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Copy of Letter No. 5 from Sgt. Pilot Murray Wilson.
Mon. 11th. August '41
It is now a week since I last wrote to you - or anyone else for that matter - but it is rather exasperating to be doing rather interesting things and not be able to tell you about them. We had a day in port yesterday and got ashore for a couple of hours. It was the first feel of dry land we'd had for ages and I can tell you it wae very welcome. This ship is nice and roomy and quite comfortable, but by the time we reach our ultimate destination, we are going to be heartily sick of it.
Things are not as we expected - not at all - haven't seen a decent sized wave yet, although we have had our little mon about the weather. Its been stinking hot. A lot of the boys have been sleeping on deck to get away from the heat and stuffiness below. Had a go at it myself a couple of times, but our cabin is not too bad and it is a lot of bother lugging mattresses etc., around the place and now it has cooled off a bit, I don't think I'll be doing it any more. I was most surprised to find out that the temperature of the sea water was 84 degrees a few days ago. When I was on the "Cooks Tour" job of the engine room, I got a bit friendly with one of the engineer down there and he's told me quite a bit about it all. The lowest temp. we got down to was 54 degrees. With such hot water around us the ship has been a bit stifling. However we have always got the swimming pool although of course thats pretty warm too.
The old blackout job is not bad at all this weather, I've been on the shifts up till midnight all the time so far and quite often it made no difference being on or off duty. We would be on deck in any case. It is pleasant to sit out on the deck or wander around these nights, but it will be a different tale when it starts to get cold again. Still I've plenty of togs te keep me warm.
Our little jaunt ashore yesterday was great. It was a funny little spot we called in at and the towm - a funny little spot too - was about ten miles away. Out money was no good, but everyone managed to get a bit of the local coin and see the town - plenty of taxis to take us there - and get beck to the ship again - tired, but darn glad of the break and very pleased te have seen it all. A few days before that we had a most interesting day but the rules of the game won't let me tell you of it. We stopped for a while but didnt get any leave - bad show.
We had to hand our cameras in a week ago and haven't got them back yet. I'd have loved to have had it yesterday, there was miles of material for some decent pictures - but no camera.
Later. Wednesday, 13th. Well, it is still just the same old round of things and not much to tell you. Yesterday was as hot as the very devil and the night was stifling. I was on blackout from 12 till 2 and the deck was the only place that was at all comfortable - even there it was pretty warm. The cabin - with the prthole closed - was not much good for sleeping, but I stayed there from 2 o'clock onwards as the lads on deck get shot off very early in the morning by the crew scrubbing down the deck, and at six Bob opened the porthole and I slept until nearly nine so came out of it pretty well.
I just got the camera back, so I'll get some more snaps. I haven't been able to get any printed yet, but got a few developed and the negatives look quite good. When I get something decent I'll send it to you.
We seen to spend most of the day reading now, of course I’e got a few books there and could do some swot, but I'd be very much alone and anyhow I don't feel like it. Its a bit hard to concentrate on board ship so I'm not trying, although I've read up quite a bit about photography. At our first port after the big stretch at sea the local Y.M.C.A. came good with a lot of magazines.
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