Mount Vernon (AP 22) - Naval Cruise Book

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J r In Sydney Captain E. P. Eldredge reported aboard after flying from San Francisco and relieved Captain P. P. Powell. The change of com- mand ceremony followed the standard order of procedure. Following the reading of orders, the new commanding officer shook hands with his officers as they were introduced to him.

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worlclng on the dock, boldly walked aboard, saluted the O.O.D. and said that they were to work in the hold that was being loaded. It sud- denly occurred to the O.O.D. that a very large nunnber of Aussies were conning aboard, especially when he saw a cargo net filled with coats, hats and leggings leaving the ship from number six hold. The next man, he stopped — it was a sailor. Ten men in all came aboard reporting that they were Ramos, Sic. relieved from gate watch. Lt. Harvey called Midshipman O ' Riley and ordered him to make a tour of the ship to stop the illegal returning aboard. A man, in a soldier ' s coat was part way up the stern line. O ' Riley ordered him back and when he continued on toward the ship, pulled his 45 . With the remark You win! , the man crawled back and presented himself to the O.O.D. Mr. Harvey caught another in a Digger uniform, and, at the point of a gun marched him aboard and arrested him. A more successful means of returning to the ship was climbing down the dock, walking along the camel, and entering the fuel port. All in all, there were 48 deck courts, and 8 summary courts. The ship never returned to Adelaide. SYDNEY claimed to be a second New York. In a few ways, they are comparable. Both have their harbors. New York has her Central Park, Sydney has her Domain. The contrast between the bright lights of Cen- tral Park and the blacked-out Domain was obvious; two of the chiefs carried blankets ashore. The Troc was the Mount Vernon ' s while she was in town. The Balti- more made larger sandwiches; the waitresses never left the plates, but jerked them off the table as soon as the customer finished. Replace- ments were impossible to find. Sydney did have food, rare items such as Pig Trotters In jelly at the Carleton, Toheroa soup from Adam ' s Fish Cafe, a peculiar grey liquid called coffee. Milk bars stood at every corner. Traffic was a bother, they were going the wrong way on the right side of the street. Busses carried their gas bags on their tops. The people of King ' s Cross learned not to call all Americans Yanks . Most of the southern men of the ship pounded the Information Into their heads. Brake had never been seasick aboard the ship. The ferry to Luna Park accomplished what the M. V, could not do. Leaning over the rail, he lost his balance, and landed in the drink. The ferry stopped. He was fished from the water. Luna Park was at the foot of the Sydney Bridge, across the bay from Woolomolo. Any night of the week, a muster of the sailors Included the entire liberty section. Durst was discovered on his hands and knees sifting In the sands. Attempting to be helpful, Jack Parsons wandered down started searching, too. What are we looking for? asked Parsons. My tooth , said Durst. I was standing on the bridge and spit it out.

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The exact opposite of Sydney is Melbourne, a quiet residential town. For some unknown reasons, the navigators were not able to bring the ship closer to town than the 45 minute train ride distance. After leaving the train at the Central Station, following through the subway, and rising to the street level, the American literally bumped into the mass of humanity. Having just come from the States, he, of course, forgot that the Aussies walk on the wrong side of the street . Ship ' s company checked up on souvenirs: Urban and Honor in the jewelers looking at opals, DesRosiers considering the purchase of a hand carved chess set, only to find that the store had been closed for an hour. Trees grew from the sidewalks of Elizabeth Street. Arm and arm, the ship ' s company and the Aussie girls giggled at each other ' s accents. Cline and Rowe had the misfortune of ordering doughnuts in a restaurant which sold American coffee.