Shipboard Accommodations

[connie]

The bulk of the division headed for the European Theater of Operation, on different dates, on three different ships: the Aquatania, the Queen Elizabeth, and the Wakefield. The quarters and mess accommodations would vary on all of them, depending on rank.

I believe that most (except officers) experienced bunks of canvas stretched over metal frames. In some large cabin areas these were stacked five bunks high. I can't imagine ascending to the top bunk when it was 5 high. Can anyone recall the head space? Was there room to sit up? Were there attached ladders or did you just climb from bunk to bunk? One fellow commented, during times of seasickness, that he had chosen the wrong bunk. He was in the middle. Top was best choice under the circumstances.

And, then there was the wait in the chow line; and the wait to disembark...

Any glimpses of history you'd like to share...?

Connie
P.S. For more notes on the 3 ships see ship names under dates & places in division history.
QUEEN ELIZABETH:
106thdivision.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=dates&action=display&thread=141

AQUITANIA:
106thdivision.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=dates&action=display&thread=142

WAKEFIELD:
106thdivision.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=dates&action=display&thread=138

[floydragsdale]

Hello again Connie:

It's me, Floyd once more.

My Regiment, the 424th, went over on the Acquatania. It was a huge vessal. Some statistics I remember: It was almost 900 ft. long, about 95 ft. wide at midship and from the waterline up it was five stories high. I believe crusing speed was 23 knots.

We crossed the atlantic without convoy (northern route) in six or seven days. . The bunks were stacked five high. Metal poles, to support them were at each end. My bunk was close to the top. The ship was like a giant rocking chair at night, so sleep came effortlessly for me. There were no ladders to climb. One just used the support pole and steped on each bunk frame to get to your own bunk. The ship sailed between England and Ireland and landed near (Gurock?) Scotland. Ferry boats took us from there to Glasgow and we rode troop trains into Southern England from there.

We were served two meals a day; breakfast and supper; however we did get a cup of soup at mid day. Also, we were issued one canteen cup of water per day. When the seas were rough a G.I. would have to eat with one hand and hang onto his mess kit with his other one, or it would slide clear across the table. Using stairs was easy if you took advantage of the ships' up and down rythum to go up or down. During the day many of us were out on deck, walking or just watching the ocean.

A sobering thought was having to decide, if we were K.I. A., where did we want to be buried? Over there, or be sent home.

The last of the U.S.A. I saw, for the next 18 months, as we sailed out of N.Y. Harbor was the Statue of Liberty, shrouded in fog.

It was the first thing I saw, bathed in spot lights, as our ship, the Westerly Victory sailed into N.Y. Harbor when I came home. It brought tears to my eyes. What a wonderful feeling it was to be back in the United States again.

Floyd

Use a search engine (like Google) and type Monsters of the Sea and you can find large vessals that were use as troop ships.