Anecdotes

On July 10th, some of our group was scheduled to begin the long haul home. Around 1030, a howl of engine-noise heralded the arrival of a Super Connie into the airfield pattern. The randy ones (i.e. most) amongst us were up there awaiting its arrival, not so much to cheer the departure of colleagues, but more to get our first sighting of a nubile young female hostess in eight months. A very good-looking young bird she proved to be too!

Being very keen on flying, I'd been putting out feelers as to the chances of a trip in one of the Shackletons engaged in met patrols and other surveillance tasks.

There was one 'downer' which appeared around this time. Some guy named Dickey Valentine, had recorded a song called 'Did you ever spend Christmas on Christmas Island?' Music was being piped from various sources continuously, around the island, but this particular tune started to get on everyone's' wick. No doubt thinking they were contributing to 'troop moral', folks back home were requesting that the song be played over and over. Good job old Dickey didn't bother to visit; I think he'd have been fed to the sharks in short order. December 28th brought my first close encounter with a shark.

Life under canvas had its ups and downs. We quickly found out that the Island's crabs, of which there was a vast multitude, were in the habit of taking a nightly dip in the ocean. After dark, the air was filled with a kind of clicking noise as these things scuttled down to the waters from nearby coconut plantations. Apparently they preferred the direct approach, since no attempt was made to divert around the various tents.