Milne Bay, was in 1944 an Australian naval base, nothing like Portsmouth or Plymouth, it was in fact a clearing in the jungle with huts for accommodation and stores around a square with a flagstaff flying the Australian flag. When we five "Lothians" left the General Hugh L Scott we went to the base and we were allotted to a hut half occupied by Aussie sailors, we were told to stow our kit, get washed and changed into uniform and report to the MAA (master at arms) office. My problem was that I had no tropical kit (still in the missing kit bag) so I finished up standing in the steaming heat in blue serge uniform with the sweat soaking me. The MAA asked me why I was dressed in blues and I told him about the missing kit bag, he gave me a chit straight away for a set of Australian navy khakis which were very smart and light, I felt more comfortable after that.
We had a look around our part of New Guinea that evening, I gave a native 20 cents (Yankee money) and he climbed a palm tree and showered down about a dozen big coconuts, he then split the husks and gave us the nuts - they were beautiful. The natives were known as fuzzie wuzzies by the Aussies, they had huge mops of hair, some of them had died it red, others had red teeth through chewing betel nuts and they looked much fiercer than they were.
Gangs of natives were employed by the Aussies to dig drains around the camp and other labouring jobs, they only wore raggy shorts and carried their money around on a string around their necks, their coins had holes in them for this purpose. It was stifling hot most of the time and although it was picturesque, I was pleased after a couple of days that we were told that the next morning we would be joining a merchant ship- the "Clan McGregor" which was calling, we were to take the passage on it to Australia. We set off the next morning and after about three days we arrived in Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
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