Letters from Arthur Seaforth Blackburn to his family, 1941 - Part 4

21/4/41 
At Sea 
  
Dear Family, 
As you will see from the heading we are at sea  
and far out from land. It has been getting steadily hotter  
and last night was really unpleasant.  Today is worse  
still and although clad only in the lightest clothes possible  
I am in a bath of perspiration, nothing has happened of  
any real importance since we left our last port of call.   
We have only seen one other ship apart from our own  
convoy since we left a couple of days ago.  The sea  
looks very calm & smooth but in reality there is a long  
steady roll which at times varies to quite rough weather.   
This morning soon after it got light one of the ships in our  
convoy - evidently in response to a message - suddenly raced  
away to the front of the convoy. at the same time a warship 
which is aliead of us turned at right angles & raced 
away. It all looked very exciting but after about a quarter  
of an hour the warship came back to her position and the  
ship which had gone to the front swung round & circling  
around one side of the convoy resumed her place. In  
doing so she passed quite close to us and it was extremely  
interesting to see such a huge ship at such close range.   
Life on the ship is extremely dull.  I get up each morning  

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at about six o'clock and have a sea water bath - hot if 
available (which it very often is not) - and then come up on  
deck and do the rounds of my anti-aircraft machine guns.    
This, by the time I have chatted to the gun crews etc, usually lasts  
until about 7.30 when I go down to breakfast.  Breakfast for  
the Officers is served in the second class dining room.  The big  
grand saloon being the biggest room on the boat is required for 
the men's mess room.  Breakfast usually consists of grape-fruit or  
stewed fruit, cereals, fish, some dish such as kidneys, lamb's fry etc,  
eggs of all sorts & omelettes so you see there is plenty of choice. 
After breakfast I go to my Battalion orderly room and attend  
to the routine matters which require attention.  For purposes  
of administration the troops on the ship, who number about 4000  
are divided into three blocks or groups and I am in command of  
one of the groups which includes my Battalion and about 500  
other officers & men.  At ten o'clock comes the inspection of the  
ship by the O.C. Ship Col. Stillman at which commanding officers  
are required to be present.  This usually lasts until about 11 30  
as every deck & sleeping portion as well as the galley & messing  
rooms all have to be inspected.  When this is over I make  
another inspection of my machine guns as the crews are changed  
at 11 00 daily and I go round to make sure that the new crews  
know their job.  By the time this is finished it is usually about  
1215 or so and that is the time when the official news sheet  
becomes available.  By the time one has read & discussed this it is  

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about one o'clock, lunch time. Lunch menu usually consists of soup,  
fish entree, curry & cold meats & sweets.  After lunch, if I am  
lucky I have a bit of a rest, but usually there is some conference  
or lecture to attend.  Then during the afternoon, I visit the men at  
their work & make sure that the officers are keeping their  
men occuppied a much as possible.  At five o'clock there is  
a compulsory parade of all my officers up on the top deck  
and we do half an hours hard physical training, so as to  
try to keep fit.  When this is over I come down & have another  
bath - this time with a bowl of hot fresh water standing  
in the big bath.  It is a real art bathing adequately in a small  
bowl of water but, of course, there is no fresh water laid  
onto the bathroom.  After my bath I usually lay down for ten  
minutes or so before I dress for dinner which is at 7.15.  Dinner  
menu is usually 2 kinds of soup, fish, entrees, joints or poultry  
sweets & dessert.  We usually make our dinner last out a long  
time and it is usually about 8.30 or 9 before it is finished.   From 
just before sundown until after sunrise there is an absolute  
black out on the ship.   Every port hole etc is closed, locked, &  
covered over with a metal cover & every light on the ship is  
blackened out.  I need scarcely tell you that the ship becomes  
terribly oppressive and close.  I usually turn in about ten  
o'clock but before doing so I go around my guns on a  
final inspection.  The guns of course are mounted right up  
on the top decks, so this final inspection gives me a nice  

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breath of fresh air before going to my hot & stuffy cabin.  It is of course  
in absolute darkness up on the top decks and it is a wonderful  
experience feeling one's way along in the dark from gun to gun.   
They are on different decks so it necessitates going up and  
down ladders etc and is sometimes not very easy.  The gun  
crews sleep along side their guns and as this means a night  
right out in the open deck in the fresh air, there is much  
competition to be on a gun.  The guns are kept loaded day &   
night and there are always at least three men at each gun  
for instant action.  After I have finished my inspection  
I go down to my cabin to bed, but I find the stuffy atmosphere  
very oppressive - even with modern means of ventilation and  
consequently do not sleep very well .  Last night I don't  
think I slept for more than two or three hours but will  
try to make up for it today. 
We have quite a lot of people on board whom you know.   
There are all the men in Dick's Regt, Tim Collins, Dennis  
Muirhead etc.  I have just realised today that one of  
the nurses on board is Sister Stokes - a sister of Rossie etc.   
There are a tremendous lot of solicitors on board from  
all the states.  There is a chap on board - the French  
Purser - who has more decorations that I have ever  
seen on any one man.  He has five full rows of  
ribbons.  He fought for France right through last  
war & was wounded over & over.   His right shoulder  

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is practically shot away.  His home in France is at one of  
the occupied ports & he had word the other day that his  
whole home & everything in it had been entirely wiped  
out by British raids on the Port.  His only comment was  
that he hoped they went on bombing until every house  
& building in occupied France was demolished as he would  
sooner see all France wiped out than see it in possession  
of the Germans. 
We have just been up having a practice "emergency stations"  
alarm & then all our machine guns opened fire to  
make certain that they were all in order.  It is a terrific  
load every officer has to carry to his emergency station &  
subsequently to his life-boat if anything were to go wrong.   
In fact not only to his emergency station but in the place  
where we now are we carry it all the time.  First of  
all every man on the boat has to carry a full water- 
bottle slung around his shoulder & a life-belt when 
ever & wherever he goes.  In addition to that every officer  
has to carry a fully loaded revolver day & night to use  
in the event of panic amongst the lascar crew or even amongst  
our own men if such were to occur.  It is hot enough  
anyhow in this climate but carrying on  all that gear  
one is in an absolute bath of perspiration day & night.   
It is now evening and hotter than ever.  Every port hole  
in the ship is closed & the stuffiness is just frightful. 

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Wody dear I got a lovely letter from you which you sent  
to Major Lyncham.  It was wonderful to hear all the news.   
I think it is a splendid idea to make your letters something  
in the nature of a diary.  I will know all that is happening  
then.  What a wonderful effort you must have put up for  
Lidibo at school - to raise £2/6/- .  How is it all going?  I hope  
Lidibo wins.  I am sorry George & Sidney have started their feud  
again.  Before very long George won't dare to show any fight against  
Sidney.  Mummy told me in her last letter that you were going to  
Oakbank, which must have been rather nice.  I hope for your  
sake that it was nicer there than it was on our ship that day.   
We had a steady north wind & it was a bit rough if I remember  
rightly.  I am looking forward immensely to your letters, Wody, so  
make them as long as you like & tell me all you choose or can  
think of to tell me.  I am interested in everything you do.   
Thank you, for your letter Bob.  If much have been delightful  
to have Dick home for Easter but I am sorry it was so hot.  I  
was very glad to hear from you that Mummy is sleeping so  
much better.  Look after her, old man, won't you. 
  
Dear Margie, I am looking forward to getting a letter from  
you.  I know you have an awful lot to do but try to find  
time to write to me as much as possible.  What a giddy thing  
you are going to Oakbank with the Jervis! How is tennis  
going.  Write & let me know how you get on in  
your matches.  I am longing to hear from you. 

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23/4/41 
At Sea 
We are stilling steaming ahead entirely out of sight of land.   
It is getting hotter & hotter & last night was almost  
unbearable.  Yesterday afternoon a war ship suddenly  
appeared on the horizon and in an astonishingly short  
space of time was alongside the convoy.  Immediately one  
of the ships in the convoy left and steamed off in a  
north easterly direction accompanied by this warship.   
That particular ship is evidently going to a different place  
to the rest of us.  It looked very lovely in the bright sunlight  
& brilliant blue sea to see the th  two of them disappearing.   
In a very little time they were out of sight and it is  
pretty sure I should imagine that we won't see that ship  
again.  We are getting very little news but everyone seems  
to be expecting bad news from Greece.   However I hope they will  
all prove to be wrong. 
  
25/4/41 
Nothing of any importance has happened the last two days.   
We have just had word that the mail closes very  
soon.  There is a slight breeze today so it is not quite  
as hot as it has been.  Write to me all of you &  
tell me all the news.  By the way if it can be managed  
I would appreciate the Chronicle every week dating back  
to the 17th April, 
Cheerioh everybody & lots of  
love & kisses to you Wody & Margie  
Daddy 

JK Lynch