Mick Rudkins - Six weeks waiting

Transcript

When I came back to Milne Bay once "Rudkins, pack your bag and hammock. You're going to the Bendigo". That was another corvette. Anyhow, packed me bag and the officer of the watch said, "They'll be here tomorrow. They'll pick you up here".

I spent about six weeks in Milne Bay doing nothing. Of a night-time, you don't do nothing, they had an army of jokers doing night work. All the stores were coming, they'd come in off the ship and we had to sort them.

So, of a daytime, I done nothing. I come back, I slept till about ... they had a special dorm for the nightshift, and we slept there. Had to come back, got up, had breakfast, and slept and walked around the island all day doing nothing. Could have had a... but that's the way it was, and it was bloody six weeks before that ship come back and picked me up.