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David Best responded to the July 26 article, “Merchant Marines deserve honors.” He served 20 years with the Merchant Navy, the United Kingdom’s counterpart to our Merchant Marines. This is his story:

David Best will never forget his first visit to a North Carolina beach.
Even though the surf was wintry-cold, Best jumped right in, as did 29 of his buddies. The fact that a German U-Boat had just torpedoed their British tanker surely influenced their decision.

“It was a dark night, we were several miles offshore, but we could see lights along the North Carolina beaches when we were hit,” he said.

After the tanker went down, Best was among seven survivors rescued by the Coast Guard. Twenty-two seamen perished.
Best did not tarry long in North Carolina.

But 46 years later, he returned to chair the two-year Culinary School at GTCC.

Best was born to Scottish parents in Capetown, British South Africa, and grew up in nearby Umtata.

Among his stickball playground mates was Nelson Mandela, from nearby Mvezo.

An American citizen for almost 40 years, Best says he is a Scottish-Afro-American: “I’m Scottish by heritage, Afro by birth, and American by choice!”

Best attended boarding school from age 9 until 15. When he returned home in 1939, his father told him he would work with the railroad, but Best ran away from home and never again reconciled with his parents.

While he was still running, Best came upon the largest ship he had seen in his young life — the British passenger ship Llangibby Castle — docked at East London, South Africa.

With the help of two equally chicanerous accomplices, a sufficient number of letters of indentureship were forged for a very brash Best to sail as a bellhop aboard the Llangibby.

“The sun never set on the British Empire in those days. For several months I traveled to the most exotic and exciting places in the world,” Best said. His travel took a turn for the worse Sept. 3, 1939, when England declared war on Germany.

Because of his age, Best could have gone home, but chose to volunteer for the British Merchant Navy instead. Similar to the U.S. Merchant Marines, they moved wartime materiel and troops via tankers, freighters, and troopships, whenever and wherever needed.

The Brits commemorate Sept. 3 of each year as Merchant Navy Day, memorializing more than 30,000 mariners who lost their lives between 1939 and 1945.

“I made six wartime trans-Atlantic voyages to America — Boston, New York City, Florida and Houston come to mind,” he said. “We traveled in convoys of ships under flags of Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Canada.”

A second ship was torpedoed from under Best in August 1942, off the coast of Nova Scotia. This time, all crew members were rescued.
“We delivered troops to Gold and Juno Beaches on D-Day, 1944. I never heard such noise or saw so much smoke and fire,” he said.

By this time, Best had progressed through the ranks of food service. “I can tell you one thing, troops were fed well before they climbed over the sides and down the ropes.

“By the way, all over the ship, I heard a lot of prayers going up.”
In recognition of his wartime service, the UK government awarded Best the 1939-45 War Medal, the Atlantic Convoy Medal (with Invasion Bar), the Defense Medal, and the Victory Medal.

Still a part of the UK Merchant Navy, Best switched his food service apron to the Cunard Lines’ RMS Queen Mary.

“I worked seven days a week, 18 hours per day for 10 weeks; then I was off for two weeks,” he said. “It was the best job around.”

He said he “served a lot of people aboard the Queen Mary and served them well.” A schoolteacher from Indiana named Nancy he must have served particularly well. Best retired from Cunard July 11, 1959, and married Nancy four days later.

Not surprisingly, Best directed food-service operations, consulted and taught at various culinary schools after he came to the States. One of these caught my eye: French Lick’s Northwood Institute, a junior college in Indiana attended briefly by basketball star Larry Bird.

Best’s 14 years as a professional contract chef took him around the world. In 2006 he officially retired — at a fit and prim 83 years of age.

Best and Nancy had two children, Aleta and Daniel. As a widower, Best married Genie Stockdale. Her father, William A. Stockdale, was a Naval aviator and retired with 40 years service. A Stockdale cousin was quite famous as well: Adm. James B. Stockdale was a Medal of Honor recipient.

David and Genie Best are members of St. Francis Episcopal Church.
He is active with the Scottish Society, sponsors of the Highland Games, held the first Saturday of May at Bryan Park.

At the risk of redundancy, Best does the cooking. “I make the most delicious haggis you ever tasted and serve it with tatties and neeps. You must try some.”

As near as I can tell, something similar may be found at the K&W under liver pudding, potatoes and turnips. Best recommends condiments that are beyond the purview and persuasion of this column — and not available at K&W.

Contact Harry Thetford at htthetford@aol.com