Early in 1915 I was attached to one of our monitors in the Far East. We
had painted the ship to represent the country we were fighting in. The
ship's side was painted green with palm trees on it, and up the funnel
we painted a large coco-nut tree in full bloom.
When we went into action, a shell penetrated our funnel, and a splinter
caught my breech worker in the shoulder. After we had ceased fire we
carried him below on a stretcher. Looking at the funnel, he said,
"Blimey, Tom, 'appy 'Ampstead and three shies a penny. All you knock
down you 'ave."
Later I went to see him in Zanzibar Hospital, and told him he had been
awarded the D.S.M. He seemed more interested to know if the German
had got his coco-nut than in his own award.--_T. Spring (late Chief
Gunner's Mate, R.N.), 26 Maidenstone Hill, Greenwich, S.E.10._
"Any more for the 'Skylark'?"
Passing through the Mediterranean in 1916, the P. & O. liner _Arabia_,
returning from the East with a full complement of passengers, was
torpedoed.
I was in charge of a number of naval ratings returning to England, who,
of course, helped to get the boats away.
While some of my boys were getting out one of the port boats a woman
passenger, who had on a Gieves waistcoat, rushed up, holding the air
tube in front of her, and shouting hysterically, "Oh, blow it up
somebody, will somebody please blow it up?" A hefty seaman with a
couple of blasts had the waistcoat inflated, and as he screwed up the
cap said, "Look 'ere, miss, if yer 'oller like that Fritzy will 'ear
yer and he _will_ be angry. 'Ere you are, miss, boat all ready; 'op in."
Then, turning round to the waiting passengers, he said, "Come on, any
more for the 'Skylark'?"--_F. M. Simon (Commander, R.N., retd.), 99
Lower Northdown Road, Margate._