Petty Officer Eric Such

	General experience.
	This page: includes more autobiographical extracts.
	Includes inventory and audio clip.

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Pages from Eric's scrap book:

LHS:
"An Avenger dive-bomber being bombed up on the flight deck of a British carrier" and written at the side "Things are looking UP!!!"

RHS:
top left: Christmas card captioned "MY AMERICAN FAMILY (ADOPTED ME) BRUNSWICK-MAINE-USA. THE "HOWARD" FAMILY"
top right: "Meet your Friends at the Fern cottage Cafe" "King Street, Gananoque, Ontario" Captioned "ESCORT DUTY IN CANADA FROM LONG ISLAND U.S.A."
bottom left: Information about the Public Telephone Centre for the Armed Forces in New York
bottom right: Thanksgiving menu 1943

The hospitality offered to Eric while in America was overwhelming

On Christmas Day 1943 Rev Dudley Child asked Eric and two friends to celebrations at his home, together with a meal at a restaurant at Cape Cod;

I think the restaurant was wooden-built and very large - shaped, if memory serves, like a large bungalow. Tables had been laid and we all had place names. As we stood by our chairs, a gramophone played the Star Spangled Banner with us three at rigid attention, the Americans placing hands across hearts. Then 'God Save our King' began and all stood to attention. It was very emotional for me at least, thoughts of family and home were triggered within me, and my throat clicked as I swallowed hard and set my face with difficulty.

Then as we sat, Mr Childs asked for us to join in prayer and thanksgiving, saying grace for the forthcoming meal. I thought he did it very well, and it was very appropriate since he referred to our families, fitting my mood and that of others present. The service of the meal and the meal itself: Turkey and Christmas Pudding and cake, coffee and brandy, pleased every palate. Dancing followed - very spirited dancing, I may add! Just before dusk, the cars arrived and back to the house we went.

(Extract taken from Eric's autobiography Tool of War, 1997, published by Square One Publications)

Post-war Eric wrote to the Reverend Child, remarking 'I owe that man, who cared so much, a gratitude beyond this life'.

Eric's "Bandmaster" Harmonica

Postcard from New York.

The programme from a Burlesque show which Eric visited whilst on leave in Brunswick, Maine.

Returning to the UK for preparations prior to service in the Far East, Eric was struck by the difference in conditions at home immediately on berthing at Liverpool docks

It was drab and foreboding, a bomb-scarred land, which was our country. Then followed a very quiet and moody trip to Ormskirk, everywhere was weary. People seemed to give the impression of being lifeless, as the scarred piles of bricks and masonry shot past at intervals. I was lost in thought, wondering if our family was still complete, if our home was OK?

Passers-by took no notice of us, they had seen such passers-by almost daily. I speak only for myself, but it was a shock after the USA. My mood was one of leaden depression which stayed for quite a while. Now I knew how close we British had been to disaster.

One pin-up from a set which are in remarkably good condition! Sent to Eric on HMS Victorious.

A pin-up of Kim Kendall - "All the very best of luck Mr Such"

From left to right: Lt E. Baxter RNZN, LAM (E) George Jarvis, Lofty Foster AMO, A. Waller RM, P.O. Eric Such, Derrick Watson. Lt Baxter was beheaded by the Japanese at Changi Jail after he crashed during a raid on Palembang Oil Refinery.

Relations with US servicemen stationed in the UK were not always harmonious

The Military Police sergeant stopped the music hurriedly, and shouted "We need some assistance - volunteers, the Yanks are fighting some Army and RAF at the Port Vale pub and we haven't enough men to stop it. Fall in outside, if you'll come".

Too late sergeant - everyone in uniform had taken enough - every uniformed man at the dance steamed through the main door, girls cheering and following. No one heeded the shouts of the MPs from any of the services. All headed for the battleground - the forecourt of the pub. For my first view I saw about 50 people, some British, some American, most on the ground rolling around and more Yanks pouring out from the pub. This was to be a culmination fight for all the grievances, real and imagined, and this time the odds looked about equal - we must have numbered over 100 and we pitched in, to separate the fighting groups. A large group of Yanks appeared to our right, taking off their uniform belts - some put their angled torches into a belt loop formed by the buckle and swung them in vicious circles. Others wrapped the leather belts around their knuckles, buckle out. Bricks appeared and began to shower in. Now, no thought of separating anybody, I was busy defending myself from all angles, blood was commonplace. Very few were unmarked and the fury was all around.

(Extracts taken from Eric's autobiography Tool of War, 1997, published by Square One Publications)

	General experience.
	This page: includes more autobiographical extracts.
	Includes inventory and audio clip.