Torpedoed: Chapters 5–8

Landles Nicoll was captain of the City of Benares. But also traveling on his ship was Admiral Edmond Mackinnon, commodore of the whole convoy. Captain Nicoll was in command of his ship, but Admiral Mackinnon could overrule Nicoll.

In addition to the Friday-the-thirteenth superstition, in sailing lore it is considered bad luck to embark on a journey on any Friday.

Tho’ worlds may change and go awry
while there’s still one voice to cry—
There’ll always be an England.

When the CORB chief spoke to children before their journey, he reminded them that they were “little ambassadors” for England. They represented their great country both on the journey and once they landed in their new homes.

There had been a gale reported in the Irish Sea, and when the ship reached open water, the winds blew strong and the waves got high—and higher.

Michael had planned to be an engineer, and he already had interest from a car maker in something he had invented and patented—a device that made a car unusable to anyone but its owner.

If a child wanted to buy a bar of chocolate—Louis Walder adored chocolate; his favorite was Cadbury Dairy Milk—or some boiled sweets (hard candy) or an ice pop from the ship’s canteen, the child would run to the escort and ask for the amount needed.

The escort would dole out the child’s money and mark down how much was taken.

The boys loved to watch the sailors at their various tasks, cleaning and checking equipment, arranging supplies, sifting lentils, washing rice.

At home, their mother washed clothing by hand, with a coal fire and a washboard in the scullery in the kitchen corner.

She used a mangle to wring water from the wet laundry.

Johnny was so fast—running here and there, going down gangways, around corners, up or down stairs. And then he would get lost. He’d stop, look around, and have no idea where he was. He’d try one way and then another, ask whomever he saw, Which way to the children’s quarters?

She was not watching out for him, as her father had asked. She did see him at mealtimes, and he seemed to be doing just fine, but she felt selfish because it was actually a relief not to have to supervise him, rambunctious boy that he was.

Witnessing the British fortitude and determination to fight back, Hitler told his generals he would not attempt an invasion if it proved too dangerous.

Unfortunately, a couple of the littler boys, Alan Capel and Peter Short, both five years old, came down with chicken pox. They were put in the infirmary.

That evening at dinner they had a party, which Ruby Grierson filmed. The CORB children wore party hats and made a racket with noisemakers.

Although he was resigned to sailing with the Royal Navy escort, he planned to leave the convoy once the naval ships left.

Admiral Mackinnon was sixty years old and had served with distinction in the First World War.

If you destroy a ship carrying gold, you not only whittle down the enemy’s fleet but also diminish its resources.

Captain Nicoll knew that Admiral Mackinnon would have the final say, but the captain was certain that dispersing the convoy was the best plan despite Mackinnon’s desire to keep the ships together. Nicoll argued his point. Alone, the Benares could sail much faster and move farther away from the U-boats and danger.

He’d been on U-boats for several years, but this was his first stint as a commander.

All U-boats had an insignia; U-48’s was a black cat.

If the men trusted their leader, they would obey his orders without question. This was imperative while on active patrol. If a U-boat crew didn’t follow orders, there easily could be a disaster.

Even just everyday life on a U-boat depended on cooperation and camaraderie.

In U-48, thirty-eight men lived together in a cylindrical hull—with all the equipment for the boat, the bunks, the bathroom, the kitchen, the food, the wireless radio, and, at least to start with, fourteen torpedoes.

The odor—from old cooking oil, toilets, people vomiting from seasickness, and body odor from three dozen men who couldn’t wash very often (and then with only a half gallon of water)—was awful. The men doused themselves liberally with cologne, especially one called 4711, to try to mask the smell.

Just like the passengers on the City of Benares, the crew of U-48 were very well fed, and happy about it. There were sausages hanging between the torpedoes, bacon, ham, cured half boars, venison.

His father was vehemently against Hitler.

Maybe the storm would have abated by then, too.

With the turbulent seas and gale-force winds, it would be far too easy for a person to fall overboard into frigid, fatal waters.

Then he started eating a succulent orange, which made Bess feel even worse.

John McGlashan, the second engineer of the Benares, was annoyed, too. But he was angry about something more consequential than obnoxious younger brothers.

Just before the end of day, the rain stopped, the wind died down, and the ship steadied. What a relief to have a lull in the storm.

There was also ten-year-old Maureen Dixon, whom Mary described as small and scrappy, with a zest for living.

The CORB children would be settled in Canada by Christmas. That was the plan. But in wartime, plans are all too often thwarted.