Williams, David

David Williams was born October 24, 1934 in Cardiff, Wales. He grew up against the backdrop of the Second World War, in which his father served in the Merchant Navy. His father served on three separate ships that were torpedoed, and the family saw him infrequently.  The Blitz hit Cardiff – a major port – so David and his brothers were evacuated to relatives in the countryside, where they continued their schooling, albeit with some interruption.  David’s mother was Welsh, and his father was from Nigeria, and when his father was in hospital he met his future wife, then a nurse’s assistant. Being biracial in 1940s Britain posed issues for David at times, but he recalls his own community being quite multicultural.  When he finished school he tried out a few different things before settling on the merchant navy; training took place over 10 weeks in Cardiff, and then he joined his first ship.  That ship was the Sugar Transporter, and David made multiple trips to Jamaica, serving as a deckhand and in navigation.  Over his 20+ year career David served on 38 ships and visited dozens of countries all around the world, from Britain to North America to the Indian Ocean, and along the way he experienced the cultures and conflicts associated with those many places.  David Williams was interviewed by Scott Masters at Legion Branch 60 in Burlington, Ontario, courtesy of the Burl-Oak Naval Veterans.