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There were more stops on the way up the coast, mostly one day in and
out you could say. The first of these was in Luanda, in Angola. It was here
that I got into a bit of strife, all through the four on eight off watch
keeping. I had arranged for a sub to do my afternoon watch so I could go
ashore for a swim at the local Olympic pool. Unfortunately my friend and
I somehow missed the launch back to the ship, making us adrift.
As I had already upset the skipper on a previous occasion, for this
little spell ashore I lost my hook. He was kind enough to let me keep my
good conduct badge though. So that was another drop in pay for me, definitely
no Cathedral wedding for me I'm afraid. What really upset me though, was
while we were at Simonstown; I got a telegram from my mother saying my young
brother who was badly burned in an accident had died. I was told then there
was no way he could get a replacement for me as she had requested. I had
to carry on for the rest of the tour. And yet as soon as I lost my hook,
he raised three stokers up to acting killick in one swipe. Who said ( Captain
Bligh) Charles Laughton from Mutiny on the Bounty was dead.
From Luanda we went to Libreville, then out to sea again to the Island
of Sao Tome. Once more I was lucky enough to get time off to go and have
a game of football. Afterwards myself and another killick seaman the same
lad, who went swimming with me, went to the house of one of the players,
where we were wined and dined all evening. After a very pleasant meal and
drinks, he had his chauffeur drive us back, and said if he could make it,
he would see us in the morning before we sailed.Unfortunately he couldn't
make it, but he did send his chauffeur along with a gift for both of us.
It's a good job it was well wrapped up because the parcel contained two
bottles of Chivas Regal Scotch Whisky. There was nobody else on the messdeck
when we opened it, so we had a chance to stash it before anybody found out
what it was.