THE STOWAWAY
Written by Ronald MizonPublished on January 2018
I used to visit the Sailors’ Rest at Southsea in a nearby seaside resort which was not very far away from HMS Victory. There, one could have a meal or a snack or make use of a games room and a writing room. On one of my visits I became friendly with another sailor and I was pleased he was a Canadian sailor. During our chit chat he told me he was off an aircraft carrier tied up in Portsmouth Harbour, going by the name of HMCS Warrior. He told me that they were sailing to Halifax, Nova Scotia the next day. My heart leaped when he informed me that they were sailing Saturday at noon. I mentioned to Scottie, as he was called, that I wished I could go, and to my surprise he offered to get me aboard on the night before sailing. Scottie asked me if I could be ready in two days’ time. I answered in the affirmative and we arranged to meet on the evening before the sailing day. He said I should travel light, in uniform and overcoat which were identical to his. He asked me how I would get on once we had arrived and I said I would lose myself among friends. Back at HMS Victory I laid a false trail by writing three letters and entrusted them to a shipmate who promised to post them in two week intervals giving the impression that all was happy at Portsmouth. I packed my toothbrush and shaving gear on the night in question and changed into clean underwear and shirt and polished up my shoes. On the evening of my deadline I made my way to our determined rendezvous. It was dark by this time and Scottie reckoned that we should wait until 11PM.
About 11PM or so before the sailing day I arrived at the dock where the carrier was moored. He paused a little and suggested that he should take the lead up the gangplank.
Then he said to me when we arrived at the top, (so that the guard could hear) “OK Ron, I’ll pick up your card.” Once up the gangplank we both saluted as was the custom on boarding a Navy ship. We passed the guard on duty without comment and straightaway I followed Scottie off the main deck and was out of sight near a small turbine. There was a plank seat and Scottie said that it would have to be my bed for the night. Then he had to get along to his mess. “See you in the morning”. he said and off he went. I tried to sleep, but it was fitful. Next morning around 7:30AM Scottie appeared with coffee and two slices of toast with marmalade. Then he slipped away again telling me to keep quiet. I waited for such a long time and was tempted to poke my head above a bulwark and I was surprised to find myself facing a matelot who spoke to me asking who I was. I reluctantly told him I was hitching a ride to Halifax, NS. He said to me that he would take me well down below where no one would find me. He told me to go back down and he would call for me later. I slid back down to where I started. After what seemed an age I found the heads (literally toilets and showers). I spied a pail and mop and to pass the time away I started to wash the floor. I must have been half way down the floor with my mop when I detected somebody looking at me in the form of a regulation Petty Officer (or Navy Policeman). He approached me and asked me for my name. I had no choice but to give him my name. This interested him and he asked me if I had come aboard with the squadron last night. I thought, "he’s after me now" when he produced a register and informed me that I was not listed.
He marched me to his office and grilled me by asking who I was and what I was doing on board. He was pressing me and eventually I admitted that I was a stowaway. “Right.” he said, “Who brought you aboard?” But I would not tell him. He spoke to me firmly, saying, “you will thank me one day for this.” Just then Scottie happened to come into the office. He looked at me but did not speak. He would have been in trouble if he was found out, so I kept quiet. Petty Officer Bell was my interrogator’s name and he bid me to march with him to be presented to the Captain. As I marched to the Captain’s office, I passed about 10 or 15 matelots who appeared to be standing in line to get their lunch. Soon, I was outside the Captain’s office and Petty Officer Bell brought me to attention and as we were passing his door he halted me before the Captain’s desk with a sharp “Halt. Attention!” and practically screamed at me “Hat off”, and the Captain looked up at me from behind his desk and retorted, “Well, what have we got here?” Petty Officer Bell was in his element relating to the Captain how he had caught a stowaway………..