Comments, Observations and Recollections - G.W. Bland R100308
1.In 1941 travelled by train to the East Coast and wondering if we would ever see it again. Not all of us did.
2.Aboard one of a fast convoy of 3 Armed Merchant Cruisers on the way to England being attacked by a least one sub at fire stations, below deck and not knowing enough about our situation to be afraid! One cruiser was hit but we understood reached Liverpool. We reached Scotland after 10 days sailing far south.
3.Our first sight of the land from History books and after docking, the trip south, through London to Bournemouth - no sleep!
4.Arrival in Bournemouth at night and before we could get unpacked or shaved an air attack and all lights in hotel went out.
5.Quickly learning to find one's way along with all manner of people, busses, cabs and trucks in the dark - amazing the way it worked!
6.A great deal of friendliness and helpfulness displayed by citizens.
7.The pleasure of seeing London and St. Paul's Cathedral, etc., etc.
8.Arriving at friends in Hull and taking shelter under the stairwell during air attack even though Hull's worst bombing had ended.
9.Billet - Yorkshire farmhouse and hams and game hanging from the cereal. Nice people and we ate well some language problems!
10.1942 - sailing to India - 2 months with one week stop in Durban.
11.Bombay and transit station (Poona I believe) and first taste of jungle. One day on a street corner in Poona saw 2 General Staff Officers at considerable distance and decided no need to salute - a mistake! They called me over and suggested in fatherly fashion that if I ever became a Major General, for example, I would expect to be saluted! I said "Yes Sir" but didn't dig myself in any deeper by suggesting if it did happen I hoped it would be a AC oreven AVM!
12.The terrible famine in Calcutta in 1942 and the necessity to carry small arms, never used fortunately.
13.On a lighter note leaves in Darjeeling after malaria, etc., or at Srinagar, Kashmir when stationed in New Delhi.
14.A visit to the Viceroy's palace in New Delhi and meeting Field Marshall Lord Wavell and meeting other military personnel including a WC pilot RAF who had been injured but who had trained at Penhold. Lord Wavell had lost his African command and was naturally pre-occupied.
15.Arriving back in Bournemouth in 1945 and meeting P.O.W. friends.
16.1942/43 concerns about our ability to stop the Japanese in Burma and the relief felt when this was done thanks to supreme effort by Allied troops supported by the RAF/RCAF.
17.The priviledge of listening to Lord Louis Mountbatten, Admiral and Supreme Allied Commander S.E.A. in a hangar one afternoon was something not to be forgotten. How history may judge him is a little unclear, but we certainly thought he was right for the job.
18.Also, never to be forgotten was the shock of going to Central Registry, London, on returning to England to obtain the address of my best Buddy from whom I had not heard from in a year or so and learning that he was MBK - (Arnhem) - R100278, Semon Lievense.
19.Have very high regard for the RAF although some of their permanent staff did not hold Canadians in high regard but fortunately only few; also the WAAF, NAAFI, PUBS, SALVATION ARMY, Royal Canadian Legion, etc.
20.Finally, the Mail, while understandable considering the circumstances, delivery in some cases took as long as 2 months, sometimes 4 months!