Thanksgiving Day Marked In Traditional Fashion

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28133, 23 November 1956, Page 14

Thanksgiving Day Marked In Traditional Fashion

At the Thanksgiving Day Dinner at the United States Air Force messes at Weedons yesterday some 250-odd officers and men ate their way through 1901 b of turkey, garnished with 15 gallongs of corn bread dressing and 241 b of cranberry sauce, seven gallons of giblet gravy. 14 cans of peas, and 151 b of tcftsed salad, after an appertiser of five gallons of tomato juice.

This they followed by picking delicately at a 121 b relish tiay and spreading seven pounds of butter and two pound of jam on 251 b of bread. Fifty-four pumpkin pies, 54 mincemeat pies and 54 apple pies (with 12 quarts of whipped cream) made up an enjoyable sweets course. To round off the meal they ate 301 b of fruit cake and 801 b of assorted fresh fruit, and washed it all down with 14 gallons of coffee and 12 gallons of iced The United States gallon is 128 oz, compared with the 160 oz Imperial gallon.

“But American measure or British measure, 1901 b of turkey is an awful lot of turkey, and 14 gallons of coffee is an awful lot of coffees” said an officer last evening, easing another notch in his belt.

Among the guests were several officers and men of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Orphans as Guests The galleys on the two United States ships at Lyttelton, the Glacier and the Joseph E. Merrell, were scenes of quiet and orderly activity from the early hours of yesterday morning while the Thanksgiving Day dinners were being prepared. In the Glacier’s galley what seemed a prodigious amount cf food was cooked. It included 4001 b of turkey 3001 b of ham, 3001 b of Irish potatoes, 2001 b of sweet potatoes, 451 b of stuffed olives, 601 b of green peas.

1001 b of pickles. 901 b of pumpkin pie. 481 b of cranberry sauce, 301 b of crackers, 151 b of coffee. 40 gallons of icecream, and 1001 b of bread. On the Joseph E. Merrell, with fewer than half of the personnel of the icebreaker, the quantities were proportionately smaller.

In accordance with the traditional custom on Thanksgiving Day, the Glacier had arranged for 40 orphans to share in the dinner. They were from St. Joseph’s orphanage, and they were the guests for the day of Commander B. J. Lauff and the officers and crew of the icebreaker. The children were met at the gangway and welcomed abroad the vessel. After being shown over the icebreaker the children were taken below to dinner. First they inspected the galley, where, from stainless steel ovens and hotplates, cooks in spotless white dexterously served out the good things of the feast. After the dinner, the children were entertained at a film show.