They don't check your ankles

Heroes Remember

They don't check your ankles

Transcript

And then you worked the black market. I can remember we used to take the coffee. After the, after mess was over, we'd get the old coffee grounds. Being in a boiler room with all kinds of heat we'd take an old, an old hammock, canvas hammock, and we stretch it out on top on the boilers, and then we pour this wet coffee out on there and let it dry. When it was dry, then you take a new pair of socks, and you'd fill the socks and tie this one with a string, a long string on, tie this one, hang it around your neck, and down your pant leg. ‘Cause when you go off the ship, they frisk you. They check you to see if you have extra cigarettes. They checked your waist, your sleeves and stuff. They won't check your ankles, and that's where you would take your coffee off, or you could take your cigarettes off the same way. We decommissioned in Cherbourg and went to Paris. On the train we were given sea rations. Well hell, we weren't about to open and eat sea rations. Christ. So, everybody decided to hell with that. So, I got the box and I refilled the box with all the sea rations. And I struggled with that damn thing off the train, to the hotel and stuff. And we had free to go out that night in Paris, well hell, we're gonna go. So, I... they, "What are you gonna do with those?" I said, "Come on." So we went and I got, flagged a taxi. Opened one, and opened it up, so, you need cigarettes, chocolate bars and pop, soft drinks, this whole bit. And I said, "This thing's full. Where do I get rid of it?" Well, just close the door, away we went. Well go into the... black. There are very few street lights in Paris, anyway, and we go down there, and go into the alleyway, and he goes into this... bang on this dock door, comes about with a wad of bills about like this, and he, "This, this." "Alright, sure, here." So away he went. I have no idea how much money there was. So, and this is what we spent while we were in Paris. You, you... To throw away a cigarette, we were taught to field strip. You'd split it open, spread out the tobacco, and roll up the paper and, well then throw it so there's no mess. In Germany, you don't do that. You pinch it off and drop it ‘cause the guy behind you picks it up, he opens it up, takes the tobacco, puts it in a little can and puts it in his pocket. But waiters, if you wanted to tip a waiter, give a cigarette. The Red Cross there, coffee and donuts were free and there were German waiters, girls and men, doesn't matter, they'd bring... And you'd thank them for the service. You'd give them a cigarette or two and, and this is the way they... and this, of course, became money for them. It was, barter was everything. But I remember breaking my glasses when I was in Germany. And as I say, I was nearly blind without them. So, the commander, who was a doctor, said, "Alright, we'll, we'll have to go ashore to find an optometrist." "Fine." So, he had checked around, he knew where he wanted to go, and he said, "Oh, by the way, have you got cigarettes?" And I said, "Oh, yes." He said, "Alright, you put a carton of cigarettes in your diddy bag and give it to me." So, I did, and he walked off the ship with my diddy bag and a carton of cigarettes. And we went to the optometrist and he tested my eyes and gave me a prescription. That was three packets of cigarettes, 18 cents. He sent us to an oculist who will make my glasses, so I... fine, I ordered glasses And we came back, I think it was three days later and that was five packages of cigarettes and I had glasses. They looked like silver. They were perfectly round and the nose piece was in the centre so you had as much up here as you had down here. And they were stainless steel, with blue plastic tips. I remember that, but it was so nice to be able to see again.

Description

Mr. Stewart talks about the Black Market and bartering for goods and services.

Edward Stewart

Mr. Stewart was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1926. Following his father's footsteps, he attempted to join the navy, but was under age. Drafted at the age of 18, he was selected for naval duty. Mr. Stewart served aboard troop ships during the latter stages of the Second World War, both on deck and in the engine room, and spent considerable time ashore in Germany, France and Denmark. He also sailed on one of the mass-produced Liberty ships. Mr. Stewart eventually moved to Harriston, Ontario, where he worked 38 years for Canada Packers.

Meta Data

Medium:: Video
Owner:: Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:: 04:18
Person Interviewed:: Edward Stewart
War, Conflict or Mission:: Second World War
Location/Theatre:: Europe
Battle/Campaign:: North Atlantic
Branch:: Navy
Units/Ship:: Europa
Rank:: Able Seaman
Occupation:: Deck Crew, Engine Room

Language selection

They don't check your ankles

Heroes Remember