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Dec. 11, 1956, was an ordinary day for Capt. George Jennings, a Belfast-based sea pilot whose primary job was to help large vessels navigate their way out of Penobscot Bay.
That day, Jennings was to pilot the French Line freighter Indochinois from Searsport Harbor out of the bay, threading the vessel between the shallow passages and tiny islands that dot the coast. The French crew would take over, and just off the coast of St. George he would hop on board a tugboat that had followed the ship to take him back to shore.
Jennings had done it hundreds of times. He’d be back on land in time to sneak in a little hunting before supper with his wife and four children. Or so he thought.
It soon became clear that Jennings not only wouldn’t make it home for supper, but might not even return by Christmas. He found himself trapped aboard the French freighter, as days of rough weather in the North Atlantic made stopping at any port unsafe. The next stop would be Le Havre, France, a port city in Normandy about 100 miles from Paris, and about 3,000 miles from Maine.
“Dad was known for being in the right place at the right time, if you can put it like that,” said his son, George Henry Jennings, a Camden resident who was 12 years old at the time. “Mother was waiting in the car for him at Port Clyde. Eventually they came and told her he wasn’t going to be meeting her. We didn’t know what was going to happen.”
Jennings, who was 36 in 1956 and died in 1993 at age 72, was already an experienced sea captain at the time. He was in the first graduating class at Maine Maritime Academy in 1943, and then served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, before coming home to Maine to become a pilot and harbormaster on the midcoast.
Freezing fog had suddenly moved into the bay, reducing visibility and causing ice to form. Winds were also high and the sea grew increasingly rough. Jennings attempting to climb down a ladder from the tall freighter onto a waiting tugboat was a very bad idea. The next best option was for him to get off the ship in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and find his way home from there.
The bad weather didn’t let up, however, and 48 hours later as the ship neared Halifax, the French captain made the call to press on and make the trans-Atlantic crossing. Jennings was stuck, and it wasn’t clear when, exactly, he’d make it back to Maine. One estimate from a shipping agent said the boat would arrive in Le Havre on Dec. 21. Another shipping agent said it would take longer, and it would arrive on Jan. 4.
Twelve-year-old George Henry Jennings and his three siblings were heartbroken to learn their father might not make it home for Christmas. Their mother was even more concerned.
“There were so many unknowns,” George Henry Jennings said. “And for my mother, she wasn’t sure how she’d pay the bills or do all the Christmas shopping.”
Jennings hunkered down aboard the ship and got to know his fellow temporary crew members. According to a Bangor Daily News article at the time, when he first became stranded on the ship he was dressed in a traditional red hunting jacket and heavy boots, with plans to go hunting after being picked up at shore. The crew loaned him clothes and kept him entertained. He boned up on his French and made friends with the captain.
Mercifully, the weather began to let up as they made their way across the Atlantic, and the Dec. 21 arrival in Le Havre was confirmed. Jennings stepped off the boat in France and was whisked away by French Line officials to be treated to a warm welcome in Paris — all while dressed in the Maine red hunting jacket and boots he’d first worn onto the ship.
“They wined and dined him. He was driven around in a big black Citroen, and given a whirlwind tour of Paris,” his son said.
Jennings could have stayed much longer in Paris if he’d wanted, with French Line officials offering extended hospitality and a trip home via the SS Liberte, a glamorous ship made famous in films like “How to Marry a Millionaire” and “Sabrina.” But a glittering holiday in the City of Lights and a journey on a luxury liner, appealing though it sounds, wasn’t what Jennings wanted for Christmas.
“The captain of the ship did everything to make my trip pleasant, and the French Line offered me a trip home aboard the magnificent Liberte after giving me a chance of really seeing Paris,” Jennings told the BDN. “It was a hard pleasure to turn down, but I had determined I would be home for Christmas with the family.”
On Dec. 23, Jennings flew from Paris to New York, and then took the train to Rockland. His son recalled the moment he walked through the doors of their Belfast home on Christmas Eve, arms loaded with presents for the family.
“He walked in the door, and we were all surprised to see his beard,” George Henry Jennings said. “He had big packages of French toys, and a big box of fresh fruit and some other things for us. After all that, it ended up that it was a nice thing that happened. It was certainly memorable.”