Okay, I am legit excited about this week's blog homework from @rambo, @missy and @lyxzen because I love telling stories, and there are a couple in my family history that I particularly enjoy recounting. Among them, one of my very favourites is the story of my grandfather's run-in with U-boats.
So, my Papa, seen in the framed picture installing a radar machine in the Officers' W.C. (which is to say, in the toilets), worked in the shipyards at Halifax during the Second World War. Now, for those who don't know, Halifax is the capital of Nova Scotia and the largest city in Canada's Maritime provinces - so naturally, it was an incredibly important port during the war.
As such, Papa's contribution to the war effort consisted mostly of maintaining the ships of the Royal Canadian Navy, including installing some of the earliest forms of radar to help detect enemy U-boats. For what it's worth, this was a pretty important contribution, especially if you consider how vital it was to keep supplies flowing from North America to Britain, especially after the Fall of France.
Anyway, one day he got a chance to ride on a convoy to Britain. The crossing was relatively peaceful, with no major encounters with U-boats to speak of. Once the convoy arrived, everyone on board got shore leave, so my Papa went to hit the pubs in London. While there, by pure chance, he ran into a good friend of his who had been on another ship in the convoy, and they had a hell of a time drinking together.
They had such a great time, in fact, that the friend suggested to my Papa that he join him on his ship for the return trip so they could keep the party going - to which Papa heartily agreed. But then, as the convoy was on its way back to Canada, it ran across a German wolfpack. The U-boats managed to sink several of the ships - including the one to which Papa had been assigned, but which he had abandoned to stay with his drinking buddy!
So, in the end, if my grandfather had not jumped ship to get drunk with his pal in direct dereliction of duty, I might not be here writing this! I'll let you guess how his unorthodox example may have affected my own life choices :P