Keith Tillotson
Aussies (1944)
So we went to Brisbane – that's one of the largest cities on the east coast of Australia – and we picked up a load of Australians. Aussies – and they had a kangaroo as a pet. They brought this – oh, on the way down, somebody had a pet. I was a rabbit. I never knew whatever happened to that rabbit. Somebody in the crew had a rabbit. Can you imagine a rabbit out at sea?
We picked up the Australians to take them up to Manila in the Philippines, 'cause now the war is getting up to 1944, and they had the Philippines. They'd taken it back. When we went up there, it was the first escort we had. Had Navy ships all around – it was destroyers goin' up through that canal.
The Aussies liked to play bingo, so they'd be out on deck playin' bingo. You could hear 'em yellin', screamin'. I'm on the bottom of the superstructure, right with the main deck. 'Course you have to have your porthole open to get air, and those guys were outside there just hollerin' "Bingo! Bingo!" Oh, it just drove you nuts!
They had this kangaroo, and it walked into my room one day. I'm asleep. I'd had the twelve to four watch, I guess it was. Four to eight – gee, I forgot. Anyway, I'm sleeping during the day. Somethin' is breathing in my face. I opened my eyes, and there's this kangaroo lookin' at me. I chased it out of there, it went hoppin' around. It was kind of a young one, I guess. But, it got sick and died. Had to throw it overboard.