Ludovic Kennedy recalls his father's delight at being offered an armed merchant cruiser after eighteen years away from active command. Edward Kennedy's retirement followed the post-First World War reduction of senior officers, and he continued to miss serving at sea. A visit aboard Rawalpindi then reveals the practical conversion work, from stripping civilian fittings to fitting 6-inch guns and resolving dockyard alterations. This personal evidence makes mobilization tangible by showing both the human reserve Britain recalled and the speed with which a commercial liner became a commissioned ship.
Notable Point · 2:07-6:04
Ludovic Kennedy remembers his father's return to command
Ludovic Kennedy's family recollection shows what wartime recall and Rawalpindi's hurried conversion meant to an officer retired by postwar economies.