SAILING HOME
Written by Ronald MizonPublished on January 2018
As I returned to the YMCA the clerk gave me a note, and on reading it, I found out it was from Mr. McKinnon instructing me to make myself ready by 10.30 am the next day when an assistant would call for me and take me by car to the dockside. He wished me well………..
So on my fourth day in Halifax, and my last in Nova Scotia, my escort made an appearance and off we went, me with a pass from Mr. McKinnon. As we approached the dock gate we had to show our passes which were in order. Parking the car we made our way to the customs/security hall. Here, I was presented by my guide and asked by the customs officers for my passport which proved correct and then I was passed to the RCMP officer who searched my luggage which was compiled of one large suitcase. This was to be a disappointment to me as I had put in my case an old Nova Scotia motor license plate that Uncle George Cole had given me, a map of Nova Scotia and two large vinyl recordings of typical country music. These items were confiscated by the RCMP for the duration of the war. On enquiring why, as I was no spy, or fifth columnist, he would not hear of me taking these harmless items to the British Isles on account of Canadian security.
As I was eventually cleared, I was then conducted towards a large steam vessel and again had to be cleared by the military by showing my Pier Pass and passport and up the gangway I went. The name of the vessel was to remain a mystery all the time I was aboard (security again).
I was shown to my cabin which was well below ‘savoy standards’. Four berths occupied the space and one, an upper, had a label on the side with my name printed on it. This cabin was now full and my other companions were males. One who stood out was a minister of some persuasion. The other two were just ordinary males who did not say very much. Our cabin was furnished with a small bathroom which consisted of a shower, a washbasin and a toilet. I stowed my suitcase under the lower bunk and then made my way up to the main deck where I met the cabin steward, who turned out to be the attendant for our cabin which was my abode during the voyage. During the evening, whilst we were having our evening meal, we were treated to a rattle and bang up on the upper forward deck and equal noises coming from the stern. Our steward, as he served our food, informed us that we were off. I could not contain myself and left the dining room and made my way to the mid-ships just as the ship was pulling away from the dock. With mixed emotions I gazed at the fading shoreline. Soon we were lining up as in a convoy. In conversation with our steward I mentioned that when I arrived over four years ago we were besieged by a U boat. To my surprise he informed me that the Atlantic had been cleared for some time now and that I would have a safe passage.
It was springtime and during the daytime I relaxed on the mid-ships deck until we reached the deep water and I began to feel sick going up and down. The steward made me an egg nog with his commiserations. After two days or so I began to feel better and was able to take an interest in most of the other ships in the convoy. I could not see them all but I guessed there were thirty vessels not including the navy ships which counted about three destroyers.
After about a week, the Canadian navy ships broke away and were replaced by Royal Navy destroyers. I was told we were half way there (to Liverpool). Soon, we split off with about four ships and altered course which took us around the top edge of Northern Ireland and down the North Channel which led us into the Liverpool Basin. Soon we could see the city of Liverpool. Soon we moved as a single ship into the dock area to tie up. I prepared myself to disembark as we glided slowly up the River Mersey. I put on my overcoat and neck tie and brown trilby hat. As the ship gently moved up the dock I stood on the foredeck to watch the Stevedores catch the rope hausers and tie them to the dock bollard. I was amazed at their dexterity.
Suddenly, one of the Stevedores looked up at me gazing over the bow rail and to my surprise shouted to his mate
“ ‘cor blimey it’s Humphrey Bogart coming in” and both gave me a wave, to which I returned.
As I landed I was subjected to inspections and passport showing. Having been cleared by the Customs and Excise staff I was approached by a middle aged man who introduced himself as my escort but I was not alone. He introduced me to a young lady about my age, who to my surprise had been a passenger on the same vessel and we had not even met! Our escort introduced us to each other. She was returning to St Albans near London and me, of course, to Middlesbrough…….