Parallel Me

Parallel Me Part 12

Now Robert was here he took charge, of all exercises and training routines. He was now a leading hand six-bay attendant, but as far as we were concerned, he was the boss. He was our very own medic, any cuts and burses he dealt with it. Susan was once a Wren theatre nurse; and a good one until she met Robert. Then Hannah came along, now she unofficially mothering us all, as well as Hannah. We all chipped in to pay for her airfares if we could, but sometimes we went by ship, and no ladies were allowed on Royal Navy Ships, not when they were out to sea. So she had to stay in Singapore when we sailed on naval ships to some of our contests.

New Zealand and Australia, we flew there by commercial airlines. Sue came as a privately hired additional medical staff, sanctioned by Captain Foster. Who needed a nurse to help look after his wife, as well as the boxing team? Although I thought the Captain's wife Kersey, looked remarkably well and robust. When I danced with her at my twenty-first party, but she did get a little out of breath, when we danced to Elvis Parsley's blue shade shoes, that was after we had jived to the jailhouse rock.

I fought and beat the kiwi navy champ in New Zealand, and then the kiwi army champ beat the kiwi air force champ. In Australia, the Australian Navy champ beat the RAAF champ, and I beat the Aus army champ in the arena stadium at Freemantle, where I had fought two years before. The now kiwi champ beat the Aus Navy champ, this meant I was to meet the Kiwi army champ, for the final deciding bout of the tournament. The winner would be crowned; super welterweight champion of combined commonwealth forces.

The match was being staged, in the West Australian Cricket ground, known as the WACA in Perth. Being the first tournament to be held for all Commonwealth forces, they reckoned the WACA would be full of its capacity. A warm night under floodlights would make it a hot and sweaty fight, so I had to train for these conditions. September was starting to warm up here, with temperatures ranging from fifty to sixty Fahrenheit. To train in this heat, you had to drink a lot, it meant we ran with a water bag on our backs, and a hose from it to the mouth. Most of our training was done on the long beaches, of the naval base just south of Freemantle. Being a restricted area, there were no distractions in the form of scantily dressed girls swimming. It wasn't all work and training though, we went out sightseeing and I loved the drive-in cinemas.

As predicted the WACA was full, and it was a worm night. I was happy with the way the fight was going, at the start of the fifth I was well ahead on points. Although he had caught me with a few good hits, they weren't on target, and they didn't slow me down at all. I took most of them on my arms. I was much lighter on my feet than he was, and the Kiwi was much slower than me. I was souring almost three hits to his one, which put me in a commanding lead, with two four-minute rounds to go after this round, all I had to do was to stay mobile and out of his way.

He had knocked his last two opponents out and was looking a bit frustrated. He hadn't caught me with his big right hook, because I knew when it was coming each time he throws it. To wind up the punch, he always dropped his left shoulder to his right. When he jabbed with his left, as you went to block it, he would swing his left arm out left. It would give his right arm more momentum; as he pivoted his shoulders and gave his right hook more hitting power. I had watched his last two fights, as Robert had filmed them on a sixteen MM sound movie camera. We had studded those films many times, especially his so-called killer punch, and because he hadn't got near to hitting me with it, it was beginning to upset him a little.

Suddenly he body checked me against the ropes and hooked his left arm over me and the top rope. Trapping me there, he rained blows to my kidneys, and abdomen and they hurt. The referee parted us and spoke to the Kiwi, but waved us on to fight. He had slowed me down and caught me again by hooking his arm around mine. With my right hand trapped against his body, and his left arm pressing on my elbow. I was almost bent back, and he landed a few low blows before the referee stepped in. They really hurt me, and I was almost dabbled up in pain. When the referee parted us, he had a few choice words to say.