Catching Up Gus Aboard the Queen Mary - 3rd day of voyage from New York to Scotland (August 4th, 1942)
Hey Gus !!! Gus !!!
Puss got us guys into the crews "Pig N Whistle" where we were treated to a
heaping platter of roast beef sandwiches, and glasses of beer. I got a paper
bag of sanwiches for you and covered two glasses of beer covered with brown paper, twisted down tight and braced them with the sandwiches inside a brown shopping bag.
Knew you would be bummed at missing the meeting, so did the best I could for
ya. When we came back through the interior of the ship we got a few looks
from other G.I. guys, and I got the impression someone was watching us, but
could not pick out anybody specific in the crowd.
Max and Percy distracted a Brit guard and I got a GOOD look inside the steel
long boat, which DOES have a pintle for a machine gun on it. There were lot
of extra life jackets inside as well. Also an outboard motor in the back,
and oars in the bottom. Max had to give away half a pack of cigarettes to
the Brit guy guarding, but it gave me a chance to check the steel boat out.
Malcolm got in tight with some "guy" in the infirmary... Yeah Infirmary.
That's where the medical stuff is. You know, where the sick people are.
Yes, yes. No, they don't have any food dere. Well, only what's been ralphed
on the floor from the seasick guys. Anyway, Malcolm got some medical stuff
out of it, and found out there are some nurses around somewhere.
Puss, and Malcolm met some Brit guy in a bad fitting suit named Owens... No
the suit was not named Owens, that was the guys name. Very funny... Just keep
eating the sandwiches and listen, ok?
Well Malcolm had us all laughing when he told us how he teased this guy,
Owens. Owens is one of those guys with a tiny head, ya know? Malcolm was talking to him, and in conversation the guy said he didn't have a wife, and Malcolm said, "I thought so", just so quickly it was a great insult.
I guess Puss found some kind of electrical wire that doesn't belong coming
out of the dog kennel and up towards one of the ships smokestacks. Puss
thinks it is some kind of antennae that a spy or somebody may be using for a
radio. You know, the thing radios use to send and receive signals. Yeah,
like the coat hangers you see in the radio stores. Anyway, Percy... Yeah, I
mean Puss... thinks this guy Owens is using it to signal the Hitler U-Boats.
No, no. I mean those enemy submarines that are trying to shoot torpedos at
us. Yeah. One of our guys saw the trail of one in the water near the back
of the boat.
Oh yeah, and PVT Dubois didn't miss the boat like we thought, he was just
lost and down in some other swimming pool. He must have been looking for the
engine room. You know that once he thinks there is an engine nearby he
forgets everything else except checking it out and trying to take it apart.
I gave him a note to pin to his shirt so that even though nobody can
understand what he says he can show them the note and they can get him back
to us. Yeah, I know Gus. I'll keep translating so you will know what he is
saying too...
Albert figured out that this ship is going so fast that it is faster than the
clouds. No, I don't really know what that means either, except that it means
we are going fast enough so if the enemy subs what to shoot at us they need
to be in front of us to do it, and even then they only will get one chance
because we pass them so fast they don't get a second shot.
Puss tried to get back into the dog kennel where the anntenae wire was coming
out of, but two Brit guards saw him. Both doors into the kennel were locked
from the inside and the Brits guards weren't listening to Percy... I mean
Puss, when he tried to tell them he saw a guy go in there. They tried to
take Puss to see the captain but that didn't work out. I don't know... The
Captain must have been busy or soemthing.
Anyway they are getting more and more serious about this lifeboat drill
thing. Yeah, they are actually hooking the lifeboats up to the davits and
swinging out over the side during the drills now. No. No. Davits are those
pulleys with ropes through them to lift up the lifeboats. No, No. Here, let
me show you, come with me... See !! There are these hooks here, and they
hook onto the rings of the lifeboats here and here. Then a bunch of British
crew guys pull on these ropes which go through these pulleys... Yes those
little wheels there... and it lifts the lifeboats up, and then other guys
swing the lifeboat out over the side so it can be lowered into the water.
No, we are supposed to get into the lifeboats BEFORE they lower it into the
water. Yes I know it you jumped you would probably go right through the boat
and make a hole in it. That's why they need you to get in first. No not
now...
Anyway, what I want you to do is come with me, and watch and see if anybody is following me and Puss around when we move about the ship. I keep feeling like somebody is watching and following me, but can never quite catch them at it.
Yeah, maybe you can stay at this spot here, and when Percy, (I mean puss), and I walk up and around there on that next deck up, you can spot someone following us.
You got it !!! Thanks Gus !!!
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