RONALD MIZON IN NOVA SCOTIA 1940 - 1944 Part 5
Written by Ronald MizonPublished on January 2018
As we were passing around Northern Ireland headland we noticed that other ships were appearing on the left and right of us. Northern Ireland was slowly left behind us and we were joined by even more ships. We were told we were now entering the North Atlantic Ocean. Well, we were well and truly off. Canada, here we come!
The next thing we noticed was that all the ships were lining up in a formation of rows in the shape of a box and the slower ships were placed in the middle. All vessels were to keep at the speed of the slowest to enable everyone to keep together. On the outer edges of the boxlike formation Royal Navy warships scudded up and down to protect us and detect German U-Boats which may be on the prowl.
As we hit the Atlantic our ship started to pitch up and down from the high and strong waves and some of us began to feel a little funny from the motion. Some children started to be seasick, including me. Other than that we settled down to start a routine of lessons ie reading, spelling and some arithmetic. Singing was also encouraged to keep our spirits up. Nurses were on hand to see to our needs if we were unwell. Next came a big surprise! Those life preservers which we saw earlier were to be tried on. Stewards demonstrated how to do this. Then it was our turn! The antics of some of us made everyone laugh but we had to make sure that we could fit them ourselves AND we had to carry them thereafter. Everywhere we went! Well, we had got rid of our gasmasks and now we were loaded with these huge objects like two pillows fastened together. Below is a rough sketch of what our life preserver looked like. One put one’s head through the hole in the middle and the cords went over the back and to the front. The cords then went around the waist, front ones to the back and the back ones to the front and were then tied tightly. With our life preservers on we felt trussed up. It was like having two six inch hard pillows front and back. One could not lay down flat in them. Just sit or stand. After fitting our preservers we went in small groups up to the lifeboat deck. My sister’s and mine was on the starboard side (right side looking forward). We didn’t actually get in the boats, but were instructed where to stand and then sit if possible and obey the instructions by the ship’s officers and crew on what to do. This then was our lifeboat station. B starboard as I recall. On hearing the alarm bells ringing, we were to assemble here dressed in our warmest clothes with preservers fitted. An officer informed us that our preservers would keep us afloat for about four hours if by chance we ended up in the ocean. The next thing to happen was a demonstration of the alarm bells which sounded all over the ship with an extremely loud clanging. This was our signal night or day to don warm clothing and life preservers. With all those demonstrations, instructions and bells ringing in our ears we trooped away wondering what we had let ourselves in for. Too late to go back home now.