Remembrance Day: An AB Seaman falls into The King’s Arms Pt 2

Fortunately, my father survived a WWII training mishap off the SW coast of Scotland and lived to write a few stories about his navy experiences aboard the SS Silver Walnut.

After his landing craft returned to pluck him from the sea he fell into The King’s Arms.

“When we returned to Irvine (near Troon) Koyl, Bailey and I hurried to a local pub (then called The King’s Arms). We were given hot porridge and rum and our clothes were taken to be dried and we were wrapped in blankets. All this help came from ladies. It was late afternoon before we left the pub.”


["G. D. Harrison, back row, wavy hair": on board The Silver Walnut, circa 1943]

I need to back up for a bit of fun.

Dad wrote earlier that the night exercise was to go off at midnight, and if he got picked out of the sea even an hour after that he’d likely be found shivering but sitting in the pub before the sun was up.

I think those boys washed down their oatmeal with more hot toddies than I’ve had in my lifetime if they stayed ‘til late afternoon.

The toddies were well-deserved, however, and I may have inherited a fine nose for single malt whiskies from dad’s close call.

My dad concluded the short story by saying the following:


“I was a very lucky fellow. In the darkness (after he’d been stranded in the sea alone) Koyl and Bailey took awhile before they missed me. I didn’t really know went amiss but the fact that the landing had to be on time was uppermost in Koyl’s mind.”

Beside an old photo of The King’s Arms that accompanies dad’s story is this caption:

This is the public house where the Skinner family revived Doug Harrison and the rest of Jack Koyle’s boat crew. Pub’s name has been changed, perhaps in honour of the occasion, to The Harbour Light.

***

I tip my hat to any surviving members of the Skinner family of Irvine, Scotland.

Perhaps I’ll get to Scotland one day and raise a glass with you.

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