JACK ASHORE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18173, 19 August 1922, Page 1 (Supplement)

JACK ASHORE.

FRAGMENTS OF HISTORY.

I /BY N.2. .. (

• Jack Ashore, these days, ,is merely Jack Ashore to many folk whose patriotism requires a war" to make it burn or even smoulder. But the British sailor we see in Queen Street is the same remarkable man who manned the. Eoyal Navy in the Great War and held the seas. Most of these men we see with ribbons and medals on tleir breasts —medals which they do not want to wear but must —are living tomes of unrecorded history and of world-wide information if they care to tell it. In these waters quite recently was a sailor who shall be known as Jack Tar. For some 20 years fib has served his country on the Seven Bean. He has been on every British station from Canton to Plymouth and from Newfoundland to the Horn. In the course of half an hour he has gone from Borneo to Boston and from Beyrout to the Cape. Esquimos, Chinese, Greeks, French Canadians, Moors? and Japanese rub shoulders in his story. When he speaks of " the gulf " ho means the Persian Gulf and " the river " is the Yangtao Kiang. Old China Days. First he. told of the China days years before the war when much happened that the papers never knew. The wars and rumours of wars had much interest for His Majesty's ships in those waters. Some of them found it necessary to keep an eye upon events 2000 miles from the sea which is somewhat further than the length of the Tamaki Creek. Up there our friend saw a " war " from the top of a building where a naval post was in readiness to object to any molestation of the few whito,people there resident. Missionaries, they were. Missionaries seem to have given the Navy much concern. Also it seems that wherever the missionaries have been the natives have learned a surprising amount about hard bargain driving which is not appreciated by sailormen. The "war" was among- the score of the funniest things Jack Tar has ever seen. There was a Chinese regiment on the march. Each man carried a Mauser rifle, a while umbrella and many, a lark in a cage which was tied on to their gear at the back. They had singing contests with their larks. The "war" did not develop quickly and when it did start neither side was keen about close quarters. Further there was some understanding about an armistice .(during meal hours. /Sometimes money was found to pay some of the troops. The pay out always was followed by movements to the rear where gambling schools became brisk. Cold Courage. Once 60 men were landed from the little craft to bring some missionaries to the ship. The rifles would not go round but the others carried revolvers and drawn cutlasses. For about two miles the party marched through streets thronged with Chinese rebel 'troops who politely made way. Not a shot was fired. " I fancy the Navy of former days must have taught the .Chinese to have a wholesome respect for it," remarks Jack Tar. Some odds and ends arc then given about voyages about the Pacific Islands, and target practises off* coasts where trouble had been in the wind—just a little gun practice at targets at sea. AH in the day's work no doubt, but perhaps some mier'.maries slept more calmly in their beds. There is another "funniest thing" about a sailor who joined in a bull fight at Barcelona! A chance tale is told of a visit to Quebec where the ship's company made friends with a'crowd of lumbermen who barried revolvers and insisted in going aboard. Thi-officer wants to know who the cut-throats *'re. The chief petty officer is compelledfto confess that they are friends of his.' The officer suggests they board the ship, but finally gives permission with strict orders about where they are not to be taken. The cut-throats are very chummy, and seeing that the rum issue is on they drink all the ration for the day'and finally refuse to leave the ship. But they were persuaded. Coaling recalls a scene in old Japan. Daintyy little women come down to the ship in rickshaws and having changed into the scantiest of attire proceed to coal the ship each carrying a basket containing 28 pounds. Afterwards they redress and go away in rickshaws. Not the slightest sign of consciousness about the immodesty of their working attire. Gallipoli Stunts. This sailor spent the war period in the Mediterranean, and is well acqainted with the Dardanelles. The tgrpedo stage was followed by the depth charge period when the small ships became "killers" each with 80 bombs containing over 3001b. of T.N.T. hung over the side ready for throwing. Each a latent volcano. Yet somehow the sailors did not seem to be conscious of the fact that they were living along with sudden death. Anzacs will relish the story of the Eng- , lish professor of dead languages who was the leader of a party of Greek brigands whose task was to raid the coasts of Asia Minor for cattle. The professor was a i dignified old boy w,th a beard and his band were a villianous crew. Most of I them carried two rifles beside a collection i of knives and other lethal weapons of the Central European sort. The custom wau for a destroyer to land the party at night on some lonely spot, returning the nextday for the result of the raid. The local population used to be gathered up along with the cattle as a precautionary measure and let go after the cattle had been car- • ried off in small boats. By the time the last lots were putting off there usually • was a lively, crowd of indignant snipers on the beach and casualties were frequent. The professor survived, however, and no doubt is back in his gown at some university, teaching the young idea the beauties of the Greek classics. One wonders if he ever hints of his war-time acquaintance with modern Trreek brigandii, Later the coast of Palestine was the field of action. On a pitch black night ' a destroyer " who knew her way without steering " would take aboard two or three Arabs —perfect Arabs except that they were born in Britain—and land them on the coast within the Turkish lines, and the night would swallow -Ahem up. Two ' or three days later the destroyer would be back at'the spot. Just before dawn , maybe, the crow of a cock would be heard over the water and a boat would put off and the Arabs would come aboard again. Strangely enough they always,came back. Was it luck, backsheesh or the perfect science of spying? What unacclaimeo heroes there must be—the silent men who I took their life in their hands to supply the information upon whicb vast iesucs hung! And what of the untold works of the Navy which was " all in the day a ! workl" :'■'