RECOLLECTION

Jack Sloan 1988

“ A man’s foes shall be they of his own household.”

New Testament – Matthew X, 36

When returning from forward areas to a rear area in the south west Pacific we would replenish our fuel and ammunition.

On one of these trips and I do not recall which one, as we approached the Ammunition ship to tie up alongside, the Civilian Merchant crew refused to take our lines! If I recall correctly the first heaving line tossed over to the Merchant ship was tossed back by a Merchant seaman! The Swanson’s Captain was using his engines and rudder to try and stay alongside the Ammunition ship. The Captain of the Merchant ship came out onto the wing of the bridge to inform us that his crew was on strike! Some of our crew jumped on board the Merchant ship and took our lines.

Our crew had to physically take and man handle the ammunition out of the hole of the Merchant ship up onto the deck and then over to the Swanson and down into the Swanson magazines. Usually the Merchant ship would use their hoists and booms to lift the ammunition out of the hold and onto the Swanson deck. After loading, we sailed away from alongside.

Needless to say, I do not believe we were too sympathetic to the Merchant seaman’s cause, whatever it was. We had a different set of priorities, namely to do whatever it took to defeat the Japanese and protect our troops engaged in life and death struggle ashore in the combat areas.