Now, normally, you had to wait about 6-weeks to get on a Train to Cairo, because it had a huge backlog of people trying to get there. We were actually waiting in Cairo for 6-weeks, before we were taken down by Train to Suez& put on the Viceroy of India. Our Route back to England took us Around the Cape.
‘It was a lovely Ship. Took 6-weeks from Suez to Liverpool, around Africa. It was absolutely incredible: beautiful. Bearing in mind that she was a comparatively modest-sized Ship – 19,627 Tons – we got aboard her close on 5,000 Souls! Thinking of the Titanic, we must have had Boats for about 1/5th of that Number. There were 2,500-Italian PoWs in the Holds & I think they would have had a Bad do if anything had gone wrong.’ [Later that year, on 11th November, the Viceroy of India was Torpedoed & Sunk].
We stopped in Durban for a few days, then Cape Town for a few days, then Dakar (former French West Africa now Senegal) for a few more days!’
The year 1942 was a Setback for Tom. From 4th January, he had spent some time in Mtarfa Hospital, Malta, before going on a Mediterranean ‘Cruise’ to Alexandria, Egypt, during which the Enemy tried to Sink his Ship! A chance meeting in Aboukir short-circuited what could have been a considerably long stay there, which was followed by a 6-week wait in Cairo, before enjoying a Leisurely Cruise back to England via the Cape of Good Hope.
Home in Blighty, in May 1942, Tom’s Injured Knee was treated in Princess Mary’s Hospital, RAF Halton.
There, a Cure for Sand Fly Fever was developed by Group Captain (later Air Marshal Sir Harold Whittingham) eliminating a Disease which had been the scourge of Desert Populations for years, Servicemen Serving in such Regions of the World. Halton Hospital also played a crucial role in the development of many world 1st’s in Surgical Techniques for dealing with Burns, Plastic, & Reconstructive Surgery. Tom was then sent to the RAF Officers’ Convalescent Home, at the Palace Hotel, Torquay.
Wing Commander T G 'Jeff' Jefferson, DSO AFC AE 