Page 69 - Billy James MacNamara of Evanston

ISSUE : Issue 49

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1988/8/1

hire him for cook--they were scared of him. They were scared that if they had him aboard, that something would happen. He was a first-class cook. (What finally killed him?) Cancer. He died of cancer.... He never died at sea after. But all he went through. It was certainly something. He was a lucky man for himself. He always came out of it. I was overseas in the war. 1914, I guess I was in the States there, and we heard war was declared. I was fishing. I think, pret? ty well the first week or the second week that the war was declared--we were down on the nor'west part of the Grand Bank, I think, fishing. I and another fellow, we got astray in the dory, like, this morning. And they never picked us up till the next morning. They happened to--they partly guessed our route--the skipper, he was a pretty good head. And we didn't get aboard that night at dark. Well, he hauled the an? chor, he hove the anchor up, and he run to leeward about 15 miles. He figured that we'd be coming that way. And he figured it right. 'Cause we were anchored all night. It was thick-a-fog. It was raining and a little thunder. But it wasn't stormy or nothing. We were lucky. No wind. And we got aboard after that. That was in 1914. Well, when we got ashore we found out (about the war). We had no wireless. (So what did you do?) We came home after that. (What made you go in the army, or what did you do?) Well, I figured out that I'd like to see it, too, like everything else. I hated to see it go by without taking a part in it. There were quite a few of them went into it. I went into the United States Ar? my. (You joined up what year?) I joined up in '17--June the 6th, 1917. We went over in--I think it was the first of November, 1917. I went over on the Tunisian. I think her name was. Landed in Liverpool. (What did they do with the American soldiers? I don't know what you did after that.) We went down to Southampton from there. We stayed there for about two weeks. I was in the hospital there 18 days, black measles. After I got better, our company was ready to go across the Channel. I spent 18 days with black measles and double pneumonia. I could hard? ly walk when I went across. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE FOR PERSONS IN DISTRESS HELP LINE 539-4357 8p.m.to8A.M. prince and (??till Beverage Room ' . .. u i Scottish Hospitality Steaks a Specialty REEVES ST. 562-4484 SYDNEY Connors Office Products Typewriters * Typewriter Rentals * Photo Copy Service Drafting Supplies * Office Supplies * Calculators Artist Supplies * Laminating Service * Office Furniture GBC Punch & Bind Machines * Canon Personal Copiers A Your One-Stop Shop in Cape Breton I '' Phone (902) 562-7900 Fax # 539-8672 ' 350 Charlotte Street, Sydney

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