During an uncertain and dangerous time in the world, Arthur Black learned how to not only endure hardship but also accept it, as did all the others who demonstrated courage while navigating through extremely difficult circumstances in world history. In a compelling eyewitness account of life as a deck officer (navigation and gun control) in a cargo ship in the Merchant Navy during the Second World War, Black offers a fascinating glimpse into day-to-day life on the seas divided into a three-part narrative. He shares facts about the ship and the way it sailed, insight into the varied colorful characters who were his good shipmates, and the frightening events that occurred while sailing the Mediterranean in the face of Axis bombardment. Included are excerpts from a diary he kept while on his first voyage in 1927 on a full-rigged sailing ship from Australia to Peru that details his experiences as he survived torpedoes, lifeboats, and prisoner of war camp. Torpedoes Approaching from Port is the memoir of a master mariner as he experienced life on the seas as a deck officer during the Second World War and a cadet on a cargo ship in 1927.