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Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 77, 20 October 1939, Page 5

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"ANXIOUS DAYS AT SEA •• '" WHAKATANE MAN'S EXPERIENCES A description of how the 20,000 ton liner Oronsay dashed through the Mediterranean zig-zagging, with sand-bagged bridge and extra look-outs posted, was given by Mr S. S. Shapley, when speak ing of his homeward voyage to New Zealand from England soon after declaration of war. The ship had just passed Gibraltar when the news came through, said Mr Shapley. They were little surprised as it had been accepted as inevitable. Calls at Toulon and Naples were cut out, and the ship, took a direct course for the Suez Canal. Sand had bene taken on board before the ship left England and sandbags were filled and stacked on the hatches and round the bridge, gasmasks were served out to pas sengers, and volunteeers called for extra lookout work and other duties.

On Look-out. Mr Shapley took his turn on lookout, and he said it was reminiscent of the voyage home in the troopship during .the last war. It was a trying & anxious time. Nobody knew Italy's intentions and the threat of attack by Italian planes or warships hung over the ship all through the Mediterranean. They passed a big Italian hospital ship en route for the Italian colonies on the Red Sea to load sick and wounded men from Abyssinia. The ships were within a few yards of each other, but neither vessel made any gesture of friendliness or exchanged any international courtesy. At one stage,, said Mr Shapley, they saw two specks coming up fast over the horizon. They had an uneasy feeling, but it turned to relief when the racing ships were seen to be French destroyers which inspected the Oronsay. At Port Said, too, they were inspected, this time from the air. Mr Shapley said that there was a tremendous number* of ships held up at Suez, and the crews were busy repainting them. There were more ships at Aden, and here, too, there was first-class evidence of the work of the British navy, many powerful ships being seen. From the Red Sea thQ trip was uneventful.

Refugees. An interesting section of the passengers was made up of three or four hundred German refugees who Avere travelling to Australia. They impressed Mr Shapley as being people of a very fine type who would be assets tp their new country. They were mostly young and well educated, the women being good physical specimens and pleasantly mannered. They told sad stories of their life in Germany describing how their fellow citizens were friendly and welldisposed to them one day, and spat in their faces the next at the orders of the Nazis. Mr Shapley was) fortunate ir t reaching England in time to see his mother. She died a month later at the age of 84. They had various little social outings together before this sad event. The old and worn-out saying that the world is a small place was demonstrated again to be true by the number of Whakatane people Mr Shapley met in Sydney and England. They included Mr and Mrs John Pierson, Mrs Arthur Reid (formerly connected with the hardware business here), Mr Jack . Emmett (who kept a garage), and Mr and Mrs Jack Judge. In Exeter Mr Shapley met two people Avho were born in Whakatane in Mr Barrett and his sister. They used to live in James*. Street.

Soldiers and Sailors. Mr Sliapley had many contacts with members of the services and he said that all were absolutely confident as to what would be the outcome of the war which w r as looming ahead. They were absolutely ready for the enemy. Air raid precautions Avere very thorough in both London and Paris and the organisation seemed excellent. The dress rehearsal of the previous September when the Czech crisis arose had done much good. Mr Shapley travelled to and from England with Mr J. Henry," of Whakatane. He said that they enjoyed thdifiselves thoroughly but they AyeHrglad to be back to New Zealand "the best country in the world."