The Other Side of Hell, Thank God for the Ladies of the Night

This book is a true story, written in a manner which makes the readers feel that they are in the book with me; in my exploits around the world. The book is written as it happened with no punches pulled, warts and all.

The story begins at my young age of ten in the great depression of the thirties to the forties, when my sisters and I had to line up at the cake shop for stale cakes and then scavenge through the market garbage tips for enough food to survive on. It takes the reader through my service in the Royal Navy Cadets at the age of twelve then into the Welsh Home Guard at the age of fourteen.

England was under threat of being invaded by the Germans and my home town of Swansea was being bombed every night. At fifteen I tried to join the British Merchant Navy but was told I was too young. I then tried to join the Norwegian Maritime Service which requested a letter and signature from my Father giving his authority and my proof of age. I wrote a note and forged my Father's signature. I was on a Norwegian tanker the very next day. The war was raging now, and ships were being sunk faster than they could be built and there was loss of hundreds of Merchant Seamen and at fifteen I was right in the middle of it all.

The story takes you to many ports such as, America, Iran, Iraq, Durban, Cape Town, India, Lorenco Marques, Italy, Alexandria ( it was while I was in Alexandria that I got word that my older brother Ted had been killed in North Africa)
and many more ports around the world. -There had been many nights spent in the lockups in some of these ports.

The days and nights at sea were hell on high water, the short times ashore on leave, well, there were tears, laughter and one hell of a lot of loving going on. One must read the book to get the full impact of my exploits - it's a page turner.

To hell with the expense, give the cat another canary and let the good times roll

Red Morgan