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[Page 33]
am. when a USA Destroyer raced past us and went to the front one and stopped the boats as they came up and they put 4 in a line about 400 yards apart as shown above with the Suevie [Suevic] in the centre and we had 6 U.S. Destroyers and the S.S. Virginia as auxilery cruiser and when we all got into place we started off. And about 2 P.M. two air ships came flying over us and they stayed there till dark and about 5 a.m. on the morning of the 23/4/18 we heard fireing going on and we all rushed up to see what was going on but we could not see anything only hear the guns and we heard at Midday that 2 enemy subs was followed us for about 3 hours but they got both of them and one Destroyer had to return disabled. There is 8 destroyers with us now. When we got up on the 24/4/18 we found that we had left convoy they had gone to New York but the cruiser stayed with us. She had 12 guns on her and we had three. So everything went well till dinner time on the 30/4/18 when a Sgt. died and at 7 P.M. he was put over the stern. I dont know his name and I beleive he leaves a wife and 3 children.
And on the 5/5/18 we passed through the West Indies and at 4 a.m. on the 8/5/18 we sighted the coast of America. And we got to the wharf at 9 a.m. at Colon and we was very eager to know if we were going to get ashore and the word got around that we were getting leave from 2 till 4.30 P.M. then there was a rush to get ready the people sent a train down to the wharf to take us to the town and it was there to bring us back again at night but when we found out that the boat was not leaving till the morning Whitby Torpey Plante and myself had a good time going around with a dentist and we got back to the boat about 3.30 am on the 9/5/18 when we left Colon and went through the famous Panama Canal and when we were going through the Zatun locks a U.S. band played for us and the people cheered as all the way through the canal and at 3 P.M. we got into the Pacific and we steered S. West. And we soon lost sight of land again and we seemed to be a bit more save from Bills Tinfish so Commander English got up concerts for us and only for him we.would have had a bad time. We landed at Melbourne on the 6/6/18 and came overland to Sydney and landed here on the 8/6/18 and I got 17 day leave and was discharged on the 12/7/18. Now that I am back I am not sorry that I went and I dont think I would refuse to go again for the good part of soldeiring covers the bad. And I believe it was for a good cause.
Yours Truly H Hawkins