Meestah Mahgregor! 1944

[Farmer John]

I attach below an excerpt from a letter dated October 1944 written on a troop ship, final destination India, censorship would have prevented any information identifying where they were, including the fact they had been to a port. Was this to do with Mrs Simpson the lady who precipitated the abdication? Certainly Meestah Magregor was still asked for on a regular basis in 1966 or thereabouts.


"I've just been up on deck. The phosphorescence is brighter than it's ever been. The bow wave breaks in a brilliant froth of points of bright light.
A few days ago we came within shouting distance of natives. Their English usually consisted of “Meestah Mahgregor I want to see your monnay!: or “Missis Seempson I want to see your monnay!” - this has apparently been going on for years. Why Mr Magregor is so famous I don't know."

[Harry Nicholson]

That is a true snippet of history. I well remember the bioluminescence, and how fascinating it was, breaking alongside and illuminating the hull at night.
The letter reads as though it was penned in the Red Sea a few days after exiting Suez.
I heard Jock MacGregor, that able Port Said trader, went with the British troops back to Cyprus after the invasion of the Canal in 56 (for his own safety, as he had cooperated with the British). I went through on two trips as junior r/o on the trooper Dunera. We were bound Hong Kong, and Japan (Dunera made her last call at Kure to ship out troops after Korea had finished.)