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Sentimental Journey Continued

Sept. 16^th to the 25^th 1945

On board the Mexican on the Atlantic Ocean

Our horse crew of 40 had 3 foremen, 2 cooks, 2 guards, and one Veterinarian— Dr. MacDonald. The Mexican had about 100 horses on a smaller top deck, and about 290 on each of two lower decks. Five of us, including a new friend, Dave Miller, w . . .

Sentimental Journey Continued

Sept. 26, 1945.

Entering Rotterdam Harbor. The Netherlands.

On board The Mexican In the English Channel.

From where the Rhine River enters the English Channel, it is about 20 miles up the river to Rotterdam, Holland. The harbor pilot had to navigate The Mexican carefully, as there were miles of WWII debris (sunken ships, bombed bridges, etc.). prot . . .

Sentimental Journey Continued

Friday, September 28th, 1945

Rotterdam Harbor, The Netherlands

On Friday we were paid our wage of $50 each for our one-way trip (18 days).  Then Dave Miller and I went to an Information Office, where we were sent to the USWSA (United States Wartime Shipping Administration). They had already been told about us but could not help us. However, a Captain Sc . . .

Sentimental Journey Continued

September 29, 1945

Rotterdam Harbor, The Netherlands

On Monday, October 1, 1945, Dave Miller and I took a 20-minute train ride to the Netherlands’ capital, The Hague. A phone call from the Canadian Embassy to the British Consulate brought only the routine answer “No.” So we had no other solution, except for Canada’s official letter saying our passport was in ord . . .

Sentimental Journey Consummated

October 3, 1945–April 16, 1946

Manchester, Lancashire, Great Britain

The Batavia II docked at Gravesend, and via London, I took the train to Manchester. Joan and I must have met again as strangers; I don’t recall. The Doe home had a bedroom for me.

Less than four months post-WWII, Manchester was an uninviting city. As an industrial city, a co . . .