And the �old man� Averof was coming last one, entering the port. Oh, my God you should hear the honors they were giving�Even the merchant ships were whistling.

Mr. George narrates and our mind travels back to the years of his service, describing it, with intense emotion and with the traditional Cretan accent.

I would like to ask you, when did you join the Navy?

On �35, 11^th of October.

What were the reasons leading you to join the Navy? Who suggested you to join the Navy?

The first military council, considering my case, included Major Malevris from Lasithi and he asked me: �What is your job?� (I was 22 years old by then). I answered that I do not formally work; I just help my father with his work. Officially, I am an ironworker. He said: �We�ll place you at the Navy�. No more conversation.

When you entered the ship for the first time, what did they give you? How did they treat you? How did they welcome you?

Whatever they gave me, they give it to me at Poros.

At Poros�thus you went ready on the ship, with your clothing equipment?

Yes, and they took us on a large boat, at 11 o�clock in the night, they took us at the naval yard and they left us to sleep on the wharf 350 people and they told us to take our blankets out of our sack, put the one down and cover yourselves with the other.

Was the Navy paying you by then? How much?

75 drachmas.

Did you remember where you were sleeping; generally your living on the ship?

Let me tell you. We were sleeping on the swings and when getting up, each one was packing his swing on his navy sack and hanging it. We had numbers, each one had his number on his sack. There we 3, 4 or 5 rows of the swings when sleeping because it was difficult for all of us, as we were 2500 people. I was in the 3rd row.

�2500 people?

Yes, 2500, as the upper deck was full of people.

Did you have any transposition?

Yes, I was transpositioned to the frigate �Elli� for a period of time[1]. Then I was transferred to �Kyklopas�, the little ship measuring the bottom of the sea.

About the food, do you remember how it was preserved on the ship? Did you have any refrigerators?

We had food, everything! In the kitchen there were working 200 people. These people were there in order to serve the large amount of sailors who were on the ship.

The kitchen of the officers and the kitchen of the crew, were they separated? Do you remember?

Yes, I wasn�t going in the kitchen of the officers. In our kitchen there were some huge cooking boilers and the spoons were big such as the oars of a boat. The were boiling the meat, specifically beef; there wasn�t any kind of meat.

Was there any doctor at the ship? Was the surgery completely equipped? Was it sufficient to face anything which could happen?

There were three doctors. Yes� there were three surgeons as there were 2,500 people as crew inside the ship. In addition to the surgeons other 7 doctors were working on the ship.

What about the conditions on the ship at the time? I assume that it would be hot during the summers?

Normally it was as steam was generated by the operating process of the machines of the ship. �Kilkis� didn�t have steam, but �Averof� did.

How was the communication with the other ships performed?

Only with the wireless (radio).

What do you remember about the coaling process?

It was a very hard job! Ι wasn�t taken part in the process but I was helping the sailors cooking the meat and I was going to the lower decks where the firemen were working and bringing them food.

�And you saw that it was a hard job then?

About 200 people were working there and they were processing thousands of tones of coal. I wasn�t working there but I was helping the other people who were bringing to them food, as the firemen couldn�t stand and go having mess.

Do you remember who was carrying the coal at the time?

Everyone. Even the petty officers. Of course they didn�t throw the coal in fire while the sailors were doing this also. The coal was taken to the lower decks of the firemen by some thick pipes.

On the observation post of the foremast, upwards, was any watch performed?

Yes, the sailors of the upper deck were performing watches there� I wasn�t taking part on this.

According to your opinion how were the conditions on the ship during these years, as compared with the conditions of the people out of the ship. What was the standard of living of the civilians?

The conditions in the ship were good as we had good officers who were showing respect to the staff. Especially they were showing respect to the church of the ship. There were officers who were chanters. And I remember that they were having all of us receive the Holy Communion on the day of Christmas.

Was the food good during those years? For example, how many times were you having meat during a week?

Three times a week. Unofficially, I had a distinctive position as the officers favored me and they were coming and calling me saying �Mr. George, come and eat with us�.

The sailors, how were you spending your free time?

The free time? I was spending all the day in storehouse, as we were just five persons in this post and we were working all day long, so I didn�t have any free time.

Except from the fireman�s post, which as we know was the most difficult, was there any other difficult post on the ship during those years?

The sailors working on the upper deck were performing difficult tasks. The others were saying as a joke: �Send the monkeys up on the masts to do their job�, because they were usually working on the sails. There was someone whistling and thus giving them the sign to go on the top and open the sails.

What kind of trips was �Averof� performing?

� To all of the world.

Which countries did you visit then?

We went to Italy three times, in Turkey a lot of times�

Is there any significant incident from this time, which you still strongly remember?

When Admiral Kountouriotis died, we went to his house up to a hill�

�In Hydra?

Yes.

Today, this house is a museum.

Right. And as we approached the house, a black-dressed woman came from inside and while she was crying she told us: �I am the Admiral�s sister. She took us inside the house, offered something and then we returned to the place where �Averof� was anchored.

I will tell you another incident too�

Well, while Mr. Economou was the Admiral on the battleship, we joined a group of 110 ships and went to England. The meeting point of all the ships was the sea-area under Spain. The countries having battleships were Greece, Italy, Russia and Turkey. England, while is a big navy power, didn�t have battleships. It had a lot of big ships but none belonging to the type of battleships. The battleships are made by very strong and thick pieces of iron forming their covering parts.

The armouring of the ship is 21 points and is still preserved�

Yes, I know �Averof� very well, as well as my house! �I was saying that the four battleships voted which one of them should be the first one in the formation leading the convoy of the ships. And all of them voted �Averof� being the first one. It is difficult for me to describe you the emotion of the crew. The officers were crying.

I assume they considered it as a great honour�!

Of course! It doesn�t happen every day. The Admiral was standing on the bow of the ship holding our flag. And because the wind was strongly blowing the ship, me and another sailor were holding the post of the flag, standing bended in order not to be observed. It was considered that the Admiral on his own was holding the flag. There were four rows of ships, each one of them having a battleship on the lead and �Averof� in front of all. We arrived at England the next day�s evening, although we could have arrived sooner.

Did you save speed in order to save coal?

I am not sure for this. I just know that the speed was 155 rounds. We were measuring the speed by rounds. And �Averof� was achieving 21-22 miles.

I remember certain things. For example, we were going to Volos and when �Averof� was entering the port all of the ships inside the port were using their horns. Even the merchant ships!

I assume that �Averof� was the pride of Greece at the time?

It was incredible watching 27 war-ships anchored in the middle of the port, whistling because the �old man� (i.e. Averof) was coming�!

[1] �Elli� was the frigate of the Hellenic navy torpedoed by an Italian submarine on the 15^th of August 1940, indicating the aggressive policy of Italy against Greece before the war conflict between the two countries during WW2.