22 Dec 1941, Colin McEwan Diary

I was awakened by the growl of the engines and coming on deck, found we were in Aberdeen harbour tying up alongside one of the HK Yaumati ferries. It was a lovely clear morning, as indeed all of our Naval days were and, on Mike and Tai setting off for town, I settled down to a pleasant morning. My hopes were dashed though by the constant interruption of shelling and bombing, and here at last my first impressions of the Navy acquired during our first visit to the Aberdeen H.Q. were completely dispelled.

Here was the best morale I had seen, and that too among men who had, in their frailest of craft, no protection against shells or bombs, except wits, courage – and Lewis guns for any low-flying craft. Moored as they were, all one could do was duck and hope – yet the atmosphere was most cheerful, and the relationship between officers and men most pleasant. Everyone realised that they were in a tough spot – Aberdeen was no health resort – yet there was not the slightest sign of panic or disorder, and the crews ducked or sat and smoked with an attitude of “Oh well, what a ****_ _ g life” that was most infectious.

The same morning too I made my first acquaintance with those heavenly twins “Navy Rum and Navy Tobacco” whose praises should be sung in verse and not in mere prose.

On Mike and Tai’s return, the news came that the whole flotilla – or rather what was left of it, was coming on our expedition and the same evening the crews were given an idea of what was afoot, and advice on “kit requirements”. There they were, “all sailors” many of whom we found later had done practically no walking, looking forward with equanimity to the prospect of becoming guerrillas. Packing of kit required a fair amount of tact, since each man took a deal of persuading that a load of 50 lbs. would weigh heavily even on a stalwart pair of shoulders after a few miles. Still the packing was done and the most difficult part of the business now was in trying to cool their ardour and make them see that, quite probably, they would not move off the next minute.

Being more or less attached to the M.T.B.s by that time I did an hour on watch, a most enjoyable one too, with a perfect night – cool breezes and utter peace and stillness, seemingly miles away from the stuffy holes in which we had been hibernating.