THE YELLOW SUBMARINE

The Yellow Submarine, 12 x 24 inch ink and watercolor painting by George C. Clark   Private Collection

A COUPLE OF NIGHTS EACH WEEK, IF WE WEREN'T ON ALERT OR ENGAGED IN A FIRE MISSION, THEY SHOWED MOVIES AFTER SUPPER IN THE MESS HALL AT BRAVO BATTERY.  MY CREW WAS WORKING IN THE FIRE DIRECTION CENTER THE NIGHT THEY SHOWED THE BEATLES' THE YELLOW SUBMARINE AND WE DIDN'T GET OFF DUTY UNTIL 10 O'CLOCK, AFTER THE FILM WAS OVER.  WE TALKED THE PROJECTIONIST INTO SHOWING THE MOVIE AGAIN IN OUR SLEEPING HOOCH.  THE BUNKER WE LIVED IN WAS A LONG UNDERGROUND TRENCH THE WIDTH OF A BULLDOZER BLADE, LINED WITH TIMBER AND ROOFED OVER WITH HEAVY BEAMS SUPPORTING SEVERAL FEET OF LAYERED SANDBAGS.  ABOVE THE SANDBAGS WAS A TIN ROOF TO DEFLECT RAIN AND TO SET OFF INCOMING ROUNDS BEFORE THEY HIT THE SANDBAGS WHERE THEY WOULD DO MORE DAMAGE.  STANDARD DOUBLE DECKED ARMY BUNKS LINED BOTH SIDE WALLS, LEAVING A CENTRAL PASSAGE ABOUT 4 FEET WIDE.  BOTH FIRE DIRECTION CREWS SHARED THE HOOCH, WORKING 10 HOUR SHIFTS AROUND THE CLOCK, SO THERE WERE USUALLY GUYS SLEEPING THERE EXCEPT AROUND SHIFT CHANGE TIME.  THE MOSQUITO NETTING ON THE BUNKS WAS FOR PROTECTION AS MUCH FROM RATS AS FROM INSECTS.