Friday, September 13, 1940
When morning came, it brought with it a thick fog and mist. The fact that it was overcast last night probably saved us, thought Ken. The Germans probably didn’t see the dark, camouflaged ship at anchor in the middle of the river.
After breakfast, Ken sat on his bunk drawing, interrupted only by the routine of four lifeboat drills. Just filling time, thought Ken impatiently.
But just before lunch, Terry came running in.
“The commodore’s come on board! And the Duchess of Atholl’s left! That means the harbour’s cleared of mines!” he shouted. “We’ll be leavin’ soon!”
It was Commodore Mackinnnon’s job to guide all eighteen of the ships in convoy. And now the commodore was on the same ship as Ken.
He wondered how hard it would be to sneak a look into the bridge. Maybe tomorrow, after the rest of the convoy had joined them.
It was six o’clock in the evening on Friday, September 13, 1940, when the SS City of Benares left its mooring buoy and sailed down the River Mersey, out of the estuary and into the bay. Bess, Ken, and all of the seavacuees stood midship on the main deck waving Union Jacks and singing, “Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye!”
Inside the luxurious passengers’ lounge at the stern of the ship, Sonia peered through the porthole windows. A golden sunset lit up the harbour. She could see sailors on the other ships smiling, waving and cheering as the City of Benares glided past. Behind her, the adult passengers in the lounge raised glasses of champagne in a toast. “To England!”
They were on their way.