RONALD MIZON IN NOVA SCOTIA 1940 - 1944 Part 4
Written by Ronald MizonPublished on January 2018
When we had all boarded the Anselm we were put into small groups headed by a teacher.
Leader nurses were in attendance also. Then stewards came along and took away our gas masks and the answer to our puzzled looks was, "You won't need these where you are going". We were glad to get rid of them as they were a bit of a nuisance at times. Soon we were escorted in our little groups through a steel doorway and down steps along passageways to what turned out to be the dining salon. What struck us almost at once was that the round tables had a ridge around the outer edge. We were soon to find out why<strong>y</strong> during the next few days. The tables were also clamped to the floor. I really should say deck. This was to prevent the tables from wandering about the salon during rough weather. The chairs were likewise clamped to the deck.
In the salon were what appeared to be life preservers, so it looked like we were going to change our gas masks for a life preserver. Next came instruction from stewards of the ship's crew on how to fit and adjust these preservers and help each other as it was needed. So the older children tried to help the younger ones and we were instructed to have them with us at all times. Next in our little groups of four we were taken to our cabins and allocated a bunk, the younger ones having the lower berths. When I mention older ones it must be pointed out that the average age of us "older ones" was only about 12/13 and my sister was only 9. Before we knew it, it was tea time then some talking from our leaders about conduct aboard ship and to do as the crew and officers instructed. Then it was time to get ready for bed. Do you think we went off to sleep like little angels? Oh no!! We chattered to each other. One boy fancied being a Mountie - for "To Sleep Perchance To Dream" William Shakespeare from Hamlet.
We all had our private dreams. I'm sure (don't laugh) I wanted to be a cowboy as I had seen at the pictures, riding the range. Well, it wasn't to be. I did become a sort of cowboy but not what I expected. But I'm sure we dropped off to sleep thinking about our folks in Middlesbrough, with an occasional sob. Next morning we woke up early. We heard a rumbling noise and were told that it was the ship's engines. We then realized that we were moving. We were off on our journey to the New World. As we moved away from the docks it was heard on the radio that the British Army in France was in retreat along with French, Polish and any other allied soldiers that could get away from the advancing German Army. They were more or less pushing our soldiers into the sea at Dunkirk and every attempt was to be made by Mr. Winston Churchill to take off the beaches as many as possible, but this was to come later. We could now understand why children were being evacuated, as apparently an invasion of Great Britain would be a strong possibility. As we moved slowly out of Liverpool Bay into the North Channel past Northern Ireland on our left and Scotland on our right, we felt at least, we were safe. But were we?? And how safe?? Time would tell!