We pulled into Portsmouth England and the ''off watch'' was given 48 hour passes to London. As I recall there was three of us running together. Dan Emer, Jim Price and myself. We caught the train to London after having a ''sip'' at one of the local pubs. We were in a very good mood as we boarded the train. Back then they still had the cars with ''rooms'' in them like you see in the James Bond movies. We found our car and entered the ''room'' …..
Seated on one side was a guy that looked like he had just stepped out of a band box. Three piece suit, Boler hat, umbrella and a copy of the London times . He was sharp as a ''tack'' and dressed to the nines. It became very apparent he did not want to talk to us because he tried to hide behind the news paper. That didnt work. We persisted in talking to him or better still ''at him'' until he lowered the paper. It seems that he was a ''gentlemen, gentleman'' …..... a butler for Lord ''Somebody or other''.............
I asked him how he became a butler and he told me that his father was a butler and his fathers father had been a butler for this ''Lords'' family since dirt was new....... It seemed to be they type job that was passed from father to son for generations. We made it to London and he was glad to be rid of us.
We caught a cab and went to an area called ''Padington'' as I remember. The taxi dropped us in a private club and they made us ''members'' and we proceded to get ''oiled up''........ Things were going good and we were meeting some of the local. Three ''ladies'' walked in the club and we immediately became friends. We sat and drank double scotches and talked. They just love to hear southern people talk over there. I got hooked up with a lovely lady with ''bottle blond hair'' and a bad tooth in front but after a few double scotches, it dont matter.
Anyhow, we left that club and went down to the ''Crazy Cat'' for another sip before retiring back to my hotel room for the night. The lady I was with asked if I would buy a bottle of VP to take to the room with us. I said sure and purchased a bottle and stuffed it down in my jumper. The club was very dark and the music was very loud and it was wall to wall people. I went to the can to answer the ''call of nature'' and when I returned to my stool some guy in civies was sitting in it talking to my ''girl''........ I was nice and I tapped him on the shoulder and invited him to get the heck out of my stool and away from my ''girl''. He informed me that he was a Ltjg on the Forrestall and I said yeah and I am Admiral Nimets now get your ace off my stoll pal..... My friend Jim came over to see what was going on and immediately took up the argument. I told Jim that this guy was a Ltjg in civies and Jim informed me that he didnt give a 'fudge' who he was and he better get the heck away from my girl or he would have to settle with him(Jim).... Jim loved a good fight......
The Jg said we should go upstairs and talk about this because he was very interested in my ''lady'' and wanted to take her to his hotel room. We went up the steps with Jim in tow. We got out on the sidewalk and the Jg wanted to just talk to me so he put two fingers in Jims chest and kinda pushed Jim away from us. Bad move on his part........
Jim stepped up in this guys face and tapped him on the chest and informed him
''You dont push me away from my friends bub''......''I dont give a rats ace if you are an admiral …......YOU DONT PUSH ME AWAY FROM MY FRIENDS''...
Jim was stand chest to chest with the Jg. His fists were closed and I knew if this guy said anything, Jim would clobber him and we would all go to jail ….
I stepped up and told Jim that I could handle this and asked Jim to step back and let us talk.
It seems that the Jg was very enamored with my ''lady'' and he wanted me to step aside and let him take over. ''Bull squat bub'' Jim chimed in...... Ceas has been feeding her booze all evening and you aint taking his girl''.... The Jg. Seemed to understand and as a compromise he offered me a five pound note (about 20 dollars back then) if I would simply ''go away''. I had to throw in the bottle of VP on the deal. I thought about it a minute and said OK...... Jim immediately advised me that I didnt have to do this and he didnt give a ''flake'' who this guy was or what his rank was....... I handed over the bottle of VP and he gave me the ''fiver'' and I hit the bricks.
I promptly went into the next ''club'' and picked up a pretty black headed girl with a hollow leg. We drank the five pound note and went to my room for the evening.
A couple years later while I was stationed at Cheltenham, Md. I related this story to a guy that had been stationed in London and was very familiar with Padding ton area and the ladies that worked the bars down there. He asked me to describe this girl ….
One.......... bottle blond...... yep
Two...........Bad tooth in front.....yep
three........ had a heart tatooed on her left arm with MACK on the ribbon....yep
four. Kinda short and ''chunkie......... yep.....
five …... drank like a fish....... yep....
six …. loved VP................. BINGO....
I told him about selling her and he said I was lucky. This ''lady'' was eat up with the ''bug'' and she would have given me something to ''take home to my girlfriend''................
So it went on the Norton, over in England while we spread ''Good Will'' to our English friends.
I still wonder how the Ltjg made out with her............
Seajay the sailor man
God bless our troops and bring them home soon and safe
God bless our vets for their service to this great nation
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