AROUND A WORLD
AT WAR MAKES A
GOOD NEWS STORY
Charlie Harlow
Experiences Jap
Raids At Rangoon
Around the world at war is an
experience that can be told by
Charlie Harlow, local man, who
docked at San Francisco, Cali
fornia, on April 16 after travel
ling 17,000 miles aboard an un
armed merchant vessel, much of
which journey was through war
zones in the Pacific.
Added experiences encountered
in such war embattled cities as
Rangoon, Burma, Manila, Shang
hai, Calcutta, Soerabia, Honolulu
and others, can be recounted now
and told in years to come to
grandchildren.
Arriving in the city early last
week by train from San Francisco,
Charlie talked to a Herald re
porter. Much of what he told a
bout his experiences is being pub
lished daily in the newspapers
throughout the country. In this
instance, however, those daily hap
penings can be told here with the
emphasis on “seeing is believing”,
and by one who grew up in local
environment.
Early last October, Charlie went
to Norfolk with the intention of
looking for a job. The smell of
the salt air got him, and he
shipped as a crew member on the
merchantman “Wah-Wah”, owned
by the Standard Fruit Steamship
Company and bound for South
American ports and to further
destinations unknown.
After visits to South American
and Canal Zone ports, the ship
sailed for Hawaii, arriving at
Honolulu about November 1. A
short stay in Honolulu brought
forth no signs that war was a
short month away. The ship left
the peaceful islands for Shanghai,
arriving in that city on November
7. Here too, was little sign of
an impending struggle.
However, the fact that the Jap
anese were preparing for some
form of venture into the war was
brought out when the ship on
which Charlie was sailing was
fired upon by Jap machine gun
ners while the vessel proceeded up
the Yangtse River toward Hong
Kong enroute to Shanghai. The
vessel, under strict Japanese reg
ulations, was supposed to have
stopped at some point up the Riv
er and be certified before enter
ing Hong Kong, which is and
has been in Japanese hands for
more than a year. When the
ship finally stopped after being
fired upon by shore batteries, the
Japs treated the ship’s captain in
an extremely ungentlemanly man
ner.
“It looked for a while like they
were going to hang the skipper”,
Charlie said. “They finally let us
go, and we proceeded on to
Shanghai. I was certainly glad
to get there."
In Shanghai, Charlie decided he
had had enough of the “Wah
Wah” and quit the ship there.
And he savs he is certainly glad
he did quit the ship.
While he was still in Shanghai,
the "Wah-Wah” left for Hong
Kong again, and hasn’t been
heard from since she sailed.
Whether the ship was sunk after
the war started, or whether she
was taken over by the Japs and
her crew interned, isn’t known.
After remaining in Shanghai for
a short period, Charlie, with the
help of American Consular of
ficials, took passage on a Free
French ship bound for Manila,
Philippine Islands. Arriving there
several days later, Charlie ran in
to another Roanoke Rapids native,
Willie Strickland. Willie was sail
ing to Calcutta on the merchant
man “Day Star” and he assisted
Charlie in securing a seaman’s
berth on his ship.
So together the two sailed for
Calcutta, via Rangoon, Burma,
leaving Manila on December 3rd.
Enroute to Rangoon, the ship re
ceivea orders to puu into ooerama,
Java. That was about the time
that war was declared. Charlie
and his mates, on this trip, had
the war brought home to them
for the first time while their ship
was enroute from Manila to
Soerabia.
The Day Star was being follow
ed some 75 miles back by an
American Auxiliary Navy cruiser,
“The Blackhawk”, a merchant
vessel converted into an armed
raider. It was learned later that
a Jap submarine rose to the sur
face with intent to torpedo the
“Blackhawk”, but was driven off
by Dutch shore patrol planes be
fore it could launch its torpedoes.
Charlie remained in Soerabia
for five days, and saw feverish
war activity as the Dutch prepar
ed for their part in the struggle.
There was no sign of hostilities
while he was in Soerabia, al
though war had by then been de
clared and the Dutch were in the
thick of it.
From Soerabia, the "Day Star”
sailed for Rangoon, arriving there
just about the time that embattled
city was undergoing a severe
bombing by Jap planes. But let
Charlie tell it:
“We arrived there about 12:00,
noon ana me city imu uccu uumu
ed and machine gunned by Jap
bombers and fighters starting a
bout 9:30. We were told that the
American Volunteer Group of
fighters in Rangoon had given
the Japs their money’s worth, but
I was later to find out just how
much those AVG’s, as they are
called in Rangoon, did give the
Japs.
“I remained in Rangoon for 42
days and nights. During that time
the city was attacked from the
air almost daily, sometimes as
many as four to five times a day.
The Japs were never able to get
directly over the city because the
American volunteers who were
serving with the Chinese always
met them coming in. Those A
mericans sure do know how to
handle their planes, and they are
what I would call fighters.
‘One day, the AVG’s shot down
a Jap bomber near the city. After
the bomber was hit, a Jap crew
member bailed out of the crippled
plane and parachuted to earth.
When he came down he had a
sub-machine gun in his hands. He
was determined not to be captur
ed. Had he come hown unarmed,
he would have been captured and
interned. But the machine gun
put a different light on the ques
tion, and Rangoon police put an
end to him on the spot.
“On one occasion, a Saturday
afternoon, I watched an air battle
between American Volunteer fight
ers, assisted by Royal Air Force
planes, and 17 Jap planes. All told
the Allies had 9 planes in the air.
When the battle was over nine
of the Japs had been shot down.
I think we lost a plane or two.
I couldn’t tell very well.
“The city was bombed inces
santly during the entire time I
was there. Always ready to meet
them were the AVG’s, who were
in battle just about every day.”
Charlie said that when his ship
docked at Rangoon, they pulled in
beside another merchant vessel
which had a gun mounted on the
prow. One day, he said, the Japs
raided the harbor at Rangoon.
Sailors manning the bow gun on
the adjacent ship shot down two
Jap planes in the raid. Charlie
said he was an eyewitness to this
thrilling exploit from the deck of
his own ship.
After undergoing war at its
worst in Rangoon, Charlie’s ship
sailed out of Rangoon across Ben
gal Bay for Calcutta, via Colombo,
Ceylon. The ship left unescorted,
although another merchant vessel
was a short distance behind and
three others were at some dis
tance ahead. Enroute to Colombo,
the three merchant ships ahead
were sunk. About midnight one
night, Charlie said the watch on
deck reported that a U-boat had
come to the surface and fired a
torpedo at the “Day Star”. The
torpedo missed its mark and
somehow the "Day Star” con
tinued its journey. However, it
was later learned that the ship in
back of the “Day Star” had been
sunk by a torpedo at just about
the spot where the attempt had
been made on Charlie’s ship.
After pulling in at Colombo, the
“Day Star” continued its long
journey across enemy waters to
Calcutta. Arriving in Calcutta, the
ship put in port and stayed for
12 days. During this time, Char
lie said, Willie Strickland was
taken ill and was sent to a Cal
cutta hospital. The ship left Cal
cutta without him, and Charlie
said he hadn’t seen or heard of
him since.
From Calcutta, the ship sailed
for Cape Town, South Africa. Be
tween Cape Town and Calcutta,
when the ship was about 2,500
miles out of Calcutta, Charlie and
the crew of the “Day Star” had
an opportunity to witness a night
sea battle between Allied and Jap
naval forces. Charlie said that
he was unable to tell whether
there were any American ships
in the fight or not, because the
battle occurred at night. He said
that those watching could see the
flashes of the guns from about
three miles away and they could
hear the hum of the shells as
they flew overhead.
The “Day Star” came out of
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ed on to Cape Town. From Cape
Town the ship sailed to Trinidad,
in the West Indies, and from
Trinidad back to the Canal Zone,
through the locks and on up to
San Pedro and San Francisco,
California.
Asked as to whether he intend
ed going back to sea, Charlie said
he was waiting to see what the
local draft board was going to do
about his draft status.
“I’d rather go back to sea than
to go into the Army,” he said. He
added: “Don’t quote me as say
ing that our ship was unarmed.
It was armed, all right. The Cap
tain has a pistol”.
HOSTESS AT BRIDGE
Mrs. E. B. Smoot was hostess
on Tuesday evening to her bridge
club with three tables in play.
Attractive arrangements of flow
ers were used throughout the liv
ing room.
When the scores were added
Mrs. Bill Alligood held high score,
Mrs. Allie Wood second high, and
Miss Edna Wafford travelling.
After presenting the prizes a salad
course was served.
Those playing were Mesdames
Allie Wood, Bill Alligood, R. M.
Pope, Ivey Mohorn, James Currin,
George Pappendick, M. F. White,
A. O. George, Earl Rook, Sam
Bunn, T. N. Adams and Miss Ed
na Wafford.
TYPHOID
CLINICS
PLANNED
By ROBERT F. YOUNG, M. D.,
County Health Officer ,
The smarting humiliation from
the five cases of typhoid fever in
Halifax County during 1941 is
still with us. Two of these cases
were patients who refused to be
vaccinated against typhoid even
though the free clinics were held
within sight of their homes.
This year, beginning on May
11th, free immunization clinics
will be held throughout the county
on a broader scope than ever be
fore. A special fund has been
made available to the County
Health Department to provide for
thp «prvipps nf fivp nhvsin.inns nnrl
five nurses whereby additional
clinics may be held. These funds
were furnished by the Children’s
Bureau through the North Caro
lina State Health Department.
Immunizations will be given
for typhoid fever, smallpox, and
diphtheria. Children under one
year of age will be vaccinated
against whooping cough. All these
vaccinations are free.
Fifty of the one hundred coun
ties of North Carolina are having
this special program. It is for
tunate that Halifax County is a
mong the lucky fifty.
This special immunization pro
gram is concentrated in sections
where typhoid fever still persists.
The schedule will begin as fol
lows:
Scotland Neck—Clinic Rooms,
May 12th, 1:00 P.M.; Mary’s Cha
pel-School, May 12th, 3:00 P.M.;
Roseneath—School, May 12th, 1:00
P. M.; Mullins—School, May 12th,
3:00 P. M.; Hobgood (white)—
White’s Store, May 12th, 2:00 P.
M.; Hobgood (col.)—School, May
12th, 3:30 P. M.; Crowell’s X-rd—
Filling Station, May 15th; 1:30 P.
M.; Tillery— Park’s Store, May
15th, 3:30 P.M.; Enfield (white)
—Clinic Rooms, May 11th, 1:00 P.
M.; Enfield (col.)—Clinic Rooms,
Mnv 11th 2-30 P M.
The above schedule will run foi
six weeks.
All diseases that can be prevent
ed must be prevented. Typhoid
fever, smallpox, and diphtheria
can be prevented by vaccination.
Then with vaccinations provided
absolutely free in every section of
the county, there is no excuse for
these diseases. There is only an
occasional child that cannot be
satisfactorily immunized against
diphtheria.
The rest of the vaccination
schedule, which will be held by
the personnel of the County
Health Department, will be posted
next week. This schedule will run
for five weeks.
No Exercises In
Grammar Schools
In This County
The Halifax grammar school
will hold its last school session
of the present school year to
morrow (Friday), it has been an
nounced.
There will be no seventh grade
graduation exercises this year, due
to the fact that an extra grade
will be added to the grammar
school, beginning next Fall, and
children will merely advance into
this extra grade, without benefit
of graduation.
Other grammar schools in the
county system are also calling off
seventh grade graduation exercises
because of the extra grade, it was
learned.
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