[Garry Shipton (RIP)]

The following was told to me by my dad, Jimmy Shipton,the old CMP driver from the 1St Div,who served from 1939 to 1945 overseas.He related his experience to me on a ccld Christmas Eve around 1969,, while we were in our scuppers after supper.(I remember that year buying him a gallon of Australian Port wine that he loved),Anyway,we were listening to Bing Crosby singing "I'll be home for Christmas"on the phonograph when his eyes welled up in tears as he told me the following,which,I have since confirmed in one of my military books as a true incident.On the ship coming home in April 1945,as they crossed the Atlantic to New York of all places,with thousands of Yanks and Canucks on board,in a holiday mood,a number of officers were sitting around their lounge,having a couple of aperatifs,while Bing was singing the above song over the tannoy(Loud speaker on the ship).One of the officers asked if the ship had Bing's newest song on board(It was from Xmas of 1944 on radio & as a record )The ship had the new song,and at the request of the officers,the ship,played it over the loud speakers-"I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas".As old William James related that cold eve,,the whole ship went silent,as nobody had heard the song,although they knew of it through rumor overseas.As the tears rolled down his cheeks that cold night he told me that after the song was over,there was not a dry eye on the ship.
Merry Christmas dear old vets,may yours ,of all our Christmases,be the best.