FUN ON THE DEEPS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 171, 22 July 1941, Page 5

FUN ON THE DEEPS

AIRMEN'S CONCERT j 1 [ HAKA SHOOK THE SHIP j A young New Zealand airman at; present in the final stages of training! in Canada for the Fleet Air Arm.l writes to his parents from Ontario.' describing a recent voyage across the North Atlantic: — "The crew of the ship had been at |sea a year without substantial leave, iconstantly on watch and patrol. The Ispacious old liner was fitted with a 'concert room in which the crew used to entertain themselves with concerts or an occasional film. Their airmen Ipassengers found life on board a ipleasure, clean quarters, good food, jfriendlv crew and access to all parts !of the ship, and consequently decided ao give a concert on the last night jout. They set to work: I finished up ■as stage manager. We wrote out acts, songs and various patter. An 'amazing array of talent appeared 'I'nfortunatelv. the New Zealand ifellows, rather shy, held off. All of : us, being perfectly amateur, were doubtful whether our "norne-madc facts would 'go over.' I wrote out a i Hitler-Mussolini travesty and perSsuaded a couple who fitted the parts

to act it out. . ! 1 "After some persuasion the New. Zealand bovs agreed to do a bit—to ; ' give a haka: so I wrote them some. 'jThis was the day before the show.! ' Then, at the last minute, they all:, ;'caught on. learned the actions. 1 ! jrehearsed the songs, and. to cap it all,!; {procured rope ends and made piu-j 1 pius, and had me moko them (the!; -'actors) with grease paint. t "Just before the show was due to, ;'start some of the ship's petty officers' [came and marked the front rowl >{ 'Reserved." Before the curtain went ; up our boys observed with horror' l(that the row was filled with the . ship's bic men—rows and rows of ? braid'. Now it was do or die". l'p i went the curtain. OfT she went. - "Wines Over the Navy' uhe F A A. -or.g'. In two acta we had the cap-

'tain and all the rest in fits of laughter Has intended). Things went from (strength to strength.' Our amateurs, having set the ball rolling, let them|selves go, with smashing effect. i Near the end came the New Zealand act The announcer said, 'Now Isome of these Maoris are going to igive an act. Just watch it—it's ter|rible!' Up went the curtain, and all Jgaped at the terrifying savages. IThey sprang to life. The effect was stupendous. I don't think the Englishmen realised that the British 'j Empire contained anything like this. 'If anything their haka was fiercer -(than the original. It brought the •'house down —in fact, nearly sank it !when they all jumped. Was it a 'success! If there were any U-boats (.'about they must have reported a hail .'of depth charges. 51 "That's an past now. lam piloting an enormous aeroplane about 1 with the object of learning how to iconduct it to a certain spot, blow that s; spot up. or machine-gun it to pieces, i!and return whether it be fine or a, foggy, day or night. We have to ilearn how to land on a pitch-black with only a faint light or iitwo. We have to fly so high that ihe ,|senses began to fail; just a little ie?i_ ,Wo have to be able to land safely an.ything go wrong. "We deliberately put our machines out of ? control, then regain control of them, j'just for practice. Examinations, j|ahoy!"