RUMOURS

Serial Waves, Volume 1, Issue 1, 31 August 1940, Page 3

RUMOURS

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Although, speaking generally, life aboard a. Transport inwar time is very aiiierent from life ashore, there ore still some habits that we have brought on board with us, and which we stick to through thick and thin One of these habits -or s/iould I say epidemics - is the matter of romours Many of us thought that when wo left New Zealand behind, we would leave rum., -rs out of our daily life By saying that, we are not being in any way critical of, our own country, because we all know that in war time every country in the world, without exception, seethes with rumour all the time But you know how it is ’Thon you arc ashore, and maybd travelling on the tram in the morning, you overhear someone tolling the guard 'chat he has heard, on the very best authority, that the Russians, say, have taken possession of the whole of Poland Py mid-day, you are told at your office by your typist, that Hitler and Stalin ere no longer on speaking terms By nightfall, your ’fife tells you i>hac ner neighbour, whose sister’s cousin is engaged to someone in an official position, has positively affirmed that all Rumanian oil wells arc now under Russian control And the next day another rumour starts at 8 a»mo reaching gigantic proportions by evening Tfell, we thought when we came on boafd, that, being a community strictly confined to ourselves, we would hear no more rumours But, believe mes we ’./orc mistaken nt breakfast, one’s table companion has Jjicard de finatcly (-rumours arc always so exact and authentic) - that we arc heading for Colombo At morning tea, a Serjeant tell us, confidentially, chat our destination is .. . Mombassa At lunch, as you go into mess, you are taken aside, and after faithfully promise not to tell anybody, you arc told that j- it is now certain that we arc going to Singapore Afternoon tea me brings you yet another rumour, this time straight from the horsed ‘mouth Our destination? Thy, Capetown definitely From dinner to supper time, no. less than four well-intentioned friends tell you most confidentially, that we are going t to - Canada, the Black Sea, the Shetland Islands, and Hong. Kong The only place that has’nt yet been mentioned as our certain destination is Taihape There they start, those rumours, no one can find out They never originate from the people who tell you about them 'They always pass them on in the utmost good fait One ccrtaST/of making a. lot of money would be to keep a diary devoted solely. to rumours entering them up day by day Then, alter the won is over and she official history is published, you could issue alternate pages of rumours and official facts It would make reading SITUATIONS VACANT: Panted - "Gossip writers, first class, for "Serial "staff; Those with experience limited to "Smith’s .Weekly need NOT apply _-w aM» •• Men make strange sacrifices to their Gods It is rumoured chat, as a result 01 . piety of certain members of the Forces, the sea deities now possess excellent stocks of teeth, false, assorted varieties