Diary of Wing Commander Edward Lloyd Fleming, January 1944- January 1945 - Part 3

JANUARY, 1944

Saturday 29

We were called out pretty early &

after returning a few items on our

charge, we entrained c.0845. I 

think I saw David on the train too.

We had to parade on the pier & then

climbed on board. NIEUW AMSTERDAM

(38,000) We are in rather confined

quarters but everyone is very happy.

Lunch was very nice & in the afternoon we

lounged round on the afterdeck. At

1800 they cast us off & we bade farewells

Melb. I had tea and spent the rest of the

time on deck. I had a last look at Q.cliff

where Audrey is & watched them drop the
pilot. The rip looks terribly treacherous

from the sea. We did life-belt drill coming

down the bay. I turned in shortly after

& the boat had developed a slight pitching

movement. 

JANUARY, 1944

Sunday 30

Revelle was at 630 & we had a shave.

Shower water was off. We did a mile walk

4½ times around the deck & by then it

was about time for breakfast (0845).

I was feeling a bit crook. During the 

morning we sat on the after-deck & read &

I had about 1 hrs sleep. I had lunch then
at 1245 - a marvellous meal - & in the 

afternoon we had a parade at 1400 then

read - I got a book from the library
& it filled in time. Tea at 1915 then I
read till 2015 when I went to a

church parade. It was quite good.

The English Army chaps on board are

awfully cheery & are putting on a 

turn tonight just outside our

quarters.
AGATHA CHRISTIE - TEN LITTLE NIGGERS

JANUARY, 1944

ONE.

Monday 31

I felt pretty crook this morning & didnt

feel I would last out the day. I walked

the usual mile than had some gruel.

In the morning I was at our parade &

did a bit of P.T. The rest of the time I

spent in the boys & on deck. By lunch

I was feeling rotten & the weather

had become quite rough. The boat

is rolling & pitching like a mad thing

in the afternoon I was content to lie on

the bed after parade - we also had

COs parade & I got a new book

from the library. I had a shower in

pure sea water & then slept. Just before

tea I had a walk around the deck &

went to eat. Many of the chaps were

missing tonight A lot were very

sick today - including diarrhoea. I 

wrote home & then hit the hay. I had 

a shave earlier.

IAN HAY - A SAFETY MATCH X 

FEBRUARY, 1944

Tuesday 1

Did not get up terribly early but had a shower &

took the usual constitutional around the deck.

We had to parade in Battle dress & there was a

general inspection. News is broadcast each

morning at 1015. I sat on deck & read a bit

the sun broke thro' & the sea has subsided

a lot. We had lunch & then there was an E.F.I.

After that I went on After Upper Prom. deck &

read all the afternoon. The sun was glorious.

I had a shave just before tea & after tea I 

wrote to Margaret, Pat & Ferdy. We passed

what looked like the Queen Elizabeth & a cruiser tonight

& they signalled "Good Luck" to us! it was very

impressive. I finished writing & got off to bed.

Showers on board are situated on E deck

where the swimming pool used to be. They are

salt & fed directly from the ocean. I did a bit

of washing today too. The ptomaine poisoning

seems to have subsided but there are a few

chaps in hospital. Gambling is rife on board 

FEBRUARY, 1944

Wednesday 2

I had a stroll around the deck & read a 

bit before breakfast. We had our parade

& also a talk by the CO(S/L Crenan) & Col.

Willis. The latter on Durban. Ken & Chips &

I sat out on the Prom. deck all the morning

& I dozed off after a while. The sea was

not white-capped but there was quite a 

heavy swell on. I had lunch & then went

on parade again. I rushed down to the

library & then there was an alert. For the 

rest of the afternoon after I had changed

we just lay out on the deck. We hear the 

news each morning & have an hour
in the morning & afternoon. I had tea

& then read a bit. We went to a sort of

service which wasn't too good. Then 

I came back to bed.

THE GRASS GROWS GREEN - HORTENSE LION  X

FEBRUARY, 1944

Thursday 3

The water position is becoming rather serious

for washing & shaving & I had a salt-water

shower. I took a stroll around the deck &

read for a time then had breakfast. My

appetite is rather big right now. We had the

usual parade & then read the rest of the

morning. The wind was very strong today &

the sea quite choppy & the boat started

pitching violently. I had lunch & then went

up on deck & read a bit more. We had our

1400 parade & a sports meeting was mooted.

I changed my book then settled down to

a solid afternoon's reading - Ships crew

had ship-practice today. I had a shave

& then went to tea. We sat on deck for

quite a while & then came down to bed

where I did some sewing & read a bit.

The old Dutch steward is a turn! He gets

terribly excited & demonstrates freely. "Room

for 60,000 - brrrrrr!" etc.

THE CREAKING TREE MYSTERY - L.A.

FEBRUARY, 1944

Friday 4

We were in difficulties for water again

today but I just did my hair. I read for

a while on deck & then came to breakfast.

After breakfast we just waited around for

parade after which I lay out on deck aft

for a time & slept. The sun was quite

warm but after lunch cloud developed & 

it was cold & a bit wet. I had to go to

a lecture in No 1 Mess about pay etc &

then I changed my book & then read on

the rubber deck all the afternoon. I

had tea & read some more. I did my

washing at dinner time & had a 

shave just before going to bed.

BEWARE OF PITY - STEFAN ZWEIG.  X 

FEBRUARY, 1944

TWO

Saturday 5

I had a shower & then went up on deck &

read for a while. After breakfast I went on 

parade then read for the rest of the

morning. The book which I'm reading is

a terribly powerful thing & wonderfully

written. I had lunch & went up & read a

a bit more then went on parade. I read

for the rest of the afternoon then wrote a

letter home. I walked 6 times around the

deck then had tea. After this I went down

to "Casino" which has become again a den

of iniquity, & did a bit of writing & yarned 

for a time with Hugh Bethune & Ray 

Bolger. I came up & had a shave & then

retired. The weather was very changeable

today & at times the sea quite rough. I

missed a shoal of tuna. 
ONE MORE SPRING - ROBERT NATHAN

FEBRUARY, 1944

Sunday 6

I had the usual call round about 5.00

& got up about 6.15. I had a wash & 

sat on deck & wrote for a while then

came down & had breakfast then went

on parade. I came to church instead of 

doing P.T. & then read for a while. After 

lunch I did some washing and then

went & wrote a few letters to Shirl,

Grandma F, Doreen & Eleanor. I

had tea & then wrote to the ACF
people. Mail closes tomorrow. I

went up on deck & there was a 

marvellous sunset - cirrus, alto

stratus & low scud all tinted pink

& running from E-W in the south. 

I went to church then had a shave

& got off to bed.
RED BADGE OF COURAGE - 

FEBRUARY, 1944

Monday 7

I had a wash & then went on deck &

read a bit. Then I came down & had

breakfast. After parade I did some

P.T. then changed & went & wrote

letters to Bunyip S.S. & Sheila Grabham.

I had lunch & after parade returned

my library book. The rest of the

afternoon I wrote up my article.

After tea I stood out on the bows for a

while & then went to the ship's concert.

It was a pathetic effort - poor M.C &

continuity. A magician alone took

up 40 min. Pte. Ted Whitten, R.E.ME

was the best performer but the choir

was excellent. I stood on the Stbd

U. Prom. Deck a while & gazed north. 

The moon was beautiful & silvery,

the sea calm & small flicks of ECu

finished the picture. Sunset also

was rather brilliant again

tonight..

FEBRUARY, 1944

Tuesday 8

I had a shave & walked round the decks a

number of times then had breakfast. Peter

Oswortherly got appendicitis today & was

operated on at noon. We had ordinary parade

then got paid. After pay I sat in Ritz-Carlton

awhile then went to see S/L Crennan re my

magazine contribution. He thought it a

bit ambiguous & a possible satire. Everything

ended up smartly tho'. I had lunch &

went on parade again & we had a route
march as a practice for Durban. I

sewed a bit during the afternoon & reas

I had tea & sat aft & watched another

rather beautiful sunset. I came in &

spent the night sewing. I had a shave

and went up on deck for a minute

then came back to bed.

FEBRUARY, 1944

Wednesday 9

There was some excitement when a

British Army prisoner who had deserted 

at Bardia, broke from his guards &

jumped overboard. They circled

round & searched but there was no

sign of him. About 1030 we found

an abandoned raft & wondered

what tale it could tell.

The rest of the day we were

down in the hold mucking about

with luggage. It was good fun but

fairly strenuous. Sea was very calm

& it is getting hot now.

FEBRUARY, 1944

Thursday 10

At about 0700 we caught our first glimpse of

S. Africa and after passing several small

naval vessels, pulled in at Durban. The

country is awfully green & there are all manner

of kites kicking about. We were detailed

to clean up ship & other boys went to

Clarwood (transit Base). The entrance to the

harbour is very narrow & there is much

activity. Saw a submarine! Our work

finished, we eventually took leave & went

in to town & had tea then we went to the

pictures (John Joyes & Max Grabon) & saw

"Above Suspicion". Show starts at 1915 & ends  

c 2145. After it we had a drink & knocked

about & met the chaps who had been

at the dance. We went to the Playhouse

I had more to drink then came back by

taxi. There are niggers everywhere & they were

scrounging all thro' the ship's rubbish for trinkets

A woman sang to us from the wharf as we came

in - she does it to each troop-ship. There

appears to be no rationing or shortage here 

FEBRUARY, 1944
Friday 11

We got up pretty early and packed & at c 0930

left the ship & left by truck for the camp at

Clairwood. We saw the Empire F.B. take off &

passed thro' the Boong quarters. Accomodation
looks awfully squalid, but we arrived at camp
& got settled in. I did some washing & it dried

pretty quickly in a very hot sun. I had lunch -

it was more like a sergeants mess this time.

Shortly after we went on leave - by train to town

& then we looked about there for a while then

went to YMCA for dinner. Then we took a

Musgrave Road train & strolled thro' a beautiful

area (residential) to Stanford Rd. We met a Mrs

Balfour from Sydney. We came back to town by

train along a beach road. I went (with Chips &

Ken) to the YMCA again after visiting the U.S.

club. Then we came back on the train which

was very crowded The mosquitoes here seem

to be a bit bad. It rained quite heavily soon

after we arrived back.

FEBRUARY, 1944

Saturday 12

I had a very ordinary day & stayed

in camp the whole time as I was on

guard duty. I went for a stroll to

the YMCA hut & then came back here

Tea was very early I came back &

got off to bed & stayed awake till c 2300. 

FEBRUARY, 1944

Sunday 13

I had breakfast altho' very few others

got up for it & got ready to go out. We

got leave at about 1030 & left c1200. We

had dinner at the Jewish National Club

& then walked along the beach where we

saw an Indian religious procession.

The mortification seemed terrific. We

then went to Morningside where we

spent some time roaming amongst the

monkeys then we wandered down to the

river. We were picked up by a Mr Short

who took us to the Baden-Powell scout camp

& then drove us back. We met a few people.

We came to town & had dinner at the D.J.C.
then came to Wesley church where our own

padre ran the service. There was a sing-song

after the service & then we caught a

taxi back to the camp (14/-) where I got off

to bed pretty quickly

FEBRUARY, 1944

Monday 14

A number of blokes have been out A.W.L.

& so our leave was cancelled until 1600 hrs

Meantime I just sat about, had a shower

etc. I got a taxi to town & did a bit of

shopping & had a haircut. Ken & I went to

D.J.C. for tea & then strolled along the beach

we came back into town & went to see "Get

Going" with George Formby. We roamed

about town then came home. The boys are

a bit disappointed with the town & almost

all in the hut were drunk tonight. One

bloke was done over by the boongs tonight. 

FEBRUARY, 1944

Tuesday 15

We had our photographs taken for passports &

then got away to town. I sent a few guides

to Durban back home & then went out to

Glenwood & had a walk about. I saw Howard

Coll - engineering school - & the nice homes

about there. A gentleman gave me a lift

back to humanity. I had tea with Ken & Chips

at D.J.C. & then we went to town via the

old fort. Then we went to Durban Nth. &

got a lift part of the way from an

Afrikaans girl. We caught the bus &

first drove about for a time & had a

short walk. We came back to town &

had some ice-cream at the Victoria League

& a bottle of Coca-Cola at the US-Canadian

club. Then we caught the 2115 train home

& got to bed. There was & beer party in the 

hut tonight.

FEBRUARY, 1944

Wednesday 16

We were in camp until about 200 pm &

got paid. Ken rang Mr Short & arranged

for the evening. We went to town &

I did a bit of shopping then we met

& had tea at YMCA then waited there & I

wrote a letter then we caught the Umbilo

bus to Willovale St. Mr Short met us

& took us to the home of Mr Bingham

where there were also Mr & Mrs Kensington

& their children & Mr & Mrs Robinson & their
children & Mr & Mrs Short. We had a

yarn & had a look at Mr Bingham's

birds then talked & drank & sang till

near midnight when Mr Kensington 

who is in M.E.B., drove as to the station

we came out on the 12.17 train.

The birds here were all Canaries &

there were pure white ones, yellow

blue, grey etc etc. Sawdust was used in the

bottom of the cage to absorb the droppings.

Mr Bingham also had a number of budgies.

RECORD R.A.F. RAID ON BERLIN. 

FEBRUARY, 1944

AIRGRAPH
THREE.

Thursday 17

We stayed in camp all morning then got

away c 1400. Ken & I caught a. train down

to Amanyimtoti where we went for a

walk as far as Doonside & back. It was

rather delightful. We came back to town &

went to Y.M.C.A. & had dinner & I collected

a note from Chips & had a shower. We proceeded

to Mr Short's place where Chips was 

& Wallace. Mr & Mrs Short entertained us.

A delightful lass - Vivienne Leathley was

there & I fear I have about half keeled over
to her! She lives in the same flat. Another

scout chappy drove us to the train & we

caught the 10 to 11 home. It was express for

a change. The hospitality afforded us by

the Shorts has had a profound effect upon

us & we have all thoroughly enjoyed the

last few days & now Vivienne! - well it's

getting really enjoyable. I'm afraid we

may not have time to follow up today's

acquaintance!