Able Seaman Stanley (Ginger) Betts, JX/129876
Served
on HMS Hazard 23.1.41 to 29.1.43
Dad was released from service 18 May
1953 after serving for 27 years and sadly died 16 December 1988. He
left behind my mother and four very proud sons.
Dad went on to be a Petty Officer
Gunner and his last sailing was aboard HMS Campania to the A Bomb
tests at Monte Bello Islands.
You tell the story of the freighter
Harmatris which concluded on the 20/1/1942, well the next day was
Dad's birthday and to celebrate his shipmates held a little party
for him. The present they gave him was the attached poem which he
kept tucked away in a safe place for the rest of his life. I still
have the original, a little fragile now but still tucked away in a
safe place.
Source: Roger Betts (Ginger's son)
Ginger’s
Birthday.
In the frozen wastes of Murmansk
Bay,
‘Midst all the ice and snow,
Working at the break of day,
Was Ginger – our Q.O.
And when the guns were free of
ice,
He stowed the shell and shot,
And said “ I’m going down below,
Its’ time I had my tot.”
And as it was his birthday,
He treated himself to two,
Then to cheer him on his way,
He got “sippers” from all the
crew.
Then Ginger wore a cheerful grin,
He lifted up his voice-
“Today I’ve got my 12 years in
Let all the world rejoice.”
“When this blessed war shall cease
I’m done with Betts Q.O.,
Today, henceforth, until the
peace,
I’ll be known as Betts H.O.
“Speech! Speech!” we cried above
the noise,
So up upon the table,
To address the loudly cheering
boys,
Climbed our seamen – very able.
“Take heed, Oh! All ye matelots,
When your time is done, like mine,
Be sure that you become H.O.’s
Don’t let them make you sign.
“They’ll kid yer and persuade yer
They’ll soft–soap yer and they’ll
chivvie,
But be like me. Say “GERTCHER”,
I’d sooner be a civvie.
Then to prove that a civvie is
best,
And that he didn’t care a jot,
He backed himself against the
rest,
At crib – And Beat The Lot!
J.M.L.
21/1/1942.
