Diary of a Wartime Traveler, 1941-1945

About the Book

In wartime, overseas travel is restricted. In 1941, I accepted a teaching position in Sumatra. My travel options were limited to what was available.

My mother accompanied me to Greenock, Scotland, my port of embarkation. In wartime, all orders were sealed and opened by the Captain once the ship was underway. Although our destination was surmised, the route was unknown.

I kept a diary and sent home pages, instead of letters. My mother kept the pages, some just scraps as we cut pages to reduce weight. The diary tells the story of my voyage and my time in Sumatra.

About the Author

Margaret Buckell McCullough was born January 15, 1914 near London. Her father Reginald Buckell was in the Merchant Navy. Except for a brief time in India, she and her mother Isabella remained in England. She attended boarding schools while her mother worked to support them. In May 1941, the Froebel kindergarten teacher accepted a post in Sumatra. Her diary is an account of her voyage and life in Sumatra before fleeing to Australia ahead of the Japanese. Margaret married Jesse, an American sailor she met in Australia. Now a widow struggling with macular degeneration, she lives in Shreveport, Louisiana.