Diary of Denis Patrick (alias Rupert Bert Patrick), 1941-1945 - Part 16

319th day  SATURDAY NOVEMBER 15  46 to come 1941

It Rained

But the lure of the cities

four lights got me out of my lethargy

and I put my top hat on and went

to town - Took Dorothy to the "V" club.

we get along fine - Dorothy has

a good sense of humor, likes dancing

music and me  - has a positive

passion for Australians infact -

Boy the tender blisses of her kisses 

347th day   SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13  18 to come  1941

After these [[blames?]] follow the days

of horror - mental horror- bordom, when

we just worked at the same old job

each day it piled up around me, I

let it pile & pile until it was almost

too late - however thats all over now

and the course is finished and the

work is done - I spent four days leave

in Municton Nova Scotia- Monston is

a pretty little town, snow fell most

of the time - I met some nice people

there - After our leave we came to

Halifax 'Y' Depot and embarked on the

'LATITIA' a fourteen thousand ton troop

carrier  - she is making her maiden voyage

as such after running as an armed Merchant

cruiser - Our cabins are cramped but

comfortable - The poor sarjeants are huddled

in hammocks down on the lower decks their

conditions are shocking - Colin who [[?]]

up from Dafoe is sleeping in my cabin

(unofficially) I couldn't let him sleep

down in that huddled mass - We are

still alongside the wharf, I think we

will put out tomorrow, I hate this

hanging about and badly want to

get this trip over -

 

348th day  SUNDAY DECEMBER 14  17 to come 1941 

Birthday of King George VI

 

Today we lay in the harbour while

ships of many nationality came and went,

silently on their way - I wondered idly

as I watched, what of their cargoe, their

destiny and would they follow their

sisters to watery graves - moody thoughts 

no doubt, but very real and very practical

Our boat the "Lititia" is a Scotish vessel

is a sister to the Athenia which was sunk

early in the war - he is a fourteen thousand

ton ship with maximum speed of about

seventeen knots -

Halifax harbour is probably the busiest

in Canada - almost all the trans altantic

vessels berth here before and after their

trips across that dark unhealthy, hunted

supply line to Great Britian  -

All day we hung about with nothing to

do - I started a book called This Proud

Heart' by Pearl Buck - The story of

a woman who was a brilliant sculptorist

who tried to follow her art and run

a family, it is an amazing book

written brilliantly, and yet simply 

349th WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15  16 to come 1941

When I awoke this morning I found we had

weighed anchor and had pulled out into
the harbour. - busy little tugs chugged about
their jobs all day - the habour was full

of tenders corvettes and tw American

Destroyers pulled later in the day - There

are two other troop ships with us - 'Pastuer'
30,000 tons & Cuba 12-14000 tons- they are

all both loaded with army and air force men 
I noticed a lot of women on the Cuba

probably nurses - In the evening after 
dark they hauled up the anchor and we

put to sea in the teeth of an icy wind
the sea is rough, horribly rough - I feel

sorry for those hundreds of sergeants and

[[laco?]] down below packed together in their

hammocks - Colin is still staying in

our cabin be has taken up a permanent 

abode here now - I am glad I am the medium
of being able to do a little for him - he

has done so much for me all my life.
-It really pays to have friends in this

world, good friends especially in war
time, I depend more and more on them

each day - I my cabin there is - Stan
Disney & Eric Rutherford; Lethbridge & myself

& Col of course - we will make the best

of this life - though I don't imagine
it will be very pleasurable - 

350th day TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16 15 to come 1941

Today is our first day at sea. I went
up onto the bow and watched our escorts
at their duty early in the day th it

concisted of four destroyers but later
were joined by an American battleship

of the West Virginia class and a 

cruiser of the Brookland class: The lot
combined should make a fairly formidable
escort - we changed course many times
during the day and probably speed. The
destroyers dashed about from one 
side to the other to avoid submarine 
attack - Two Catalind a/c cruised
sedately up and down all day - with
untiring vigilance and vanished from

whence they had come when night

approached -

With a bit of luck we should make

Glasgow by xmas - 

The food on the ship is excellent. The

chef cook I believe is a Frenchman, all
Frenchmen are cooks

Finished off 'This Proud Heart.' today.
I was sorry when I had finished it
it is a fascinating story

351st day WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17 14 to come 1941
Our convoy was mysteriously strengthened

by two more american destroyers today -

They were the four funneled type, they

must have met the convoy early this morning

or late last night - We are still plodding

through the seas without a great deal

of excitement - The only duty we are

required to perform is to appear on life 

boat parade once per day - They must

consider that we are in fairly dangerous

waters as we have to carry our life jacket

around as one would a handkerchief

all the Australian gunners on board

will have to stand by their respective

machine gun posts after tomorrow

in case of air raid - the Lerwick did

not come out today I imagine the

distance is too great to make their

journey practicable

The food is still excellent but one 

cannot raise much appetite sleeping

and reading - Deck sports are impracticable

through lack of space and intense cold

Our course is roughly 070° T - but we

alter course at ten minutes intervals

is a pre- designed pattern

 

352nd day THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18 13 to come 1941

sea cut up rather rough today

with an unusually strong wind

blowing - the Cuba must have got

lost over night, when we awoke

I could dimly see a destroyer escorting

her over the horizon from the south

a long two engine bomber of the

Botha type came out & circled

around the convoy goodness knows

from whence it came as we

must be hundreds of miles from

land.

Wrote a letter to Rupert & [[Bertha?]]

listened to a couple of lectures

and continued reading a dirty story

by Thorne Smith - 

Altogether a tiring day - conducive

to sleep and all that

while I write these the ship

is tossing hideously and every

body is skating up & down

the ship

352nd day FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19 12 to come 1941

Last nights sea broke the books & lots

of hearts we certainly ran into a horrific
sea, quite a lot of the furniture in
the lounge and dining room was smashed

The Pasteur it is alleged had a lot
of her life boats damaged & suffered quite
a lot of damage - anyway this morning

she had vanished with two destroyers
and has not yet returned, she is
carrying about 600 troops and 
consequently is a valuable cargoe.

Seaman say that in spite of her size
she is a most unseaworthy boat

so I feel not a little sorry for those 

unfortunate people who are destined
to sleep on her decks & in her holds
The sea continued misbehaving all
day and only now as I write this
is she taking on the proportions of

a normal sensible ocean.
Judging by the position (relative)
of Polaris we are in a fairly high

latitude somewhere in the vicinity
of Iceland I should say. 
The bath steward gets my bath

ready for me every night and
is quite a handy person as I

hate fixing baths its such a bother
 

354th day SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20 11 TO COME 1941
Today seemed little different from any other day,
this life on the sea from our point of view is
exceedingly lazy but nevertheless less very monotonous 

naturally owing to the lack of space & deck [[ouns?]]
on the ship, deck games are impossible even 

if the weather approved, which it seldom
does. The weather is strangely warm however
considering our latitude - One would imagine

icy winds, icebergs & polar life but not
so - the temperature is much higher than
it was at Charlotte town on inland Canada.

Finished Thorne Smiths Night life of the Gods
off - It was an excellent yarn, highly
improbable with no beginning or ending
no purpose, moral or theme but just a
book with good humour a trifle smutty

perhaps but thoroughly interesting - 
My next conquest is Pearl Bucks Good Earth
I like her other book This proud Heart
very much - but after Thorne Smiths

up roaring yarn I think it will be

decidedly earthy - 
Wrote a letter to Rupert- Vonne - Day
& Aunt Daizy & Gran. - retired only after
all the drunks who insist on coming round,
had been prized out from the cabin
by the deck officer who complained of
much too much noise

355th day SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21 10 to come 1941

The sun did not rise until almost nine
o'clock today, and only then did it feebly
peer over the horizon- at the greatest altitude
during her days march she looked to be 
little more than fifteen degrees above the 
horizon - we had aerial patrol all day
from the cruiser the planes were single
engined bi planes with a single float
& stabilisers - two of these tore madly

about the sky in search of enemy anti

surface craft - The seemed to be having
lots of fun, and not till darkness was

falling did they return to the cruiser - They

looked queer little insects as the skidded
down into the water. The cruiser hoisted
them on board and the came closing
after us - 
Good news comes from Russia & Libia
our troops are doing a fine job all over
& I firmly believe victory is in the future
if not in sight -  when I think of victory

carelessly I think of the future, my
future & what of it - I can scarcely
go back to my old job & yet what
else can I do except fly & navigate -
- I wonder.

358th day  WEDNESDAY , DECEMBER 24  7 TO COME  1941

This evening after dark by means of interception of
[[manual?]] signals we were able to find our
position and later dimly we could see
the life beacons which dot the coasts of
England - So that was that - and now we
have crossed two oceans to do our job
the Pacific crossing was probably more
exciting than the Atlantic since that
time we were out on our first big venture 
since then then we have more or less become
accustomed to travelling around the country
to new schools and new places - 
Returned with a contented feeling that

we were here after five submarine
scares one of which it is authoritively 
stated fired a torpedo at us but
thankfully missed
Although it is xmas eve & the ship

put on an xmas dinner it just seems
like Wednesday night to me - I remembered
other years when I had gone carousing
about the town in search of pleasure

but this time life has taken a more
serious turn and one has to more or
less, face reality.

359th day  THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25  6 to come 1941

Christmas Day (Dom)
Well its xmas day in the mortuary 
I didn't hang up my stocking, but secretly
I hoped that they did at home & celebrated
this as other xmases - when the sun

eventually rose I pin pointed ourselves
near the Isle of Man, and later in the 
day a pilot picked us up and steered 
us us up a channel between the wrecks

of shipping which had already paid the

price. by our strange course I could see
that the entrance was heavily mined - I 
intercepted a message which read
"aircraft in the vicinity" stop - friendly
and almost immediately a flight of 
Spitfires wizzed accross our corvo

As we approached Liverpool via the 
wrecks Balloons were plainly visible, creating
a fantastic sight with their queer shapes

and wicked tanglements of netting beneath
them - scars of air-raids were visible, some
buildings had great holes in them - One
vessel's funnel only passed above the water
right at the dock - four hundred people lost

their lives when it sunk, I learned later.

We docked and after darkness feel the
city as was as dead as night with not
a single light showing from any of the
thousands of huge buildings - The city
may have been deserted, only the stars
shone weakly through a haze of smoke
so this is England -

360th day  FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26 5 to come  1941
In the still hours of the morning we decembarked.
from His majestie's troop ship Latitia, after

a lot of standing and waiting some official

looking people with red arm bands steered us
into a dimmed but comfortable train. After a

lot of whistles waiting, shouting signaling we get under
way with the black out curtains drawn - A heavy

fog hung over the countryside but through its
limitations we saw the scars of war, great holes
in the roads - skeletons of buildings & wreckages
of homes served to remind us that it was really
on - inspire of this the people seemed to go about
their task unabashed - our train rattled on through
Rugby - and as we crossed the Thames for the 
second time where huge factories were situated

one could see what Jerry actually had been
aiming at.
In the slum areas or tenements each
little home had an air raid shelter built
in front of it on the road - All day
we saw alternately the green fields of 
England and then huge cities mostly
in tact tact - Eventually we arrived at Bournemouth
and we pushed baggage and all into

a bus from which we went to the
Metropole hotel at which we are
billeted - she's a pretty good pub too
unfortunately no women are allowed to 
in but no doubt we will eventually
if not immediately make amends
for this gross oversight -

361st day  SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27  4 to come  1941
The necessity to eat tore at my vitals
this morning and I just had to get out 

and stagger down to breakfast
we passed a few minutes swallowing porridge
and tea and then went on parade
in front of the Bournemouth Wintergarden

after a few minutes mucking around
they told us to beat it for the rest

of the day which we did.  Bournemouth
is a beautiful place with tall modern
buildings and tree parks - It is as yet,
uncombed, but the people have made
every precaution - the place bristles with
air raid shelters - barb wire & guns - re the
air raids - rumour has it that their air
force is coming east again. so I suppose
we can expect a few wails during our
stay - food is rationed here * clothing
but every body seems to be remarkably
well dressed & fed considering - all
the male populous and most of the female
are in occupations of some sort.

Women as ever do not do not enhance their
appearance in a uniform which gives
them that certain bosomy bottomy
appearance but I suppose these things
come to try us.

 

362nd day SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30   3 TO COME 1941
Strangely contrasted to the ancient buildings
of this city is one the drone & hum of
modern aircraft which seem to keep
up a constant vigil between here & Spain

At night when the stars are shining often
I hear the great bombers groaning over
with their loads of destruction; usually
they go over at about three minute

intervals and them after an hour or two
they will come back -
Raiding contracted has been unusually
light over England ever since the spring
when they cut out daylight raids. the
germans found the RAF to hot with them

and now the night fighters are becoming
very effective with their radio location
gear so Jerry's getting it in the fronts both
ways - Rumour has it that the German
airforce is coming this way again and
I think England is expecting another invasion
threat in the spring -

362nd day   MONDAY DECEMBER 29  2 to come  1941

 Our duties at the clearing depot are nil
and every day is ours to do as we will
until our call comes to go to an opps
school. Of course this idle life is  very expensive
and one spends more than one earns
which is not surprising -
The more ardent patrons of the royal Bath
seem to find it even more expensive.
Colin is doing alright for himself - the girl
being one Elizabeth, her husband is a naval

petty officer and she doesn't often see her naval
husband fortunately
Last night I went out to Christchurch with
Elizabeth & Colin to a little tiny place called
the Barn Club (BARN) it concisted of one little
anti room with a large open fire and
lots of old picture pots & guns hanging about
the stone walls - the floor was ordinary

concrete tact upon which stood a little 
stone. table with a couple of old fogies

playing push penny over a jug of beer
Room no 2 was also very small but
large enough to contain a bar over
which Mrs O'Neill slide endless quantities
of grog. - room no 3  was the dance
floor alas very small. - originally 
the place was a barn  (hence its name 
it was all very interesting
 

365th day. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30  1 to come  1941

There seems to be none of the usual

gaiety of new years eve in the air
Dance hall, picture show & pubs
Keeps going but - total back out in the

street petrol & food rationing hamper any
desire to go revelling - Vividly I remember 
the last xmas eve and the one before
at Kings Cross - crowds roared in the
streets as they burned off efigies of 
Hitler & [[?]] - fireworks blazed and
people danced and drank until the very
sun arose - but that was last year. So
many things have happened since then