Short Story, RMS Strathnaver & The Bishop's Britches

LCA Officers Raise 'The Bishop's Britches'

By Jack Davie, LT CDR, DSC, CD, RCNVR (Rtd)

Photos as found in St. Nazaire to Singapore, Page 169

Introduction by Editor: This story takes place aboard RMS Strathnaver on its way around Africa, while carrying the 61st Canadian Assault Landing Craft Flotilla toward the Suez Canal and later the invasion of Sicily, 1943.

The Bishop's Britches

A Bishop of the Church of England, when in full array, wears a particular pair of trousers called britches. Unlike matelot's bell bottoms, they go in at the foot rather than out. Close fitted to the leg they have shiny black buttons on the outside of each leg from the knee upward. Thereby hangs the tale.

RMS Strathnaver, a prewar cruise ship owned and operated by the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigational Company (The P & O Line), sailed from the Clyde a few months before the invasion of Sicily, bound for the Suez to work up and take part in the landings. She carried reinforcements for the Desert 8th Army, the 61st Canadian Assault Landing Craft Flotilla and the Bishop of Nigeria.

On the first Sunday out, the SNO (Senior Naval Officer) LT John Eardley-Wilmot, RN (later CDR John Eardley-Wilmot) decided that we should have a church parade since we had on board a distinguished prelate who would deliver a sermon. This the Bishop did and I am told that his message was to urge the 8th Army reinforcements to make their peace with God there and then as the chances were that they would be dead shortly. Holy Communion may have followed - I cannot say as I was not present.

In any event, we had on board an RN padre, the Rev. Bright, also Anglican, ho became very close to us Canadians and earned the nickname of "Bottles" Bright due to his alcoholic capacity. Bottles was outraged at the Bishop's sermon and decided that the Bishop should somehow be brought to time for his remarks.

So, he put together a raiding party of LCA officers who about midnight snuck into the Bishop's cabin...

The conclusion of this short story can be found in St. Nazaire to Singapore: The Canadian Amphibious War, Vol. 1, page 169.

Photo Credit - Archbishop Displays his Breeches

The two volumes of St. Nazaire to Singapore: The Canadian Amphibious War are no longer in print and are also extremely difficult to find on sale in used book stores, but are available on loan from the Canadian War Museum Library in Ottawa through, e.g., your local (Canadian) library.

Link to Short Story, King Neptune Visits Empire Charmian