crossing . . .

Company "C", aboard the "Sea Witch" was the first of the Fourth Engineer Special Brigade units to go overseas. Their trip was uneventful and there were no cases on record of any seasickness amongst the personnel. They had 25 days of comparatively smooth sailing en route. On the morning of 24 March the "Sea Witch" dropped anchor in Milne Bay, New Guinea. It wasn't until three days later, however, that the Company debarked from the ship and came into their new home.

The remainder of the Boat Battalion waved goodbye to those imaginary friends on the Golden Gate bridge on 12 March as the "Sea Barb" steamed out of the harbor. After several days at sea, life settled down to the normal routine of a long boat trip. Sun-bathing was forbidden between the hours of 1000 to 1400 so that our delicate-skinned brothers wouldn't burn up. When tile "Sea Barb neared the equator the old "Shell Backs" began preparations to initiate thePolliwogs to the throne of King Neptune. As a result of his royal decree there were few of us who sported some well-trimmed haircuts and a few bruised foundations. The rest of the trip was spent in sleeping, playing cards, sun-bathing, and reading. On the last day of March, after a speedy 18 day trip, we made our first landfall on the southeast tip of New Guinea at what looked from shipside like a beautiful spot in Paradise. How deceiving were our first impressions. We learned about New Guinea mud when we stepped ashore at Milne Bay that memorable April Fool's Day in 1944.

The "Sea Devil", carrying the Shore Battalion and Regimental Headquarters troops, pointed her bow to the open seas at 0900 on 2 May and by 1700 that same day we were already acquainted with our skipper, Capt. Edwin C. Johnson. Within the next few days we were also treated to some corny poetry from, the Troop Commander, Captain "Bligh" Johnson, who ended every broadcast over the loudspeaker with a "Re-l-a-a-a-x!" The troop compartments were insufferably hot; consequently the decks were lined with sleeping troops every night. The chow was way below standard and the lumps in the hot cereal were as large as billiard balls.

We crossed the equator at approximately 0818 on 9 May and all, of us were formally introduced to King Neptune and his court. Captain Al Stoughton and his gang of cutthroats had their own way of making us "Shell Backs". We lost a day when we crossed the international Date Line, but everybody felt better when they realized that they would pick it up again on the return trip. We kept ploughing through the flying fish and the porpoises until we sighted New Guinea on 22 May. We came into Milne Bay at 0930 and remained aboard, at anchor, until 1000 the next day when we set sail again for a short 24 hour run up to Oro Bay which was to be our new home instead of Milne Bay. The trip was run between treacherous coral reefs during the dead of night. Safely through, we came at last to our first overseas home. We were here, now what ?