RECOLLECTION

Harry Chester 1989

“PRINZ’s POTTY”

On 29 January 1942 between Newfoundland and Iceland our ship rescued 13 men who were survivors from a torpedoed Norwegian freighter. They were in an open boat without heavy clothing, in extremely cold weather. Their ship had been torpedoed five days earlier. All of the men were in poor physical condition due to frostbite on hands and feet. They were lucky in one sense of the word as no bad storms had hit them.

In the boat with the men was the biggest German Shepherd dog (Alsatian) that I had ever seen. There wasn’t anything wrong with the dog. His name was Prinz and he and I got real acquainted during the time he was on the Swanson. The Norwegian Master gave the dog to our Commanding Officer, so Prinz rode the Swanson back to the United States.

My work place and cleaning station was Number 1 five inch gun handling room which was located on the same deck just forward of the officers staterooms. They were obliged to come through the handling room to get to their Head. Now all humans and animals have to “Potty” sometime and someplace, so did that dog! And where did he go? You guessed it – Number 1 handling room! I don’t know what they fed him but there would be a pile you could hardly step across. Needless to say after standing a 12 to 4 watch it did not put me in a jolly frame of mind to have the word passed for me real early on the squawk box to lay up to Number 1 handling room on the double to clean up a pile of dog manure. Prinz would be there every time standing in the officers passageway. I made a bad error one morning. I was shoveling away and gritting my teeth I called the dog what he was, which is a “son of a bitch!” Prinz took exception to it, I guess he didn’t like the way I said it! All at once he grabbed my arm at the wrist but he did not bite down hard he just held it. I swear there was 6 inches or more jaw extending beyond my wrist. His teeth looked the size of piano keys. I did not attempt to jerk loose, as I was afraid I would not get back all my arm. He held it for a little while, then turned me loose. I never called him that again and he was always there to see that I didn’t! He didn’t need to bother; I learned my lesson real quick!

R-57