Now my orders were to report to No. 1 ANS [Air Navigation School] at a place called Rivers in Manitoba. But before this happened there was a spot of leave to catch up with, starting from 14/8/42 till the 29/8/42. So where to go?     

Now there was another pilot from our intake also assigned to Rivers, so we teamed up and decided to head for Chicago as it was not far from the border. The trouble with this arrangement was that he was a Scotchman, 6'6” and still growing and I topped the height scale at 5'4”.What a sight we made.       

This was to our advantage as we found out on our ramblings. But he spoke a  very strange language, at least to my ears. Still, he was a very pleasant person to be with and with high hopes and Sergeants no less we set off for the border and excitement. Fortunately we got a lift from an interstate truckie driving a big, by our standards at least, articulated cab over Fargo and then we were off.  The truck taking a couple of miles to get into top gear and up to speed. It was unfortunate that he could not take us all the way but he had to stop at his depot, which was on the way, and get a motor change, but he promised us a ride with another truck for this depot was also a roadside diner and there would be plenty of ongoing trucks to choose from.

 

The truck that Trevor and his mate travelled in

Well I must say, and I will, that when we were introduced to the other truckies in the diner we were overwhelmed with offers of food and no expense spared and no payment required. Remember we were now in the good old USA .and some of the drivers had heard of NZ. This was to be a sample of the hospitality extended to us in both the States and Canada.

Now it was time to hit the road again, and so with the generosity of the truckies at the diner we were on our way in another semi-trailer heading for, no, not Chicago but Minneapolis and St Paul's, as they were cities before the Windy city, and also that was his destination. Not to worry, we will just get cleaned up, grab some breakfast as it was going to be about 3am when we get to the city and then get out onto the highway and try and flag someone down and move on to Chicago.           

So after traveling through some terrific country [it was not known as the place of 1000 lakes for nothing] and snatching a bit of sleep when we could, we duly arrived on the outskirts of Minneapolis around the time the driver had estimated. Dropping us off and wishing us good luck he went on his way to deliver his load while we decided to walk the last mile or so into town, find the Union Station and carry out our intentions.       

But while stepping out in a most military manner we heard a car coming up behind us and slow down to a walking pace, our pace. Hmmmm not a good sound at all. While we kept on walking the car just kept moving at the same pace behind us and just out of our sight. You don't think that we were going to turn around do you, then a voice from behind us said, “Get in the car.” Not bloody likely.

“Get in the car!” this time the voice had more authority so we turned to find that the voice had come from a police car.   

"What have we done?” we asked. “Just get in the car, damn it!” and so not wishing to upset the law we duly obeyed.

“Where are you chaps going?”

“Oh just down to the Union Railway station for a clean up and then find a diner or the YMCA for some breakfast.     

"Oh don't bother to go there - come on down to our station and you can get cleaned up there and also get some breakfast."            

Who were we to argue with the men in blue? For after all we were also in blue. So we accompanied them down to the police station and on arrival we were introduced to all and sundry. And boy oh boy, did they fall over backwards to make us feel at home, and then suggested that we go down to the YMCA book in and stay a few days in their city'   

So what have we got to lose, let's just do that. On arrival at the Y we asked for a room for a few days. No problem, and so we went up to our room to get settled in and make up our minds as to what to do next. We decided to go out on the town and have a look at the sights, but fate had other ideas.            

The phone rang and the person on the other end said that there was someone at reception to see us. To SEE us? Hell, we've only just arrived so who knew we were here? Only the police and the receptionist knew that we were here. Ah well there is only one way to find out and that is to go down and see who was so excited to see us. At the desk was a tall Scottish gentleman with another man in tow. 

“Would you two like to go for a round of golf?” we were asked. So what have we got to lose? I had never held a golf club in my hands let alone hit a ball, so off to the golf course we went for a very enjoyable afternoon. And again a most sumptuous lunch was had, in the club rooms no less, and after all that we were delivered back to the Y. Who was this gentleman? He was only the club captain, but how did these gentlemen know that we were at the Y?

Well apparently the police had contacted the Lions club and it appears that these two gentlemen were the top guns in the golf club and they had put out the word to all concerned that a Kiwi and a Scotchman were in town and could anyone help with entertainment.  

It was not long before we were inundated with offers of going places and doing things. The hospitality was, to say the least, absolutely overwhelming. Amongst our benefactors was one very high profile land and estate agent who just happened to be a woman who offered us a house by the lake complete with a beautiful Chris Craft pleasure boat tied up at a jetty which we could use at our leisure. The house came completely stocked and no payment was required.        

 

The Hall family

This living will do me. We were also introduced to the HALL family, Mr. Hall being well up in politics. They also had a couple of daughters who were not bad either.

So you can see we had it made and when it came time to leave we did so with great reluctance, as we had had a wonderful time in Minneapolis. So it was with great sorrow that we left but as we had only three days to get to our station. Yes we had spent the whole time in Minneapolis and never got to Chicago but I would get to it at a later date.     Now, how do we get way up in the middle of nowhere. Again we decided to hit the road and try once more hitching. So facing the Canadian border, thumbs out at a jaunty angle, and hope in our uniforms we waited and waited. Along comes a car, screams past us, then it suddenly stopped and came just as fast back towards us, stopped alongside us and a voice asked where we were heading for.

“Winnipeg, Canada,” was our reply for we did not know if they knew where aware of were Canada was. “I guess we can go that way, ”a voice from the back seat of the car replied.       

Now having a look at the car before we got into it we discovered it to be a CORD with huge pipes coming out of the bonnet and it was in those days one of the most expensive cars to own. So we crawled into the interior and sat down along side a big fat chap chewing a big fat cigar. His wife was in the drivers seat and invited one of us to sit up front with her and as I was elected for that position. I got out of the rear seat and moved up front. Although a speed limit was in force that speed was reached in low gear rapidly. Wow what a car. The woman explained to us just why she had driven pass us and that was to check our faces to see if we were upstanding citizens and not riff raff. Well we were standing by the road weren't we? But at least we were on our way.        

Comes time for lunch and when a diner was found we pulled into the parking lot and then went into the diner on foot of course. You don't think we took the car in do you?! Again we were not allowed to pay but comes the time to settle up and the man pulled out a wad of notes that he could hardly get his hand around, peeled off one that just happened to be a $100 and gave it to the waitress who looked at it dumbfounded and was going to say something [remember this was one heck of a lot of money and possibly there was not enough change in the till to give change] but the man said something like "Hmmmmth - Hmmmmth-hmmmmph," which left the girl still with her mouth wide open and we proceeded to leave the premises.    

According to his wife what he told the waitress was “Don't bother with the change.”        

Well he had to give a tip didn't he! Apparently we had hitched our wagon to a multi millionaire and he couldn't be bothered with small change. Back on the road and still heading for the border the couple decided to stop and spend the night at one of their numerous country homes which just happened to on the way. On the way we stopped and had our photo taken at the geographical center of North America.

This was at a place called Rugby in North Dakota. See even the Yanks knew their rugby.            
On entering the property we passed a beautiful large house just past the entrance.  “Nice house “I said.  

“Oh no that's not the house - that's the caretakers house,“ was the reply. Around the corner of a very long drive we came upon what one would call a mansion, but oh no this was just a shack. Some shack. Inside we were told to make ourselves at home and what would we like to eat for tea.

 

Trevor and his pal at the Geographical Center of North America,
at Rugby, North Dakota

“Just ask for any thing as we have a larder full of all the exotic foods from around the world.'     

Being smart I asked for some NZ rabbit and Lofty asked for some Haggis.

“That's OK fellas just come on down to the cellar.”          
Ye gods, what a cellar. Any supermarket of today would be proud to have this variety and amount in a corner of their establishment. I have never seen so much food with so much variety in any private place before or since. Explanations were in order.            

“We collect food from the four corners of the world so we can have variety and also to ensure us that we won't go short if there is a food shortage." There's no flies on this couple. They even had about six sets of tires stashed down there just in case there is a shortage, don't you know.

This of course did not include the food and tires held at their other places. Now I said that he chews his cigars - that is until he had had his evening meal when he was then allowed to smoke just one and that is why he chewed the others. And they were not cheap either.    

So who was this character with all the money? Well after supper he opened up to us and offered to put up money to start a business both here in NZ and also in Scotland because in his words he liked us. The only trouble was that the operation was illegal in both countries.         
And what was the business? Just a game called punch board. This consisted of a board about 1ft square with holes in it and you paid your money and punched a sticker out of one of the holes and you hoped you had a winning ticket. Needles to say your losses were more than your winnings. Money could be made by the owner of the board. Still it was a good thought.            

Again on the road the next day and we are running short of time and so this couple offered to take us all the way to Winnipeg as they only wanted to waste time as they were bored. As luck would have it, as we got to the border we spied a farmer [Canadian] on his way back into Canada after delivering his goods into the states, and so on stopping him and explaining our position he offered to take us the rest of the way as he was going into Winnipeg thus saving the couple a long detour, and so we said a sad farewell to our hosts. It was unfortunate that I never wrote their names down.           

On arrival in Winnipeg we got out of the truck and started to look around for somewhere cheap to stay, just for the night. As luck would have it we met a couple of Aussies who offered to let us stay with them in their hotel room and we could all have a party.
“What about payment?” we asked.   

“Oh don't worry about that,” was the reply, “In the morning just go down the fire escape go around to the front desk and ask to see us, you can then get your kit bag which we will mind for you.” After one hell of a night partying we went to sleep on the floor and in the morning before any one stirred we carried out our escape plan. Looking sprightly in spite of the party, we went around to the front desk and as if nothing was amiss, boldly asked for our guests the Aussies, and was told that we could go on up to them where we retrieved our kit bags then down the stairs past the desk who looked at us most peculiar as if we had not paid for a room for the night. Whereas we on the other hand looked him straight in the eye as if we had, then past the doorman and out onto the street to head for the railway station.

 

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