TNA ADM 334 83

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one
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and
AST
es in exactly her own length). This, of course, threw his
letely. He banked and tried again. Then "Hard-a-starboard" aim
ame result. After a third attempt he gave us up in disgust. Incid- with
sq
any
Ivery
V.S.E
SEX
agh, though the troops had rifles and ammunition, everyone was apparahet-
lly he was a sitter if I had had a machine gun of any sort and funny
TXT
OF
too interested in the manoeuvret to think of using them. Altogether
THEY
ere were three that a machine gun would have put paid to.
york
such as destroyers and transports. In every instance I had to stop, take
Not least of our difficulties was contending with the wash of fast craft,
O
the way off the ship nd and head the wash, otherwise our successful little
cruise would have ended in a bathe. The effect of the consequent plunging
on the troops down below, in a stinking atmosphere with all ports and sky-
STATE
48016
lights closed, can well be imagined. They were literally packed like the
proverbial sardines -- even one in the bath and another perched on the W.C.
so that all the porr devils could do was just sit and be sick. Added were
OF
the remanants of bully beef and biscuits, so that after discharging our
long suffering cargo in Ramsgate at IO p.m. there was nice clearing up job
for the three of us.
Arriving off the harbour I was at first told to "Lie off." With the help
of a megaphone I told the authorities that I had I30 on board (not that
they believed me) and that I was as likely to lie on my beam ends as any-
thing. However, I was then told to "come in." Whilst entering, the men
started to get to their feet and she promptly went over to a terrific angle
With the help of Roger's bellowing roar from the wheelhouse we got them
down again in time and this time told them to stay down or they'd be in
the ditch. I got her alongside a trawler at the quay and made fast with no
small relief. I heard afterwards that the impression ashore was that the
50 odd plus mass of equipment on deck was the extent of my load.
After I had got rid of those on deck I gave the order "come up from below"
and the look on the official face was certainly amusing to behold as troops
vomited up through the forward and after companionways and the doors either
side of the wheelhouse. As a stoker P.O., helping them over the trawler's
bulwarks put it, "Gods truth mate where did you put them" -- he might well
ask.
My intention had been to clear up the mess, get a couple of hours sleep --
we had had none for two nights -- and push off again. We might as well
have pushed off right away, for no sooner had we piped down than a boat
under our bows caught fire, and so ended all thoughts of sleep. Further-
more, to our disappointment, the authorities had decided to call it a day.
Later with my son in command she hoisted the white ensign and the Admiralty
took her over.
C.H.Lightoller.