Odds 'n Sods: A Navy Knife and Spike

Miscellaneous Items With a Connection to RCNVR and Combined Ops

Navy knife, useful spike or needle. Photo - GH

Introduction:

I have spent a few years collecting news articles, photographs, memoirs, and more related to the members of RCNVR who also volunteered for Combined Operations during WWII, including my father Doug Harrison (Sept. 6, 1920 - Feb. 6, 2002), which led to their training for (often unbeknownst to them) and participation in such Allied enterprises as follows:

Operation Rutter (Dieppe raid, July 1942; cancelled);

Operation Jubilee (Dieppe raid, August 1942);

Operation Torch (invasion of Africa, July 1943);

Operation Husky (invasion of Sicily, July 1943)

Operation Baytown (invasion of Italy at Reggio di Calabria, September 1943;

Operation Avalanche (invasion of Italy at Salerno, September 1943), and more.

In my understanding, most of the Canadians who volunteered for Combined Operations, starting with the first draft in November or December, 1941 (while continuing their RCNVR training at Halifax), were thereby shortly thereafter transported to particular training centres in the U.K. to be introduced to various types of landings crafts - and, importantly, how to operate and repair them, and transport men and all the materials of war upon them during hostilities.

I suppose most folks who collect materials related to World War II - in my case, related to the 950 - 1,000 Canadian members of RCNVR who volunteered for Combined Ops - are fully aware of two things: 

1. New written, photographic and other related materials keep growing in availability.

If we compare details re WWII to a jigsaw puzzle, the puzzle would be made up of millions of pieces - our expectation would be that the creation, if ever even near-finished, would be the size of several football fields - and various sections of the puzzle (re personal memoirs; particular battles, e.g., Stalingrad; various Operations, e.g., Rutter to Rangoon; collections of photographs, videos, news reels, etc.) would be being ripped apart daily so that additions could be made.

The gigantic football field would be in constant motion, as sections acquired new parts and the outer dimensions changed to accommodate ongoing discoveries, such as black and white photos  - that had been hiding in a shoebox under the stairs leading to Grannie's basement - depicting Canadian sailors* on the prowl after a few pints at The George (Hotel), Inveraray.

2. Collectors need a section in their archive/library/website/blog/shoebox for Odds 'n Sods. Surely, miscellaneous items abound for sailors, soldiers and pilots alike.

About the above photo of Navy knife and spike or needle. I have in my possession, fortunately, my father's written memoirs and newspaper columns/stories, books, flags and two items from his sailor's wardrobe - but no knife or spike/needle. The knife comes from an antique store (authentic WW2 Navy goods, I'm told) and the spike from the collection of Art Bradfield (courtesy of his son Jack from Simcoe ONT). 

Navy knives and other personal items would have been hard to keep safe for a few years while overseas, and some would surely have been used for barter**, about which a few related stories will follow. The spike is certainly authentic and was likely given good use when heavy rope knots needed to be unknotted, or smaller lines had to be threaded through bigger lines, etc. 

About "Canadian sailors on the prowl" in Inveraray. I'm not far off the mark, I'm sure.

My father wrote the following re nights on the town in Inveraray, circa spring 1942:

Now, at H.M.S. Quebec there were a lot of adventures, therefore many memories. One I will always remember is about getting up in the morning to see the sun shining through the mist onto the purple heather. I made an excursion one day and actually rolled in it - to my delight - even though it was damp.

In our group was a seaman named William Kuntz, pronounced Coontz. Every time at roll call while we were in England or Scotland his name was mispronounced and he used to get really angry. He also liked to go into Inveraray, get drunk, punch out windows and then come back in the morning, his hands all gashed.

'The George' (hotel, on the right) would be a good spot for a pint, I'm sure

On the subject of Kuntz, he was absolutely blind in the dark. O/D Anthony Bouchard and I would take him on each side by the arm and when we spotted a bomb blast door (a wall of bricks to stop a bomb blast from travelling up closes or alleys) we would suddenly pull away from him and let him run headlong into the wall.

Then the air would turn blue.

“Where are you, you SOBs? I’ll murder you, ya bums,” he would yell.

“You can’t murder us if you can’t find us, Willie,” we said. When we had enough laughs we would go back to his side - he would forgive us because he would never get back to base otherwise - but we would get it in the morning.

"Dad, Well Done," page 13

If Navy knives and such are rare, there are some perfectly good reasons. I earlier mentioned some would be used for barter (e.g., for fresh fruit) and one story in my father's collection will reveal the same:

ABOARD THE SS SILVER WALNUT 

[This story concerns the voyage aboard Silver Walnut, from Wallasey and Liverpool to Port Said in the Gulf of Aden in the spring and summer of 1943 on way to the invasion of Sicily by the fighting 80th/81st LCM Flotillas.]

...Diving For Pennies

Early in the morning of the first day of our five-day stopover in Freetown, South Africa, a few of us Canadian sailors were leaning on the rail of the ship when we were surprised to see a canoe coming toward us, paddled by a black man who was doing a good job of singing the Lambeth Walk, a war time song. We were happy to hear the song being sung in our language. The man threw a line up which we tied to the rail and then began a conversation with him. He said his name was Charlie and that he liked to dive for pennies but not too many at a time, please. But three would be nice.

We started pitching the big English pennies into the water, and Charlie dove and retrieved them and returned to his canoe in a short time. This went on for a short time until I asked him, “Can you get us some fruit?” He replied that he would send his friends out with some. We were really in business.

SS Silver Walnut: From the collection of Doug Harrison

We Were Beaten at Barter, But Oh, the Fruit!

Shortly after Charlie left two or three canoes arrived, piled high with wicker ware and fruit. We tied them aboard and started to barter for fruit - we were not interested in wicker. Soon we were passing down clothing, tobacco, navy dirks (large jack knives with many fixtures), and anything we could get our hands on in exchange for mangoes and limes.

Heaven was never like this. By the time the convoy departed our kit bags had shrunk considerably. We were novices and they were hard bargainers and very likeable chaps. But oh, the fruit was wonderful. These black men were expert canoe men. The blades of their paddles caught my eye; they were absolutely round.

All too soon the bartering ended and as the convoy escort ships passed by we gave them a big wave. Soon the capstans on the Silver Walnut went to work. The anchors came in and the convoy moved again out into the Atlantic. Hopefully the engines, shafts or whatever had caused the problem were remedied.

"Dad, Well Done" pages 59 - 60

If you know of other uses for the items, or are in possession of Grannie's black and whites, please email me at gordh7700@gmail.com

Very likely, more Odds 'n Sods to follow.

Please link to Editor's Research: Operation Baytown (Italy WWII) (7)

Photo GH