Repairs Continued

.n fact I had to report sick with severe tonsillitus. No penicillin in those days. So
just gargling with blue tincture was all they could treat me with.. I was in a
forward desert hospital for two weeks with lots of wounded soldiers ,as the
Germans were only 50 miles away ,. A naval surgeon asked me which ship Iwas
from ,and ,on hearing from the Glenroy he cheered me up no end by telling me it
was sunk,He said it was sunk in the harbour as a block ship. I got out of the
hospital as fast as I could and in the ambulance going through the streets of
Alexandra on the way to the ex Egyptian army barracks, the Arabs where
spitting and throwing stones at us and giving abusive gestures. I just hoped we
didnt get a puncture, At the barracks named HMS Canopus (followng in my
fathers footsteps here both he and his father also seved in ships of that name)the
Master at Arms (policeman) said, heres a rifle (italian with no ammunition) See
that wall over there, ( Castellated something like in Beau Gest) Thats your
action stations, in the event of an expected breakthrough you go to that wall, I
thought to myself." where's my arnmunition, perhaps a pair of running shoes
would be better! "We had an exercise within a few hours andwith climbing up
unto the wall there was the most pleasant sight I could see, The Glenroy afloat
(MY HOME) I immediatlty asked to be posted back aboard and was on the next
boat. There was only a handful of crew aboard and we could almost choose what
cabin we prefered. I was in the Lt. Colonels cabin which was previuosly
occupied by a rear Admiral of the Boer war and WWl, He had one more medal
than King GeorgeV. If I had been King George Iwould have made sure that
wasnt the case.

The cabin was on A deck behind the bridge and besides the captains -the best on
the whole ship.The only drawback was the bed springs where bug infested so
Ihad to apply a blowtorch to them..

NATIVE LABOURERS  CAME ABOARD  TO SHIFT BALLAST AND START ON REPAIRS.aS A RESULT WE HAD A PLAGUE OF FLEAS.,  WE ALL HAD TO SHIFT OUT  TO THE ATLANTIC  HOTEL WHILE THE SHIP WAS FUMIGATED, THATS WERE WE WERE BILLETTED OVER CHRISTMAS 1942,,   SHAME!! ATLANTIC  HOTEL   WAS  DESIGNATED HMS CANOPUS.   SO I WAS THE 3RD GENERATION TO SERVE IN A "SHIP" OF THAT NAME IN OUR FAMILY.

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