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. (VIELJIN 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 vade 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

4^th after Epiphany

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 them at

1245 - a marvellous meal - & in the 

afternoon we had a parade at 1400 then

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.

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 quite.

In the morning I was at our parade &

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

spent on 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 be 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 ecah

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

the sun broke thro' & the sea has subsisded

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

After that U 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 is! 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 & 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 awhile & 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 ZWEIT     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 am 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 I went down

to "Casino" which has become again a den

of iniquity, & did a bit of writing & yarned 

for a time with Hugh Bethunes & Ray 

Bolger. I came up & had a shave & then

returned. The weather was very changeable

today & at times the sea quite rough. I

missed a shoal of tuna. 

FEBRUARY, 1944

Sunday 6

Septuagesima

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. & read for a while. After 

lunch I did some washing and the

went & wrote a few letters to Shirl,

Grandma F, Doreen & Eleanor, I

went up on deck & there was a 

marvellous sunset - cirruss, 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.

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 [[Treatham?]].

I had  lunch & after parade returned

my literacy 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 aboard took

up to 40 [[?]]. Pte. Ted Whitley, R t M E

was the best performer but the choir

was excellent. I stood on the [[?]]

U. Prom. Deck a while & gazed north. 

The moon was beautiful & silvery,

the sea calm & small flicks of [[?]]

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 pause

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

a while then went to see S/L Crennan re my

magazine contribution. He thought it a

bit ambiguous & possibly satire. [[?]]

ended up sincerely tho'. I had lunch &

went on parade for Dunbar. I

saved a bit during the afternoon & [[?]]

I had tea & sat aft & [[?]] 

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 [[B?]], [[?]] from his guards &

jumped overboard. They [[?]]

round & marched but there was no

sign of him. About 1030 we found

an abandoned raft & [[?]]

what [[?]] it could tell.

The rest of the day we were

down in the hold mucking about

with luggage. It was good fun but

fairly strange. Sea was [[?]]

& 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 Durbin. The

country is awfully green & there are all [[?]]

of kites kicking about. We were detailed

to clean up ship and other boys went to

Clarwood (transit Base). The entrance to the

harbour is very [[?]] & 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 [[?]] & Max [[?]]) & saw

"Above Suspicion". Show starts at 1915 & ends  

e 2145. After it we had a drink & [[?]]

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 day [[?]] ships rubbash for trinkets

A woman seeming to us from the wharf as 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 8 at c 0930

left the ship & left by truck for the camp at

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

passed this the Bronz quarters. Accomodation

& 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 awe went on leave - by train to [[p?]]

& then we looked about there for a while then

went to YMCA for [[?]]. Then we

Musgrave Road train & strolled this took a beautifull

area (residential) to Stanford Rd. We rail a [[?]]

[[?]] 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 mosquitser hell seem

to be a bit back. 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

FEBUARY, 1944

Sunday 13

Sexagesima

I had breakfast altho' very few others

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

got leave at about 10 30 & left c1200. We

had dinner at the [[Jewish?]] National Club

& then walked along the back where we

saw an Indian religious procession.

The mortification seemed terrific. we

then went to Morning side where we

spent some time roaming amongst the

monkeys then we wondered down to the

river. we were picked up by the short

who took us to the Baden-Powell [[?]] camp

& then [[?]] [[?]] back. we met a few people

we came to [[?]] & had dinner at the D.I.C

then came to Wesley church where [[?]] [[?]]

[[?]] ran the service & then we caught a

taxi back to the camp ( [[?]]) where I got off

to bed pretty quickly

FEBUARY, 1944

Monday 14

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

& so our leave was cancelled until [[?]] ur

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 [[?]] tonight

FEBUARY, 1944

Tuesday 15

we had our photograph taken for passports &

then got away to town. I sent a few guides

to Durban back home & then went out to

Gleawood & had a walk about. I saw [[?]]

ball-engineer 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. & the we went to town on the

old fart. Then we went to Durban Nth &

got a lift part of the way from an

[[?]] girl. we caught the bus &

[[?]] 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

& go0t to bed [[?]] was & beer party in the 

hut tonight.

 

FEBUARY, 1944

Wednesday 16

we were in camp until about 200 om &

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 [[?]]

[[?]] to Willowvale St. Mr Short met us

& took us to the home of Mr Bingham

where there were also Mr & Mrs Kensington

& their children & Mr & Mrs Short, we had a

yarn & had a look at Mr [[?]]

birds then talked & drunk & 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

FEBUARY, 1944

AIRGRAM THREE

Thursday 17

we stayed in camp all morning then got

away c 1400. Ken & I caught a train [[?]]

to Amanyimtoti where we went for a

walk as far as Doonside & back. It was

rather delightful We cam back to town &

went to YMCA & had dinner & & collected

a note from Chips & had a shower. We preceded

to Mr Short's place where Chips was 

& Wallace. Mr & Mrs Short entertained us

A delightful lass - Vivienne heatley was

there!  She lives in the same flat. Athenor

scout chappy drove us to the train & we

caught the 10 to [[?]] home. It was express for

\a change. The hospitality afforded us by

by the Shorts has had a profound effect [[?]]

us & we have all thoroughly enjoyed the

last few days & now[[?]]! well it's

getting really enjoyable. I've afraid we

may not have time to follow up today's

acquaintance!