"At night time on deck you can watch the waves breaking past the ship in showers of phosphorescent lights, it is quite fascinating to watch and looks as if the sea was lit up from underneath"
This is a letter that was sent to my Grandmother Mary and my mother, Barbara who would have been 5 years old, in 1941 whilst on his journey East.
My Grandfather was a gunner in the royal artillery. He obviously could not disclose his whereabouts for security reasons, but the letter does give an insight into life on board. I know that he sailed from Glasgow heading to Freetown.
Unfortunately he was captured in 1942 and was in Bandoeng POW Camp in Java. He was moved to Japan via Singapore in 1943 where he lost his life in a POW camp there.
My Grandmother kept the letter along with other cards and drawings that he sent to her from the camps. He was a sign writer by trade and did some incredible drawings whilst held captive.
Transcript:
Somewhere-at-sea
My darling wife,
At last I am able to write a few lines to you, tho it may be some time before you receive this. I shall try and keep up a regular mail.
We are due at our first post of call within the next few days and where the letters will be posted. I can just imagine the thousands of letters what will be collected, can't you! Well dear you will know doubt be curious to know how I have been on my first sea voyage. The first three days were awful just like three of my usual Christmas days, as a matter of fact all I ate during this time was 2 packets of biscuits. I don't think I should have minded being consigned to the deep sea to end my misery. However that is over now, thank goodness and am now able to enjoy my meals, (which by the way are very good) and to appreciate the atlantic ocean, which seems to have varrying moods of either letting you sail smoothly along, or throwing the ships about like a toy. We appear to be running into much calmer weather now, and the nights are getting much warmer, and later on we shall be allowed to sleep on deck as it tends to get a bit stuffy down below deck.
I wish that I was able to send home to barbara, a few bars of chocolate which we can obtain without ration at the canteen. We can also get tea, biscuits and minerals in any quantity. It seems a pity that the kiddies at home have such a job to get these. Cigarettes are also very plentiful and cheap as low as 25 for 8d and all good English and Canadian cigs. It is a smokers paradise but of course that doesn't worry me but should like to send some tobacco home for dad all the same. There is also a little shop on board where you can get books, pipes, soap and practically anything you require. Ammusement on board consists mostly of housey and we are having quite a few concerts now at night and what with a few siesta the days pass fairly quiet. There is only one thing I wish darling, and that is I was coming home to you instead of going away but I am afraid that is going to be some time before that happens so we must rely on our thoughts to keep us to-gether and our letters. I often [unclear] up deck and wonder [unclear] you and barbara and [unclear], expect she is getting on nicely at school now, and tell her that next time I see her I shall expect to hear she is in the top class.
We saw a school of dolphins on Friday. These are quite large fish and follow along side the ship for quite a long time. They fly right out of the water every few seconds and are very graceful to watch. Expect dad could tell you something about them and another thing interesting is that at night time on deck you can watch the waves breaking past the ship in showers of phosphorescent lights, it is quite fascinating to watch and looks as if the sea was lit up from underneath. We are at the moment of writing being escorted by [three words blacked out] warships and it is a very reassuring sight to see them around us with their big guns ready for use.
Well sweetheart that is about all I can say for the time, though I could say a lot more, but this letter has to be read by the censor and I don't want him to sit up all night, so will close. Till next time "Cheerio and "God bless you both"
From your devoted Don x
Tagged:At sea , PoW
Contributed by:Jennifer Arneaud
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