As a boy in the 1920s, Hugh H. Corkum anticipated every summer when he could sail from Lunenburg and work with his father on cargo ships. When he quit school at 15, his got his ideal job at sea. The cargo wasn’t what he expected, however, and Hugh found himself initiated into the world of rum-running.

In this memoir, Hugh recounts the volatile captains, honourable crewmen, and gangsters whom he dealt with while fleeing police and enjoying New York nightlife. Although he trained in railway telegraphy, the money and excitement of smuggling drew him back in.

After his third arrest, Hugh became a police officer in Lunenburg. Drawing upon specific events, he explains how his past gave him a keen understanding of people and morals that enabled him to become Chief of Police. With 25 photos, including rare pictures of rum-running ships.

Hugh Corkum (1912–1990) sailed on various fishing vessels out of Lunenburg between 1918 and 1938. He was a police officer and later chief of police in Lunenburg. He was appointed president of Maritime Chiefs of Police in 1957 and retired as chief of police in 1976.

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