Queen Mary as troop ship (Part 1)

Part 1

Transcript of journal kept by Sgt Gerald Edward Hanson, RAF, (born 11.3.1911, died 6.10.1991) of journey on the Queen Mary from Greenock to Egypt, 21.12.1942 to 25.1.1943.
Written clandestinely in very small script (1600 words to page) on both sides of four sheets of notepaper.

Sun 20/12/42 11.15pm Blackpool.
Mon 21/12/42. 0845 Greenock. 1045 St Serioll. 12.45 Queen Mary — White bread — American cigarettes 20 for 8d — unlimited milk chocolate — cream & choc. biscuits — good food — butter — salt water baths, hot & cold — 1st class cabin — saw Stan Baldwin — Parkinson from Wembley — again ran into Peter Flux.
Tues 22/12/42. Breakfast, bread & jam, everything else eaten, white bread, real butter, coffee. Dinner — bully beef, potatoes, peas, prunes and custard. Tea, jam. 5.7pm we moved down the Clyde so smoothly it did not seem possible we were moving. About 6.30pm we anchored again inside submarine boom.
Wed 23/12/42 Awoke 4.0am heard engines throbbing and felt movement of ship. Up 6.5am, hot salt bath. Breakfast porridge — hard boiled egg, queue for it about 70 mins. 9.45am boat drill, heavy seas running, 11.0am We’ve passed Orkneys & Pharaohs [sic], I go slow feeling rotten. Seasick for first time. Don’t go to dinner, sick again, back in bunk, sleep well.
Thurs 24/12/42 Xmas Eve. During night & early morning we went round north of Iceland, very rough seas, strong cold wind, dark until 10.15am. Now heading S.W. I don’t go down to breakfast, Les brings me another crust. Boat drill 9.45am and inspection below until 11.0am when I quickly regain my bunk. I go down to dinner feeling ill eat about 2 ozs meat and beat hasty retreat to bunk. Due on duty 5.45pm, excused on account of sickness. Les gets me some dry biscuits. 6.45pm I decide come what may I should try to get down to tea, succeed and eat two slices bread & butter, bully beef and beetroot tea. Feel easier but am straight back to bunk. I’ve smoked only 2 cigs today & only 2 yesterday.
Fri Xmas Day 1942. Up about 7.30am feel much better. First thoughts are of Malcolm [born 27.9.38] and his stocking, take out photographs and spend few happy moments with memories. 8.45am Breakfast fried bacon and boiled egg (porridge first) decide not to eat boiled egg as I think last one contributed to my sickness. Spend morning on Main Deck aft. Xmas dinner — pork chop, mashed potatoes, peas; plum duff (not Xmas pudd) & custard. Spend afternoon again on Main Deck aft, reading Readers Digest given me by Martin Brown. Surprisingly there is a shortage of reading matter aboard, one or two books only available — subject American law and local government. Bob Foreman visited me a few minutes ago to ask if he could use our bath tonight, poor devil is on Prom Deck. I think it quite probable that Bob will be my best pal later, it depends of course on how we get thrown together, he’s a good chap. Xmas tea, tinned salmon, bread, butter & jam. One orange per man was supposed to have been issued but I was unlucky. After tea up to Prom deck, terrifically crowded -—RAF dance band in operation — very hot with everywhere blacked out. Unable to get drink anywhere so toasted my Darling Renee [born 13.12.1913; married 7.4.1934] at 9pm in water. Renee and Malcolm often in my thoughts today. In bed 9.30pm
Boxing Day 1942. Violent pains in stomach at 3.0am, out of bed 3.0am to 3.35am diarrhoea — two aspirins and back to bed, slept until 6.0am. Then hot bath and breakfast -porridge — curried meat (but I steered clear) bread, butter, marmalade, coffee. Spent morning on Main Deck aft with Martin and Jack, joined by Parkinson. Yesterday morning at 4.0am we passed 300 miles W. of Brest. At 7.15pm we passed within sight of the Azores, still steaming due south, we started travelling south during the morning. Spent afternoon on Main Deck aft reading Readers Digest and Miscellany. It is already noticeable that we are heading away from winter, a couple of days ago we were wearing scarves, greatcoats & balaclavas. We have abandoned these now. I leave off my pullover. Before tea I go back to my cabin to write my letter to Renee, one letter only allowed, two pages, I should like to say so much & wonder what to say when time comes, managed the 2 pages alright, wonder when the letter will reach Renee. The letters are being censored aboard and will be sent ashore for posting when we reach Freetown, probably Monday or Tuesday. When we started this trip it seemed likely that we were heading for U.S.A. or Canada or even Bahamas, but there is not doubt now that our destination is Easterly and that the ship is calling at Freetown for water and oil. Our next call is probably Cape Town where we hope to get ashore for a spell to stretch our legs. Stop on Prom Deck after tea and prepare to go on duty 9.45pm. With the blackout and everyone off the open decks it is very hot so I put on khaki shirt and wear tie. On duty as M.P. 10pm — Midt, 4.0am — 6.0am, 10.0am — noon, 4.0pm — 6.0pm. From 10pm to Midt I’m at water post in corridor of officers quarters. Stan Baldwin passed at about 10.30pm and I called him. Whilst apparently not recognising me at first he quickly remembered me after I introduced myself and we chatted for about 45 mins of Lou Harman, Parkinson, Fred Sarah & all the old school. Relieved at midnight and have to sleep on floor of canteen on A Deck in order to be called at 3.30am.
Sun 27/12/42. The sleep was not sound and I was not really sorry to arise from my hard bed. 4.0am — 6.0am Back again at water post not busy though & spend most of the time chatting with Martin. 6.0am Dismiss to bed. Very hot & very smelly in cabin, not very restful sleep. 8.0am out of bunk into bath, the opportunity for having a bath every morning is not too [sic] be missed. Breakfast, porridge, sausages, bread, butter, marmalade, coffee. We always have coffee for breakfast, I would always prefer tea. Duty again 10.0am — 11.30am, this time I’m not so fortunate have duty at no. 2 staircase Main Deck controlling movements up and down and trying to stop troops using doors to officers’ and ATS quarters, besides attempting to answer innumerable questions, the answers to some of which I would like to know myself. Everybody gets very annoyed, I do too most fervently myself, at the restrictions placed on troops’ movements. There are so many staircases, corridors and parts of the ship, all the best of course; from which troops are excluded; the officers on the other hand seem to have the run of the ship. I have never seen such class distinction carried to such extremes. Why it should be so I cannot conceive, it is very nice for the officers but in the men it has a bad effect on morale, the only respect I have seen or heard of accorded to officers is an unhealthy respect for the authority they wield. How we ever win a battle if such conditions prevail in the field is to me incomprehensible. The ship’s newspaper was published for the first time today and confirmed news we had heard days ago, mainly in connection with Darlan’s assassination. I must try to get a copy of one of these newspapers as a souvenir de voyage. Spent the afternoon on main deck forward, very windy but quite warm. Duty again 4.0pm to 6.0pm, cushy. This time at end of ATS corridor preventing passage of troops. Tea, some horrible sausage and equally horrible tomato sauce both of which I abandoned in favour of butter & jam. As we went into the Saloon for tea we were each issued with an apple, save mine for the morning. After tea I changed into tropical kit with shorts, not that I am going sunbathing but tropical kit is permitted as from this afternoon, and in the evenings it’s so hot in the enclosed promenade deck. I went up there with Martin, Oswald & Jock & we spent the evening sitting in a dark corner chatting. It’s almost dark all round as only dim lighting is provided on this deck. 10pm to bed, tonight is the first night I’ve undressed and worn pyjamas, last night was the first time we were permitted to undress. I drop off to sleep feeling hot and sticky, the one blanket provided not being used. The bunks are provided with one blanket, one white sheet, pillow and white pillow case & they are very comfortable. During the night I woke up feeling very cold & was very glad of the blanket. Wonder why it is that I have dreamed every night since being afloat I expect it is the noise and throb of the engines.
Mon 28/12/42 Out of bed 7.30am and straight into bath, then breakfast, sausage, porridge, marmalade etc, made a good meal. Straightway changed into PT kit for PT at 9.15am only 15 mins of it & that thoroughly enjoyed. First time we’ve had it on the voyage. 9.45am boat drill, it’s already quite hot & we have to stand on the enclosed promenade deck until 11am. Then I went aft, found Martin and together sat enjoying the weather from a shady spot. I’m deliberately avoiding sunbathing, but contrary to orders which state that sunbathing should not be indulged in for more than ten minutes at a time, many chaps are really asking for trouble from the sun. This morning we saw our first flying fish, hundreds of them trying to get out of the way as the ship dashes along. I spent some time too in getting these notes up-to-date. Dinner — stew — very nice — sago, I didn’t attempt. After wondering round the boat for somewhere to sit, not here, not there, officers only etc. so I finished up on the Boat Deck. It was terrifically windy. Bob came along with Cyril Burton & we stayed together up there until I suggested we looked for a nicer spot. We were lucky the Main Deck forward was available and it was absolutely glorious. I spent most of the afternoon chatting with Cyril, he is most interesting and unobtrusive. He was on Instruction & maintenance of the Bendix on the flying field at Yatesbury. He was an early member No. 7 of the Youth Hostels Assn. & is an hon. Regional Secretary. He has travelled all over England with the exception of Kent, Surrey & Sussex and has spent a long time in Scotland, has been three times to Ireland, three weeks in Switzerland & two weeks in France. Given the opportunity he says he will teach me to swim. I hope he does because I should dearly love to be able to teach Malcolm. Cyril is a hell of a cyclist, his record 24 hours endurance ride covered 459 miles, not my idea of a joke. Tea, cheese, jam etc & then as blackout tonight is not until 8.15pm out again onto main deck forward. There I thought of my Darling Renee getting ready for her move from Cherhill. I thought at first what hot weather for removals & then realised again that it’s still December & even as I was standing enjoying the cooling breeze & watching the sun go down in these near the equator waters. I thought that as [sic] this time in England it would have already been dark nearly three hours & Renee would I hope be sitting in front of the fire. How my Darling would have enjoyed today, the weather getting quite hot & yet the speed of the boat creating a cooling breeze & as we stand forward now & again a little spray splashing on our faces, this surely must be the nicest part of the journey. To continue can only mean hotter and hotter weather with attendant discomforts. With blackout at 8.15pm we are all shepherded inside & the hot atmosphere inside seems almost solid. I go below immediately, then decide I need a smoke so go back to Prom Deck but stay only about two mins as the atmosphere is so hot as well as smoky. I pity the poor devils who are living on this deck. Down in A59 again I remove all my clothes, no easy job this as my gym vest sticks & seemingly will not be removed, but success crowns my efforts at last. I stagger round in the nude for a while & spend some time in front of the electric fan. Then I don my pyjamas & heave myself into the bunk, sweat just rolls off and my pyjamas are soon wet. Sleep however is not long in coming.

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