1947-11-22 — Page 7

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THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1947.

BISSET of the QUEEN- · ELIZABETH

concludes his story

Crossing the Atlantic with the famous

When Mr. Molotov steered the Queen Elizabeth

by

COMMODORE

SIR JAMES BISSET, C.B.E.

EACE came to the Queen Elizabeth without

nusterity, without rationing. All

the

luxury and splendour were restored to her 14 decks, and once again women in gay frocks trod her ten miles of carpets and ate what deli- cacies they desired.

I left the Queen Mary for the Elizabeth in August 1945, stayed with her during her recon- ditioning, and then took her out to America on her maiden voyage on October 16, 1946.

Looking out from the bridge, it was strange to see so much colour replace so much khaki.

Once again I sat at the captain's table in the main dining saloon and entertained with cocktail parties in my enbin before lunch and dinner.

Once again I slept in my cabin and wore pyjamas at least, when the nights were clear.

Sparkling hours

Am

I to regale you with anecdotes of all the glittering personalities I met as captain of this floating "Grand Hotel" right up to the time of my retirement towards the end of last year?

I have xome sparkling memories, but let me say al -once that my heart was never in festivities at sea, whether in peace or war.

No good captain can be -otherwise. The safety of the

INTERNATIONAL AMITY- Mr Molotov, Commodore Bisset, and Mr.

The Prime Minister always dis- played great interest in our position on the chart and in our escort, for when he was aboard we usually had a cruiser keeping with us, constantly

elieved by another.

There was air cover for a consider- able part of the time, and when vie over to the other side American and Canution cruisers would meet us. Once we bud a large party of R.A.. going over for training, ar Churchill denned his R.A.F. uniform ad made i speech of good cheer.

1

HISTORIC ROOM Specially, fitted with battle maps

Vislinsky, in the Queen Elizabeth.

1 ask him to my cabin for a drink art was all prepared with vodka. He refused this, and accepted a small glass of whisky.

There is something majestic in a buttie with the elements, for it is a challenge to man, and I have eagerly accepted the challenge.

uppears to be the fashion for parents to try to persuade their boys

As not to go to sen

A boy who nearly ran away from home to get aboard a wind-jammer, you would

not expect me to hold with that.

If a boy shows any desire, let him go. If he has anything in him at all, the sea will make a man of him. My own life has shown there is nothing to prevent any lud—be he deck boy or apprentice-from reaching the top.. provided he lins good health, good eyesight, and fa moderate in all things.

I

SAIL-TRAINED

Sea sense that steam cannot give

AM sorry the chances of training in a sailing ship are now nimost non-existent, Sall gave me a sea sense that the steamship man cannot possess.

There used to be a saying that a good natior always looks above his head. That was where he saw what was going on, for his chief Interest was the sails.

The steam man does not have

Most people travel on business, with the amount of money on them

They have shown no sim yet of this habit. Many a time I have strictly limited. wanting to risk IL on ull-time gone out on to the bridge in recent

days and have gambling.

seen a signal halyard bar 4ight from getting wet.

I had to give the order to slacken

ni-stenta-trained

men around

The ship's belle,

Koodby We conversed through an interpre- ter, but I have a feeling that Molotov

τροπές

would very much like to English, for he kept repeating words as if to familiarize himself with them. The belle of the ship on one voyage was Mrs Roosevelt,

Dressed in black, she was going over to A Paria conference with Senators Connolly, Vandenberg, and Stettinlus, but she made time to see everyone who asked for an interview -soldiers, nurses, and all sorts of

ship must ever be his pre- HF spent much of his time study humble folk:

occupation.

I have always had at the hack of my mind that the res ponsibility for all the gaiety, the laughter, and the life was mine, and mine alone.

I am no dull dog, I trust, but I made it a rule never to drink in public rooms in a ship of which I was master.

That did not prevent me from entertaining my dinner guests with wine, but even at

parties cabin cocktail

my one cocktail would

their outlast several.

Greatest of all

The man who made the most in- pression on

was Mr Winston Churchill. He was my passenger for, there grossings during the war, and Mrs Churchill was his constant com-

With Chiefs of Staff, cypher off-

Ing maps, hung in a specially equipped map room, in conjunction with reports from Montgomery.

Messages were sent and received without breaking radio silence. They for everybody

be Bashed by lamp to an

would

escorting warship.

After dark the warship would turn back, and when two or three hundred 115, the messages miles separated

would be radioed to London or

Washington.

On the voyage Mr Churchill was suffering from bronchial trouble, and the damp. muggy weather of the Gulf Stream affected him rather badly.

He called me to his cabin to ask how long we would be in that climate, I assured him that by 10 o'clock next

She obviously loved to talk to them and it seemed to me her whole life was centred round trying to do good I have she could rarely met so sympathetic a person.

MET THE STARS Mickey Rooney was just a G.I.

[ARLENE DIETRICH,

and

to

I was clere to terra when I roid

ofleers MAY

and

it and The passengers, made me a handsome crew on my last voyage. They Presenta.ion-much to my surprise.

My commodore's uniform, with its two-inch gold stripe. hangs now in my flat at Cheltenham, far from the sta. It is sad to think I shall never pace the bridge again as master of

great ship.

But, having made the maiden voy- age of the mightiest vessel in the world. I must not be sorry to retire. I am 64, and I feel satisfied 1 have had a good innings. I Am content to make way for the younger inen coming along.

WAY. TO THE TOP

Long hours never worried him

LOOKING back through half a con-

מן

tury at sea, what lessons I read?

my Trose from the bottom Beatrice

calling right to the top, and I feel i was through no special gifts ex- to stick copt the ability always to my job.

I have never let my own feelings and long hours have meant count, nothing to me.

M Lillie, Joan Hennett, Dorothy many other lovely Malone,

passengers, and I women were my was host to them all,

Mickey Rooney was just a plain G.. when I took him aruss to Dritain. He was irrepressible and in a per- pullingt

I have striven to uphold and

me had never noticed it, A small thing, but it counts!

There are still many things to look out for aloft-radio nėrials, ghtning conductor, the crow's nest, the masthend lights. Yes, it was a good habit.

The modern young allor is content stay in the wheelhouse and keep look-out through a glass window. Soil-trained men would never dream of doing such a thing..

Sall men would go out into the open and keep a look-out in the wind and weather

This may bo old-fashioned ut me, but I stil judge the best watch Is kept. In the open.

Last of line

I often think it a great pity that und a few other captains are the lust of the calling ship meni

People who have met often

grin.

My wife tulk about my doesn't like the word, and wishes they would say smile,

It

But smile or grin, I assure you it nut assumed for some propaganda effect. I like to be cheerful, makes me miserable if I talk to

with them.

moming we should be in cool, dry petual state of laughing and leg- honour the reputation of the great people and find I can't be jolly

weather.

My prediction came true, and by the time we arrived in Halifax he was better.

The Duke and Duchess of Windsor real as a very charming couple, extremely attached to each other.

Leak them to New York. They in vited me to one of their parties in

ship.

ile is a very genuine little feilow with a bright smile, and after I had shown him the bridge he shook my hund like a long-lost brother!

Bum; Crody came over during the war and he would go down and sing to the troops several times a day,

They would just call out, “Give us

Big and winous music te

cers, cerctaries, and a small guard mine did they came to one of would croun them two or three dit-

of Marines, his party generally con- sisted of about 150 people. There was always his private detective.

A large room was given to the Prime Minister for conferences which he would call at any time of the day or night-sometimes at 2 ..-de- pending

radio message oll

he re ceived.

Once a day, sometimes twice, he aul Mrs Churchill would come to the bridge.

By

made themselves thorough-

ly at home with my guests.

As they were disembarking the Duke said he was sorry to hear I would be retirea before they made the return trip, and presented me with a pair of beautiful gold cuff links.

Mr Mulotoy asked if he could take on the the wheel when he came bridge during the Queen Elizabeth's maiden voyage, New York papers re ported that when he steered the slip vecred slightly to the left!.

“Candidus?”

MORE “LUNGS" TO FIGHT

WH

LUNG DISEASES

7ITH the question of town On the other side of the harbour, planning once again in the such settlements could be served by forefront of official delibera- fares allowed between certain hours, the railway, and special workmen's

tions, it is to be hoped that of course, all that takes time, pos- special attention will be devoted sibly years, and something should to the urgent question of therefore be done in the meantime. public playing fields. Of recent the open air and country environ

Generally speaking. Chinese love years, Chinese have taken up ment, and if an area could be set outdoor sports with com- part in the Shatin or Talpo ureas mendable enthusiasm, and it is in the form of a park, with, the refreshment and other

the encouraging of outdoor necessary

facilities and excursion fares put

exercise which will play a vital into force over the week-ends

in part fighting the TB many thousands would be tempted scourge.

to spend pleasant and health-giving Four are air and sunshine after

The limited number of spaces. the week's existence in the over- set apart for outdoor recreation crowded cly.,

are utterly inadequate-and it

is no wonder that they are

·

la

always overcrowded. Frem ANOTHER service which must be eupplied is that of hospkals for -daylight to dusk, one can ob- children, It is a sad reflection an

serve thousands of youths in- this teeming Colony that there dulging in football, but anything rot one such institution. I believe In the way of organised recren- that one of the Chinese hospitals has tion is impossible under present but the number of beds might be a special ward set naide for children, -conditions.

counted on the fingers of two hands. The old Government Civil Hes- pital offers a valuable site, sufiably focated for nervien to juvéniles, THE Southern Playground is the. is true the the HK.SIC. carries on enly "lung" in the densely popu- splendid work in nourishing the un- Jated Wanchai disfrlot, and even that fortunate children of the poor, and is anything but pleasing to the eye many thousands benefit thereby, but "There are outlying areas where the fact remains that when a child "model dwellings might well be plan is sick--and there are fanny thou- ned, and where emple provision sands--no hospital exists for their should be made for recreation. trentmea

ties in spite of a bad cold.

Prefers hot-pot

I am a plain eater, and, although in the Queen Elizabeth you have the choice of English, American and French dishes, I would just as soot have a Lancashire hot-pot.

line I servel.

To me it shone like a sacred thing. but I suppose It is Just loyalty of ervice and deep respect for the radition of the men who have made

salled the ships and

the

before me.

scas

Always something new Tho responsibilities I shouldered material imall have gained wealth compared with the profit in he life of even an ordinarily success. ful business man

But I have never been eno to gasp after money, and I was never scared of taking responsibility.

I was surprised to see how careful I love ships and I love the sea, British people were at my lable in and have

always liked wandering diet. I am sure about the world, seeing new pluces sampling the vict they felt they were still on rations and meeting new people.

and had better not take too much.

The old days of the card-strarpers I like, too, the solitude of the sea. have not yet returned. We used to I think the most beautiful natural put up notlees warning people to be thing in the world is a night at sea careful wom they played with, but in tie toples. there is no need for that now,

Eut to me there is nothing more

I

I am going to lose my grin unless I move to a house near to the sea and talk with men who do business on great waters.

I did much reading when things were quiet at sea, and this old "prayer" 1 copied out and put in my scrapbooks:-

Give me a good digestion, Lord,

also something to digest. G** Me a healthy body, Lord, with sense to keep it at its best. Give me a healthy mind, Good Lord, to keep the pure and good In statt,

Which, arcing sin, is not appalled, but finds a way to set it right. Give me a mind that is not bound, that does not whimper, whine or sigh. Don't let me worry overmuch about

that funny thing called I.

Give me a sense of humour, Lord, give me the grace to see a joke, To get some happiness out of life,

and pass it on to other folk,

I have read that prayer many The cardine tourist-the prey of inspiring than a stom, always times. There is much comfort and the card-sharper-is still absent, felt better when the weather was good advice in it for the sailor at sea, and so, apparently, is the card- bad-it gave me extra energy and shutpor.

set on top of the world.

THE

END

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She Ate More Clams

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*

While the band played "By The Sea" and 1,000 spectators cheened, Mrs. Dina Lamb, at Allante Cy ate 180 cherrys'one clams to become the new US national champion.

Mrs Lamb, who wafghs 7st 12lb., battered by 30. fast year's

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Born Without Feet,

She Now Walks

UPSET

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the