E.S. "Gordon" Lacey - Diary 2

for a couple of hours enjoyment. Dinner was the first item, and then a stroll round the streets. The money got us all tangled up, we could not get a grip of the Dollars, Cents, etc. at first. The streets are fairly wide and clean, and there are some nice buildings. Needless to say, there were

very few of the boys got back at 2-30, we were all pretty well overtime, and some of them never got back until about midnight. All the time we lay in the harbour, the ship was surrounded by small boats, loaded with fruits, sweets and eatables of every kind. We were charged just

about twice as much as we should have been, but the money was paid up cheer -fully as there was plenty about. 21st A 4-7 in gun was mounted this after -noon, on the stern, in place of the old 6 pounder, which was transferred to the bow. About sundown we weighed anchor and steamed

out of harbour. We shipped a guncrew of Royal Marines, before sailing, to work the new gun. Our convoy this time consisted of 14 troopers and auxillary cruisers. It was in Halifax that I first saw the camoflage scheme on a ship, and I could not make out what the idea was, to dab paint of all

colours anywhere about the ship. I learned after, that the mixture of colours makes a ship very hard to be seen at any distance. During the voyage we had several boat drills. The alarm is sounded, and every body has to make for their boat stations, and stand by with life belts on.