The Waikato Independent SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1940. THE DAY’S MENU

Waikato Independent, Volume XL, Issue 3666, 10 February 1940, Page 4

The Waikato Independent SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1940. THE DAY’S MENU

GOOD FOOD ON BOARD SHIP MEN OF FIRST ECHELON There have been many letters received from men in the first echelon, and all have agreed that life on. board ship is excellent. “We are very well fed and treated is if we were civilian passengers when we are at meals,” writes one man. “Today’s menu consisted of: “Breakfast: Porridge, scrambled eggs, bacon, cocoa, bread and butter and jam. . “Lunch: Soup, mutton, green peas, potatoes, stewed prunes with blanc-mange, and tea. “Tea: Rissoles, potatoes, apple tart, biscuits, bread, jam and tea. “All our dirty clothes are washed and dried for us.

“For the first few days of the trip the sea was very calm but towards the end of the week it became much rougher and the temperatures cooler. “Our beds have to be laid out with blanket and sheets folded, packs laid out in the centre of the bed, tunic and trousers folded and placed on the end, with buttons well polished and a shining boot on each side of the tunic. Every morning we have to scrub the- floor of one cabin and dust all ledges. “Our ship boasts two swimming pools, both filled with sea water, but to my mind they are much too cold for swimming—I appreciate the hoi and cold showers in the dressing room far better. “Most of our spare time is spent in writing or leaning over the ship’s rail. Lifeboat drill and physical training is, of course, compulsory.

“As everything is free of tax and import duty on board, things are much cheaper at the ship’s canteen. Tobacco which is 2/3 per 2oz tin in N.Z. is 9d per 2oz tin; biscuits which are lOd are 5d here, and matches are 3d per box. “Among the instruments on our boat we have an accordion, a trombone, a steel guitar, a banjo-mando-lin, a piano and drum. “Some of the boys have their hail shorn off, but this is not compulsory. There are loud-speakers all over the ship which are connected to the music rodm so that at various times of the day we can listen to quite good recordings.

“There are 24 bunks in our cabin which sounds rather crowded, but there is really plenty of room, although with the portholes closed at night it gets quite stuffy.”