion,to an American bomber station to aquaint myself with the electrics on the B17 flying fortress.I was met by the engineering officer in charge of electricions who said that he would be glad to show me round their workshops and departments.First he took me to the aircraft generator workshop then to the man who dealt with the bomb sequence wiring systems, then to tne man who dealt with the communications circuits,then to the man in charge of seeing to lighting wiring.At each I was shown the wiring diagram.
I was beginning to feel that their system was,to me,a bit odd and asked the officer if we could sit down and discuss things,to which he was quite willing.I asked that if instead of doing all this information gathering piecemeal could I not have a look at the master circuit diagram.He looked puzzled and asked if I was supposed to do all the various electrical functions on aircraft.It was our policy in the RAF,I told him,that our electritians learned the basics of electricity and not knowledge of one isolated bit,we did not have separate men to do particular jobs and it would be easier for me if I could have an opportunity of studying the master diagram.
He looked a bit uncertain then decided that we should go to see the station CO.The CO saw us right away and after the engineering had explained,he looked at some papers and said to him that I had top clearance and should be helped in any way with the information I wanted.
The station commander was a big very well built man who looked at me with a look of slight misbelief that I was expected to be able to deal with all electrical functions,but then asked the engineer if there was a copy that I could be lent for a day.He replied that if there was one it was probably in the tall steel cabinet that stood behind the CO`s desk.
The cabinet was mounted on a several inch high plinth and the bottom section was man height high with two two foot square cabinets above.I stood by while first,the technical officer then the CO,ruffed through the upper box.The master
diagram was found,the CO spread it out on his desk,looked at me then at the diagram,then at me,folded up the sheet and wished me good luck and to return it in 48hours.
He got a salute from me as I picked up the drawing,then turned and left,not awefully impressed with their general ground crewing, servicing and administration.