In convoy, the ship can't use its radio, and passengers may not us private sets. because a Fifth Columnist can oscillate the set and thus signal to the enemy. The daily position is not plotted and so the customary sweepstake on the day's run ceases. The result is perpetual uncertainty; course, position, and next port of call being unknown.
This gives rise to one rumour after another, founded on the flimsiest surmises, as to what is happening or may occur. "We were nearly torpedoed last nicht. didnt you feel the depth charge our destroyer dropped" "We have altered course raider has been reported"... an so forth.
Of the convoy itself one may not say anything factual. But it is an amazing sight to be amongst a number of ships steaming in parallel line so close that people on the nearest are clearly seen with the naked eye. The absence of land and the slow speed are relieved by the sight of many ships plunging on either side. We become very critical. after the fashion of landsman, of one ramp which kept station reft with forging ahead or dropping behind us as though i's ad nə gove: nors, or its with the thr The changes of course of he voy were specially interesti ing in line ahead. flag: from the signal lines of the flagship. answering ones would go up all round us—and then the whole shape of the convoy began to ch: It became, shall we say, three rows of ships in stead of, as previously, several lines of them. I had never thought before that a manoeuvre of that sort could alter the shape of a convoy so. much.
Ana then when we broke up, when our ship put on full speed and dashed away on her own, we felt extraord-marily courageous, but very lonely. Henceforth we must rely upon our own devices to outwit or outfight a Nazi attack. So that, at sundown end dawn, one used to keep a special glance for the vacant sea, fearful of detecting something like a stick with foam around li icious smoke trail—a "sub. a raider.
In cur ease, re lucky enough not to see anything of hat kind.
Nights of Gloom o Settlement Yet of This indoors smoking was made worse because not a light of any kind could be shown on deck after sundown. Pipes, cigarettes, and matches were quite taboo. This ban affected all forms of fun on deck after dark. It may have assisted flirtation, but it surely killed the usual preliminaries. Dancing and games on deck were nat allowed till long after, when the Paci ge moon was strong enough for dancing to a loud speaker.
Alarm bells were sounded throughout the ship in two types of Signal A steady ring meant best stations. en intermittent one for "action stations," ie, bomber or submarine attack.
Action stations we had that first night; boat stations we had every week, with fire drill after.
Of course everybody was given a life belt and told to carry it always, every minute of every hour of the whole voyage. Several of us went even further and bought in London for our wives a special pneumatic jacket; normally worn deflated but blown up in a minute. We always kept suitable clothes on a peg (warm ones in the Atlantic. anti-sunburn ones for the Pacific) in the cabin.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.