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1225 Brigid Wells My friend and I were probably on the last convoy to carry children across the Atlantic. We sailed on 24th September from Liverpool, a week after the 'City of Benares' was torpedoed carrying 90 children, only 13 of whom were saved. My mother, not knowing the name of our ship and seeing the headlines, assumed it was us, until she realised that the news had not been released immediately. But the U-boat was still at large, and we dropped a depth charge, making the ship shudder, a few days out. We were never told exactly why, or whether there was any result.
Our ship was an old Cunarder, RMS Scythia, camouflaged in black and ochre and sporting a cannon at the stern and a small anti-aircraft gun on the bridge.
We went on board on 21st September, in time for several air raids on Liverpool, but did not sail until 24th September, by which time the convoy had gathered, including our sister ship the 'Samaria', and one of the Canadian Pacific Empress liners. We were escorted by a couple of small Naval vessels for a couple of days and then split up to go as fast as we could. Both we and the 'Samaria' got to New York on 3rd October. It was astonishing to see the tops of the skyscrapers pointing out of the mist in the very early morning.
We were not allowed to take our clothes off at any time, so we slept in all-in-one ski-suits, then quite fashionable as 'siren suits'. There was boat drill every day, and we carried Mae West lifejackets around at all times. Otherwise the voyage, especially the food, was luxurious by our not very high standards. We spent a lot of time in the small gym, which had a mechanical horse and camel, riding them and practising boxing.
I came back on the 'Mauretania', then a troopship, in May '44, just in time for the doodlebugs. You were not allowed home until you were 16 and even then it was difficult to get a passage. We slept in narrow bunks in the troop hospital, which had been the cafeteria on the top deck; every morning about 6.30 am. the steward would come in and open the whole folding side to the elements. That was not a luxury trip, but it was generally good weather and we were coming home.
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