When we chatted last, I was on my way to the ship that would take me to a new war zone.
As we approached, I was overwhelmed at the mass size of the ocean liner. She was the M.V. Georgic, which bore the distinction of being the last ship built for the White Star Line (of Titanic fame) before they joined up with Cunard.
Also in common with the Titanic, the Georgic had been built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, but since we were taking a distinctly southerly route, I didn’t have to worry about how the ship would handle ice bergs.
Originally launched as an elegant passenger liner, she was converted to a troopship in 1940 and took a hit in the stern from a German bomb in 1941. After being rebuilt and resuming service as a troop transport until 1948, she was refitted for emigrant service post war.
The liner certainly didn’t resemble a luxury cruiser when we boarded seeing as all components had been completely stripped down to accommodate up to 3,000 men.
Most of the troops were obliged to sleep on the first deck on mattresses made from small, cushioned flat pallets called "biscuits". There was row upon row of them with aisles spaced just wide enough for each man to get up.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, officers were accorded accommodation during the journey in the ship’s "Honeymoon Suite", four to a room.
Sergeants were lucky enough to be issued hammocks that were suspended from the ceiling. Having attained the rank of Sergeant just prior to embarkation, I was one of those fortunate ones.
The hammocks were difficult to jump in and out of, especially if the need arose during the night to visit the lavatory shared with about 600 others. Otherwise, they were very comfortable.
The only inconvenience was when the ship changed course, which happened quite often while dodging U-boats. The hammocks would start to swing wildly and we’d knock together like bumper cars.
Hitting the open sea, it was exciting to be part of the largest convoy to leave Britain up to that time. I didn’t suffer any seasickness, as the water was very calm. Calm, but dangerous.
Less than a week in, a U-Boat popped up and fired a torpedo at our convoy, hitting a small Scottish freighter, only to be taken out in turn by our escort Royal Navy destroyer.
When the U-Boat survivors bobbed to the surface, they were scooped out of the sea and unceremoniously dropped on our decks. We had mixed feelings about this. It's not that we resented their survival, just that they were allowed free rein over the ship.
Granted, there wasn’t much point in locking them up when escape was impossible at sea, but I wasn't anxious to chum around with blokes who had very recently attempted to send me to the bottom of the ocean. Let’s just say we gave them a wide berth and they didn’t seem to mind keeping to themselves.
An effort was made to keep us in the dark about our destination, but rumour had it we were bound for the Far East. The journey seemed to take forever, mainly because we took the long way around due to the enemy occupying about half of the Middle East.
Our convoy also had to skirt the Mediterranean with the Germans, who were occupying the Suez at the time. One clear memory is of sailing around the Cape of Good Hope, a rocky peninsula of South Africa.
Time really dragged as we had very little to amuse ourselves with. There was nothing to look at but water for days on end and of course there were no modern day entertainments. We were also anxious to finally put all our training to good use.
One diversion was created by a couple of enterprising crew members who would rig up Bingo games with a sixpence entry fee. You might think that would allow for little profit, but considering the number of men on board and the payout being a paltry £25, it was no wonder the organizers always looked so pleased with themselves.
The food was as tedious as the sailing. Whatever perishables brought on board were quickly consumed in the first few days and we had to satisfy ourselves for the rest of the journey with frozen fish several times a week and canned everything else. No wonder we were excited to eventually wind up in a place where bananas and other exotic fruits were bountiful.
After almost a month shipboard, our destination came into view and what a beautiful sight it was. Lo and behold the ship was slowly easing into what was then known as Bombay Harbour.
I was about to see and experience things beyond the limits of my imagination.
Ed Pearson
