GLIMPSES OF THE FLEET.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15752, 20 November 1916, Page 9

GLIMPSES OF THE FLEET.

-♦ • HUMAN STORIES BY A CHAPLAIN. WHAT THE MARINE DID IN THE WAR. I | Few and far between are the glimpses | we have had of tho life of tho Grand Fleet in the past two years, writes Mr H. C. Ferraby. tho "Daily Express" naval correspondent. There have been a score of books—and some of them very beautiful books—on life at the front and behind the front, but the lifo at sea has been hidden by the "low visibility" duo to censorship. How many of us realised, for example, this little side of ship lifo due to war-time stress:— "I have often watched one who has. just come down from the bridge at midnight or at four in the morning—a weird figure, looking as littlo like a sailor as I suppose our men in the trenches look like soldiers, clad in jacket and trousers of fearnought orer three or four layers of ordinary clothes, and apparently at least a yard and a half wide, until he gradually peels oft the layers and makes a pile on the deck of the snow-soaked, stiff coverings and the heavy sea boots. But his one desire is for cocoa, hot cocoa, and lots of it; and his one complaint is that, that lop-eared blighter SmithJones has relieved him ten minutes iate 1

"The ship at sea, in the night-time, is a curious place. It is so different from what our friends from the shore used to sec in those far-off days when they used to come aboard for tea parties and dances I The long wardroom table lias three officers 'bedded-down' on it, and others in the same apartment have beds made up on chairs or on the settees. Almost at any hour of the night the smoking-room has a little group of officers chatting as in daytime; they liavo just come off watch, or are just going on, o r they have sat up to hear the Poldhu wireless news, or they have come from their bunks to make an inspection of the particular department for which they are responsible." TRIMMING ITSELF! This rambling chronicle ("In tho Northern Mi sis: a Grand Fleet Chaplain's Note-book") by the padre of a ship which most students will identify is full of these intimate touches, and full of good storieg of quarter-deck and lower-deck. Here are two:— "One of onr destroyers was in action. and in the conrsc of the fight was struck bv a shell, which penetrated into ono of her bunkers and there exploded. Fragments of the bulkhead and a litter of coal came flying out into the stokehold; and shot out with them in a cloud of black dust camo also a stoker, who had at the time been trimming coal inside. "He picked himself up slowly, gave himself a shake, and then, turning to the chief stoker, said: 'I don't see that

I'm floin' much .good in there; the bloomin* coal's trimmin' itself!' 'There was :i day when wo quite expected to bo going into action was months ago. anil proved a false hopel. Never should f have thought it possible for so much feeling to bo put into one word as was heard in the word 'Action!' passed delightedly from one man to another! As for our expectations as to the result of the action. I can do not better than quote the forethought of our marine officer. who took a spare clean handkerchief with him int liis turret —'in ease my nose should bleed !' " What the Xavv thinks of all the watching and waiting: (.the bulk of the book was written before the battle of Jutland I'unkl is well illustrated by two other inHdcnir;. In the ono we get the officer's standpoint:— "A witty officer of my acquaintance described the war from the naval point of view as consisting, of 'lone periods of extreme lx>redom punctuated by moments of intense fear.' " Here is the lower-dock standpoint:— 'The- following soliloquy was overheard the other morning from one of the lloval Corps engaged in the daily task of zogging it of: 'The greatest war war the world 'as ever seen! And wot's a Marine doiir ? Cleanin' paint!' " The pathetic patience of the Navy's long watch is more wonderfully illustrated in thoso simple comments than in pages of gush—the kind of stuff that one of the chaplain's shipmates clashes as "Pure nloppiness! Sentimental tosh! It gives one the dry heaves.'' SMALL CORDS. Tho padre is a uian of infinite humour, as all truly religious men are. There is not a line of preaching in his hook, and there is many a good yarn, 'but-, for all that, it is a good book, it is a book of manliness and cleanliness and godliness. Read his one little incursion into religion. "Small Cords," and you will love him for a practical muscular Christian. He has an intense love for tho service, as most of those have who aro brought into clo3e contact with it:— "Let it not b'e thought that I would limit the term 'naval people' eimply to those who man our ships and establishments. A friend of mine in a shore billet was once going out to dine, and jeminded his housemaid that ho woujd lequire his white mess waistcoat laid out for him. " 'Sir,' the maid answered indignantly, 'do you think I don't know that, after being in tho Navy all these years?' " He eecs aJid loves the human foibles of young and old to whom he ministers: "A friend of mine went to his outfitter's for a suit of plain clothes, and explained that while he wanted something quite in the latest fashion, he did not wish for anything too dressy, too —— " 'I understand, sir,' said the tailor; 'you don't want a sub-lieutenant's suit.' "

And lir- pays a heart-moving tribute to the children, cadets and rdidshipmen, who have perished in flho struggle:— "Willingly, heroically, they have gone to a sailor's grave, many of them going to sea for the first time as offioers, only to to he asked to givo th» supreme test of devotion at tho verybeginning of their carcer. It cannot be right to think of. these splendid youngsters as 'cut off in their prime'; rather, do they Keera as sons who, having an equal gift with others to offer to their Mother, render it not in paltry inconsiderable driblets, thinning out their _ homage through the long years of a lifetime; but give splendidly, heap, ing all that they possess at her feet in one magnificent moment." " indigestion? is always due to a stomach which is too weak to digest what you eat. It needs rest; you can't rest it b v going without food. That would mean starva- • tion. Bat Dr. Sheldon's Digestive Tabules do tho stomachic work. In the meantime tho tired organ is regaining fresh strength. Before long it will be as strong as ever. A/ temporary attack can be cured at once. A case of long-standing naturally takes more time. But the first dose brings relief. You don't have .to diet. Dr. Sheldon's Digestive Tabules will digest , any kind of wholesome food. Try them for a week, and see how mnch better you feel. Price, Is 6d and 2s 6d per tin. Obtainable everywhere. 11 Save £5 on your new Sewing Machine. Don't bo talked into baying an expensive make. The Improved Drayton is guaranteed 5 years, £6 19s 6d cash, or terms arranged. Drayton's, Colombo fctrect. 2