More Life on the Ocean Wave.
Pete,
Please post the result of your researches about my convoy (and escorts). I have little memory of them, and would like to know.
Thanks, Danny.
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My story continues:
The ship cast off, tugs nudged her round into midstream, the Liver Birds slowly sank from view as we moved downstream past New Brighton and out by the Bar lightship. We were bound for Bombay. In peace, travelling through the Canal, this would be a three-week trip. But the War had closed the Canal route to us; we would have to go round the Cape and put in at Durban. This would put on another week at sea plus a day ot two ashore there. They estimated about five weeks overall.
In fact we were aboard for nearly eight. Where had we been ? To this day I don't know. All I know is that after about three weeks we put into Bahia (San Salvador) in Brazil ! We were told that the ship needed fresh water, and we stayed a couple of days. Strangely, I can't remember whether we still had an escort or were sailing alone.
Now the tropical kit we had changed into a week or so back got a public viewing. I don't think anybody had tried washing it yet - experience with the salt-water soap in the showers had convinced us that it would be a hopeless exercise. So the stuff wasn't exactly in pristine condition.
They decided to use the opportunity to "show the flag" (Wiki tells me that Brazil had thrown in its lot with the Allies in August '42 - no doubt leaned on by Big Brother up North). The idea was good, but...... We would have a march from the quayside to the central Plaza of the town (only about half a mile), round it and back to the ship. in Tropical No. 1 SD and Bombay bowlers. No free time ashore - perhaps they didn't trust us !
You never saw such a crowd of scruffs as the RAF turned out for the good people of Bahia. We got a bit of applause from a thin crowd in the Plaza, but we had no band, and I don't think their hearts were in it. They cannot have been much impressed by their (historically) old Ally. The former Portugese colonial buildings were impressive, and the walk must have done us good, but that was about all. There would have been a big Army contingent with us too, as they had a lot on board, and I must admit they were a bit smarter.
Now perhaps I should get on to a description of our life on board. (Never try to get me on a Cruise - Dr Johnson has it exactly right: "Being in a ship is being in prison, with the added prospect of being drowned"). For a start we slept in seven- tier wooden bunks, in what had been the first-class dining room of the ship. I drew the top bunk of my set, which enabled me to step on everone's faces on the way up and down, whereas nobody stepped on mine, and I had a little extra headroom under the ceiling as well - useful as we had all our "wanted-on-voyage" kit plus life-jackets with us in our bedspace. Such good fortune rarely came my way.
Food was passable - several sittings at mealtimes; the ship had a canteen, but it was "dry" as far as we were concerned. What they did have was plenty of chocolate (a precious treat at that time in Britain), but it was Australian chocolate, stocked up on a previous trip. This has (or had then) a quite different flavour (even though it was still "Cadbury's") and the excitement over it soon died down.
A Troopship was really a floating Transit Camp; the main enemy was boredom. They must have had us out on Lifeboat Drill; there was regular PT of course; we would play deck games; there was the usual "Crossing the Line" ceremony - this involved almost everbody in a ducking from "King Neptune", as very few of us had ever crossed the Equator before.
The Ship's Warrant Officer organised endless games of "House" ("Bingo") in the afternoons and these were always crowded out, although I could never see the attraction. As far as I can remember, the few pence entrance fee went straight into the SWO's pocket. As he was on the ship's staff, he stayed with it, and this handsome source of extra income must (unless he got sunk) have been a very useful addition to his demob gratuity.
Enough for the time being, more soon.
Goodnight, all.
Danny42C
As you were !