Heavy Weather Brings on Seasickness

When I first went to sea on the east coast on a cruiser, I no sooner went on board and we were heading to England for a port visit to Chatham, England and on our way over the ocean was like a mill pond all the way there, all the way back. And it was summertime and I thought, wow, there’s nothing to this navy, this is going to be great. So the second time we came back and then we did some visits around the eastern seaboard and then we were slated to go back to England and Norway and take part in a big, big exercise so this was more like in the fall. When we were heading back to England in the fall we visited St. John’s, Newfoundland and from there we were to go to England and we were coming out of St. John’s, Newfoundland and we got a warning that there was a hurricane coming up the eastern seaboard and that we have to batten down and get ready for heavy, heavy weather. So that was going to be exciting. And so we started hitting this heavy weather around supper time and I was so eager to be part of this heavy weather I missed my supper. I was up on the upper deck waiting to see this and it wasn’t long I was seasick. This hurricane went up the eastern seaboard and we were in it for about three or four days going to England. I was sick for three or four days and it was terrible. We were overcrowded on the ship I was on. The living conditions were not great and to have heavy weather and everybody seasick it was quite an experience.

Mr. Flett recalls the sudden change in weather conditions causing him to be sick for days.

Victor Flett

Mr. Victor Flett was born September 5, 1928 in Selkirk, Manitoba. He was the youngest of five, with one sister and three brothers. At three years of age his mother passed and he was then raised by his grandmother. Living on “Grandfather’s land” and attending a one room schoolhouse, life for Mr. Flett was challenging although he considers it a great inspiration to his success in life. During his later years, Mr. Flett chose to join the navy and took part in the Korean War holding rank of ordinary seaman on board the HMCS Crusader with an occupation as sonar man. Mr. Flett retired after 33 years of service. He married, raised a family and now resides in his hometown of Sooke, British Columbia.