Mother's Adventures at Sea
Captured by a German Raider
by Jean Nicolson
In July 1939 Mother and I had been at home in Scotland, chiefly in Glasgow, for over a year. Six months before, my brother Mackinlay had lived with us, undecided what to do. He had served in the British Merchant Service since he was 17 years of age. He was now told that he would not be allowed to get his 2nd and 1st Officers' certificates unless he stayed on British soil for five years because he had been born in Seattle, Washington, USA.It was impossible for him to secure reasonable employment because he had no training other than what he had received at sea. He decided to go to the Gulf of Mexico, to Mobile, Alabama, where we had a cousin, Capt. Norman Nicolson, who was Director of a Shipping Company. It was now time for me to return to Rhodesia to my post of teacher at Ingwenya Mission. If my brother had secured work in the UK, my Mother would have remained in Scotland to keep house for him. But as he decided to go to the United States, she decided to return with me to Rhodesia. However, before leaving for Rhodesia, Mother had a great desire to see my brother again and that meant traveling to America. She wished me to accompany her, but I felt it difficult to leave my Aunt Johan who was very distressed that we were returning to Rhodesia. My brother offered to pay my fare, but I decided not to go. However, the ship on which my brother sailed to America unexpectedly called at London and my brother paid a hurried visit to Glasgow, where we were pleased to be together for a few days. There had been rumours of war for several months in the press and on the radio. On 11th August 1939, Germany invaded Poland and Britain declared war on Germany. There was great tension abroad. We were warned to have a gas-proof room where we could take refuge if there were an air-raid involving a gas attack.
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