Duty watches were 4 hours on and 4 hours off all the time we were at sea. For the first 2 or 3 weeks, my duty was up the mast in the crow's nest. With the ship rolling from port to starboard as well as pitching up and down I wondered why I ever joined the Navy.

Was I ever seasick. I couldn't puke straight down or it would land on the officers on the bridge. So I puked in my hat and washed it out when I climbed down. For the first few days I think all the guys were sick. But no matter how sick you were you had to do your duty. One man not doing his duty, with floating mines and enemy U-boats with their torpedoes, could mean the ship could end its career beneath the waves. When the action bell sounded, I had to get down to the 4.7 mm cannon on the bow. Later my action station was on the twin Oerlikons, port side midship and then to the 10 pounder on the stern.