up the creek without a paddle comes from the old naval hospital in plymouth...it is still there but luxury apartments now...
the creek itself is still there and still leads to plymouth sound..
if you went "up the creek" you were wounded and sent to the hospital from a ship moored in the sound...if you were not "paddled up" you were dead or dying..so no reason to
edit...it was from both stonehouse creek (plymouth) and the solent...from the same era..