Tennessee (BB 43) - Naval Cruise Book

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colombo The TENNESSEE nosed delicaTely inside The break- waTer aT The Colombo anchorage on The morning OT Oc- Tober 30, aTTer a shorT Three-day run Trom Singapore. l.iberTy schedules were arranged, exchange OT dollars Tor rupees compleTed and shorTly aTTer noon, The TirsT boaTloads OT whiTe-clad TENNESSEE personnel began The shorT Trip To The Terminal on The nearby beach. A sTeady sTream OT eager and curious sailors poured inTo York STreeT, paused aT The ausTere Grand OrienTal l-loTel, and OverTlowed inTo all secTions OT The ciTy. TransporTaTion was plenTiTul, wiTh Taxicabs and na- Tive rickshaws vieing Tor business. BriTish lorries, Tilled wiTh English and Colonial soldiers, inched Through The crowded sTreeTs. l-lere were The descendanTs OT The original occupanTs OT an ancienT seaT OT AsiaTic civilizaTion, The Singhalesei red-Tezzed Moors, oTTspring oT Arab Traders: Tall, Terocious and Turbaned ATghans: The Burghers, spring Trom early DuTch colonisTs. Sailors Tumbled inTo The PeTTah, sinisTer naTive quar- Ter OT The ciTy, Tilled wiTh small and dark shops, The side- walk hawkers oT worThless baubles. They squeezed inTo rickshaws and rode To The old clock Tower and The Hindu Temple, Took The sea road To The Galle Eace l-loTel. C 4152 4 6 L K f fx fN They crowded The lorries on The Trip To Kandy, cool mounTainous headquarTers OT Lord Louis MounTbaTTen, Supreme Allied Commander OT SOuTheasT Asia: sTood in awe beTore The Temple OT The l-loly TooTh, where a TooTh OT The revered Buddha lies enTombed. Rice paddies gleamed in The warm sun: small chil- dren grinned Through beTel-sTained TeeThq vasT Tea plan- TaTions spread across The mounTain slopes: lumbering elephanTs eTTorTlessly moved Tremendous piles OT Timber. Sailors boughT carved ebony elephanTs, rubies, sapph- ires and moonsTonesg made The acquainTance OT American Air Corps men who had spenT Their enTire war career aT This island ouTposTg They TirsT meT The Wrens, BriTish coun- TerparT OT The American Navy's Waves. Prodded along by sea sTories relaTed To Them on The beach, l3riTish sailors came aboard The Rebel: were proudly shown over The enTire ship by members OT The crew. Ceylon, unTouched by The direcT blows OT The PaciTic war, had goods in plenTy, buT The men OT The TENNESSEE were ready To leave November 3. Cape Town, souThernmosT ciTy OT ATrica and The nexT porT To be visiTed by The TENNESSEE was gaining repu- TaTion day by day as reporTs Trom BriTish seamen reached American ears. The morning OT November 3, The TENNESSEE Turned souThward and ploughed Through The Indian Ocean To The SouThern l-lemisphere. Revs w HSH Room Q U, K L Q ,fpfvvv Ti ,Z 2' Hfvvx QC 7, 4- rafl Ladies' Day Aboard The TENNESSEE ai' Colombo-.Some 5 nilors Didn I' Gei' Th' Ward'

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Some Sailors Coniemplafed ln Garden Pools fqmvhnk M ,M mv Rupees Paid for Rlckshaws

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