Captain and Mrs R.O.Drew's romance on a hospital ship

My father, Reginald Osborne Drew, was born on the 3rd June 1901 in Limehouse, London to Florence Drew and Captain A.R.O.Drew, who, incidentally was the last surviving member who sailed on the Cutty Sark. We believe, my father, went for training on the the HMS Training Ship off the Shotley Peninsular. He joined the British India Steam Navigation Company and spent many years on the Calcutta to China/Japan run.

At the outbreak of WW2 he commanded an MTB along the coast of the Japanese held Burma Coast, making lightening raids in and out of enemy positions. (As told to me by my Uncle Derek Drew, the youngest son of Captain A.R.O.Drew) He was shot and after recuperating joined the newly refurbished HS Karapara in 1939 as First Navigational Officer.

My mother Marion Georgiana Drew (ne Dunn) was born in Shillong, Assam, (now Megahalaya) to George Dunn and Grandma Dunn of mixed Irish and Kharsi race. Megahalaya is a Matrilineal Society where the youngest daughter inherits any property in return for looking after her parents.

My mother went to Calcutta where she trained to be a qualified nurse. She joined the Indian Army at the outbreak of WW2 as the equivalent to a Queen Alexander Nurse and in 1939 joined as one of six Indian Army nurses and six Queen Alexander nurses to board the HMHS Karapara. This was a 500 bed Hospital Ship from the BISN Co fleet of ships.

They served together on the HMHS Karapara through the evacuation of Tobruk and Alexandria. They were bombed, apparently but a romance blossomed and they eventually married on the 15th July 1941 at St. Thomas's Cathedral Bombay. I was born on the 25th August 1943 and Baptised at St. Thomas's Cathedral on the 5th October 1943.

When my mother got married she wasn't allowed to work on the HMHS Karapara.