Decision to emigrate to Australia

We crept slowly upstream,  past Sheerness,  upper deck swarming with men making ready for entering harbour. A feeling of disintegration on board, as if suddenly every man for himself, each with his own, thoughts, ideas about the future. No longer a compact, well trained group; after all the months of work the ship  paying off, still it had been a pleasant holiday for me, a wonder that we weren't flying the yellow duster, the amount of VD we had aboard, all those with it getting a Barrack draft. The mess in a chaotic state, all those going on leave sorted their gear out. My locker  full of loot, the problem, how to get it out of the barracks and through the customs. Decided to put the lot in a bag, do what the girl did…and take a chance…….

Eased into the dockyard… the usual boson's pipes and salutes,  nobody excited, most having seen it all before. The ship was strangely quiet, after tying up and shutting down the machinery and the farewells had been said by those going on leave. They had gone shambling off about an hour after the formalities were completed; noticed that one or two of the contact cases had somehow succeeded in getting leave too, a pleasant surprise for some families.

For my part, wasn't interested in leave, just to get right out with the minimum of delay. Packing my gear considered it a good idea to just blow into barracks without saying anything, and waiting until the night leave men had gone, which left the ship just about deserted. Helped myself to a barrow lying about on the quay and proceeded to stack my junk on it, trying to appear  casual as possible. Just as I became under way the chief saw me. "Where you off to?" he bellowed.

"I'm in for demob."  yelled back without slackening my pace.

"Yeah, when the first leave comes back we'll think about it."  Waved as though not having heard him. He knew better than I did  my draught had gone out a long time ago, had no intentions of stopping to argue.

Went bouncing into barracks, acting as if my draught was official, having learnt that when it comes to officialdom 'bullshit baffles brains',  laid it on thick, getting a leave card and an appointment with the D.O the following morning, The only remaining problem was to get the loot out. Throwing caution to the winds, marched up to the gate.

"Whatcha got in that lot, mate?"

"Opium, three thousand fags and the rest made up with coffee," I said, looking him straight in the eye, almost possible that my heart would give me away by its pounding, but I grinned in my best possible manner .. he just held out his hand for my leave card, which I gave him and walked through.

It took ten days to get past the red tape before letting me loose, spending most of the time leaning on a broom about the barracks. At one stage, a chief watching a P.O., a P.O. watching a killick, and the killick watching me - sweep.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In London, an air of uncertainty about everything; at least that's how it affected me, wandering about looking for some kind of work. They were obliged to take me back on the Borough but the idea didn't appeal. Tried everything from window cleaning to being a sales rep. Joined the Labour Party as a junior member, but the only impression I received was that those at the top spent their lives only in anticipation of finding their names in the birthday honours lists, so I dropped out, not before becoming involved with a bird who wanted to find out what it was all about  quickly as possible, that is, politics aside.

Impossible for me to settle, one particularly wet day when town seemed nothing but dirty and decrepit, with a million sightless windows staring out onto the damp streets with their shuffling throng of apathetic people, decided to travel,  presenting myself at New Zealand house, the fact of nobody being in there other than myself failing to have any significance with me.

Eventually being shown into a room where sat one of those big outdoor types, graying at the temples, immaculate, bronzed, very self assured, and also probably the most overbearing person I had met.

"So you want to go on a sheep farm?" he boomed.

I nodded.

" Suppose all you know about sheep is that they have wool on their backs?" he went on, as if

giving a lecture.  Had to admit , knew nothing about sheep, but willing to learn.

This apparently upset him. "I wouldn't have you on my farm, not if you paid me."

Very little likelihood of my doing that. "But I understood you wanted people out there?"

He snorted. "What else are you interested in?"

"Nothing else really. I just like the idea of plenty of space."

"Space! There's plenty of that all right, you might have to go a hundred miles to a football match."

"Listen Joe," I said, " haven't come here to discuss football - your government is advertising for migrants, do you or don't you want me to apply?"

He reacted as though I had slapped him, coming down to earth and whipping a few forms out.

Age? "Twenty, twenty one next month," I added, to his raised eyebrows.

Education? "None, my education finished when the war broke out."

"Hmm, so you haven't been to school since you were ten?"

"Only on and off..  started work at thirteen."

"What have you done since then?"

"What haven't I done is more like it. I have just come out of the Andrew."

"Andrew? What's that?"

"The Royal Navy," I said.

Really I've had this bastard. A lot more followed but he saw that I'd lost interest,  tried to sweeten me up… wasting his time, for leaving the papers on the desk I went to the door, where I turned and in my best cockney accent said

"Bye mate, see ya in Orstralya"

Australia house, where I shot round next, a different kettle of fish. Just gave the geyser my discharge and birth certificate.

"What do you want to do?" - "Anything, prefer to go on a farm."

"Anywhere in particular?" - "No, I don't care, just the sooner the quicker."

"Well, you can't go without you parent's consent, but I don't suppose it will be necessary .. you won't get away within the month."

I slapped ten quid down.

"We will advise you , soon as we have a berth."

Came out of there feeling an afternoon well spent - somehow the weather didn't matter any more.

  

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