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Christmas 1943 for Harold Taylor was spent at sea aboard the SS Bridgepool on its return voyage from Gibraltar. This was Harold's first Christmas away from his family who lived in Chichester, West Sussex. Having joined the Merchant Navy two months earlier at the tender age of 17, he remembers his journey home:-
We sailed around the north of Scotland on our return and passed by Cape Wrath, which was another first and impressive sight. I think first we called in at Greenock to pick up a coastal convoy to take us down to the Thames where we were due to discharge our cargo of iron ore at Ford's Dagenham works. A lot of our messages on the return trip were general convoy messages which included destinations for the ships of our convoy, but we never received one so our destination was in doubt until we left Greenock.
When we got to the Thames Estuary five anti-aircraft towers guarded the entrance. In later years one of the 'pirate' radios occupied the site. The visibility was not that marvellous when we arrived in the estuary and declined rapidly. How our pilot ever knew where he was, is a miracle to me. Once we had anchored we were four days in the river, barely seeing fifty yards on any occasion. Thames lighters would creep their way past the vessel groping their way down river by touch, asking what ship you were, or if you knew where such and such a ship was.
Eventually we went alongside at Dagenham and saw the monstrous grabs that would haul our cargo out of the hold into the smelting works. Before this happened we had to go through Customs and the officers boarded and checked our individual documentation. The searchers came aboard at the same time and started searching the vessel for any contraband that we may have brought in.
I found that we were going to be at this berth for several days as it was the weekend, so got permission from the skipper to go home for the period. I had to be back for the Monday morning. It so happened that I left the ship the same time as the Customs Officer and walked down the quay with him. He was very helpful in putting me on track for the nearest station to get me home. I think the date was somewhere about mid January and I arrived home about teatime.
This was not a complete surprise to the family. It transpired that Henry, my brother, who was training to be an army officer and being somewhere handy in London, had called in at the shipping company's offices to find out when the ship was due in, knowing near enough when I had left Gibraltar. He was introduced to the owner of the company, Sir Robert Ropner, who invited him to his house for dinner. He had passed on the information to home.
Returning to London I boarded the ship once again and eventually after hanging about in the London Reach, we picked up a convoy to take us back up the coast to West Hartlepool, which incidentally was the ship's port of registry, where we signed off. This was not immediately and I cannot remember why. What I do remember is having a very enjoyable night ashore in a pub, which I believe was called the Duke of Wellington.
I also remember going to South Shields the following day and attending a pantomime, which was Jack and the Beanstalk and had someone like Pat Roc as the principal boy. So much water has flowed under the bridge since those days it is hard to recall all the details.
Having signed off was not the end of the trip for us Sparks. We then had to travel to our nearest Marconi office, which happened to be Newcastle. There we notified them that the trip was completed and then filled our time sheet and expense forms before being allocated leave. We were allowed one day's leave for each twelve days at sea. I seem to believe I was due for 7 days leave.
The Ministry officials had already issued us with food coupons before we signed off. We drew our pay from Marconi and set of to the station, being well loaded as we also had our signing off money from the ship. That was our War Bonus of £10 per month, more than our earnings of £8 per month.
The journey home was uneventful and this was my first experience of the north/south exodus, which still seems to carry on today. The travellers board the train with as much alcohol as they can carry, and once settled in their seats, commence to consume as much as they can in as short a time as possible. They then proceed to move around the train and annoy as many people as they can. It seems to be a northern preoccupation. I recall getting in a card game with some service girls, which passed the time.
Having arrived home, of course father was the proud parent of his son, who was exhibited at various pubs that they should visit together.
Whether I had more than the leave I was entitled to or not I cannot say, however my recall came and I was instructed to report to the Marconi office in London, which I think was at Aldgate. This was a strange experience too for I was not accustomed to Marconi's funny ways.
Having reported, I was in the waiting room where there were about ten of us passing the time. Many seemed to know each other, although I knew no one and was pre-occupied reading a magazine. I had noticed now and again that there was Morse going on, but paid little heed to it, then suddenly realised I had heard my name transmitted.
I looked up and saw everyone else looking around and heard someone say 'Who's Taylor?' by which time I had risen realising that they used this method to call individuals to the counter for posting to a vessel.
Harold was ordered to report to the East India Docks shipping office to sign on the British India Steam Navigation vessel, the SS Itinda. This ship set sail, calling at many ports including Port Said, Mombassa, Zanzibar, Capetown and Sierra Leone, before its final destination of Dakar. During this trip Harold had many exciting experiences.
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