T H E C O V E N A N T E R
the bunks, and a sink under the porthole. and we steamed out to join a line of ships
In the passageway outside were the baths waiting to go by Port Said and then into the
and toilets. Next, we had to find the dining Suez Canal (truly an engineering miracle).
room which was to be shared with Sgts Several merchants were allowed on the ship
Mess 2nd Bn Coldstreams. But our tables selling all kind of souvenirs (we were told
were separate and we kept the same table to lock our cabin doors as some were light
for the length of the journey. fingered). One man called the Gulli Gulli
The first three days were not memorable. Man entertained with day old chicks in
The weather was dismal, and the children the old 3 pot game instead of a pea, it was
were not too happy with the movement of a chick, of course the children loved this.
the ship. Fortunately, they didn’t see when a chick’s
John had been stationed in Gibraltar so leg or wing was broken, he wrung its neck
we were looking forward to passing ‘The and tossed it overboard. When we reached
Rock’. But we were woken up to the sound the other end of the canal they disembarked
of a fog horn and it continued to sound and returned on another ship. They seemed
for the best part of twelve hours, quite to make a good living.
unnerving when you are responsible for The speed through the canal was very
two small children. slow, so the heat was unbearable and it
The fog was quite thick, and it did not clear became more uncomfortable when a sand
until well into the Mediterranean. The storm blew up and every door and port
weather warmed up and we were allowed hole was closed for a couple of hours until
on the aft deck. The forward decks were for we steamed out of it - the heat was building
the troops. inside the cabin - we lay like stranded
A safety measure taken for the children whales on our bunks. It was sometime
were canvas sheets lashed to the rails so no- before we could go on deck, the crew and
one could crawl under; at times some tried troops were clearing it of sand by water
to see over the top! hoses and brushes.
Keeping the children amused was the We carried on down the Red Sea and
chief occupation. Ian was already reading every so often we could hear the Moslem
and writing so it was easy listening to his Kitchen Staff on their mats on the lower
reading, and setting him small writing tests. side deck praying towards Mecca.
Marion however was another kettle of fish, Aden loomed up next and we took on
due to three quick house moves her reading water. No-one mentioned it has little or no
ability suffered and though I had correct minerals in the water. Tea or coffee didn’t
reading books she didn’t want to know. We taste the same and very few wanted to drink
didn’t make a great deal of progress in 28 water. Lots of the children after a few days
days. But I read to them a great deal, mostly came out in spots; I spent more money on
before bedtime. They were in their early soft drinks than on the rest of the voyage.
teens before I gave up. By that time we’d Only a few days remained before we
read most children’s books together. reached Mombassa, so it should be plain
First stop on the journey was to be sailing, wrong! This was the monsoon
Cyprus. When the ship anchored a tender season and as we pulled out of the Red Sea
came out to take off troops, or families who into the Indian Ocean we met very heavy
wanted to go ashore. seas. Because the seas, the Red, the Arabian
On looking over the side we saw that the and the Indian Ocean all seem to converge,
tender had just a flat open deck with no the ship not only went up and down but
sides and the men were lined up on it. side to side as well. It was very scary and
Most families stayed on board, just as once again everything was battened down
well, given the state of some of the troops and we had only cold meals - for those still
returning, how they didn’t fall over board able to eat!
I’ll never know! It had been a fiesta day in Mombasa at last - I had very little money
the town, so all the shops were shut and left so I hoped there were no hidden costs.
probably just as well to stay on the ship. Wrong again, everyone on board had to
Underway again, the next port of call fill in a form provided by the Port Authority
was Alexandria in Egypt, which viewing who aimed to take 10% tax from the ship. I
from the deck looked pretty unsavoury, on realised all my goods came to £70 tax which
my own I might have gone ashore, but not I didn’t have.
controlling two children. We were there for The only Officer on board from our Bn
about ten hours then up came the anchor was a Major Smith, whom I had a nodding

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