# Board Of Trade Rations



## dundalkie

Trying to explain to some prople what signing articles was all about, the question was asked "have you ever been on bord of trade rations?". I answered no but has anybody ever experienced the delights. I am sure the mean b******* shipowners must have tried it on sometime.


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## John Rogers

Board of Trade was a rationing system used throughout the war and for a few years after the war. Some company's went by the book and some were pretty good at feeding their crews.
John


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## jim barnes

was with shell tankers on the Vietnam run well one day we went aboard a American merchantman that we tied up alongside and we saw the American equivalent of our board of trade rations, well their emergency rations as we read them seamed better than what we where getting as standard on our ship? TRUE


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## tell

I have been on ships that were such bad feeders that we asked to be put on our board of trade rations,the term used was 'pound and pint', this term meant that our victuals were measured out each week It ensured we at least got our minimum due Tell


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## Bearsie

John Rogers said:


> Board of Trade was a rationing system used throughout the war and for a few years after the war. Some company's went by the book and some were pretty good at feeding their crews.
> John


Ahhh... The board of trade must be similar to what I called the "guild" for lack of a better translation in the coaster thread ?
They investigate accidents too and such?
I still think even with a rule given there is a difference between someone that knows how to shop (and cook) and one that doesn't...
Just like at home LOL


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## Bearsie

tell said:


> I have been on ships that were such bad feeders that we asked to be put on our board of trade rations,the term used was 'pound and pint', this term meant that our victuals were measured out each week It ensured we at least got our minimum due Tell



Memory .....
in a way our system was similar in that it stipulated a minimum amount of money per person, but also included a list of items that had to be included and the amount there of, a pound and a pint sounds good to me ! (Thumb)


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## Allan Wareing

dundalkie said:


> Trying to explain to some prople what signing articles was all about, the question was asked "have you ever been on bord of trade rations?". I answered no but has anybody ever experienced the delights. I am sure the mean b******* shipowners must have tried it on sometime.


Way back in 1937 when I was a 16 year old O.S in the Federal Line we were very strictly on our "pound and pint " as regards things like tea sugar jam butter and of course Nestles condenced milk.One tin per fortnight. Standard drill was to punch two small holes in the top of the can and plug with matchsticks. As the milk was consumed the resulting void filled with cockroaches no matter how tight the plugs were!
We drew rations once per week and when we ran out that was it untill next week The practice had been in use for years before that .I remember my father going on about it, he was at sea before and during WW1
The only thing I can remember getting enough of was burgoo for breakfast every day. Unsweetened of course.
Allan W


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## K urgess

Thought the attached may be of interest.

From "The New Ship-Master's Business Companion" by Captain W.C.Aubrey-Rees.
Published by Brown Son & Ferguson, Glasgow. Reprinted 1943.


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## Keith Adams

Even liner companies could have bad feeders among their fleet... all depended on the Old-Man and Chief Steward... one PSNC "S" Boat I was on
had very troublesome voyage with a London crew who got their own back by
going over the side after picking up the Pt Lynas Pilot and painted "HUNGRY BASTARD" in 5ft high letters on the starboard black hull plating, no one knew
anything about it until we went in to dock... when we swung around in the River Mersey all shipping offices on the Pier Head saw it.Snowy.


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## stein

It may interest the above writers to know that the Norwegian "Janere" (sailing ship sailors) had a saying related to serving in English ships: "Nothing to do and nothing to eat". They didn't eat welll under the Red Duster, but with double the crew of others, they didn't have to (?!). If you want to punch me in the face for that one, read some of the books of the Aussie Alan Villiers, for example "The war with Cape Horn". That's page after page of starvation and uncooperative "pound and pint" victims. Stein.


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## jim barnes

Snowy said:


> Even liner companies could have bad feeders among their fleet... all depended on the Old-Man and Chief Steward... one PSNC "S" Boat I was on
> had very troublesome voyage with a London crew who got their own back by
> going over the side after picking up the Pt Lynas Pilot and painted "HUNGRY BASTARD" in 5ft high letters on the starboard black hull plating, no one knew
> anything about it until we went in to dock... when we swung around in the River Mersey all shipping offices on the Pier Head saw it.Snowy.


 must agree with that Snowy but towards the end in the early 70s with their new ships accomodation and food improved 200% Ortiga & Orbita two of which i was on, real posh acc for crew, single berth with shared shower between two cabins and sink in each cabin, piped music in crew mess and white table cloths.. now come on that was different to anything i ever came across before or after as a deck hand.


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## dundalkie

thanks all for the comments, but what I would like to know did any old man ever impose the minimum rations on his crew and what happened?


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## K urgess

When I sailed on Hungry Hogarth's Baron Wemyss I was told that the feeding was Board of Trade minimum.
This didn't mean that we, officers and crew alike, queued up to be given our rations as and when required.
The amount of food available to the catering department was the Board of Trade minimum for the number of persons on board. We had excellent Maltese cooks who turned out some amazing dishes on these allowances. There just wasn't an awful lot of it. The only luxury was Christmas dinner and even then I've tasted better wood than that turkey.
Fresh water wasn't issued but we were always aware that there wasn't a lot of it and wasting it wasn't tolerated. A quick topup of the tanks in Gatun Lake as you passed through Panama would see the ship through to NZ/Oz.
This was 1966 and my first trip as a junior sparks. An interesting introduction to the Merchant Navy.(EEK)


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## jim barnes

i was on a shell tanker lowly deck boy on the bridge in bad weather, Captain requested me to go below and make him a cup of cocoa, i said can't do that? silence.. "what "the captain said. i said couldn't make the cocoa as it came out of our rations (only been at sea a couple of days, me quite new at this game) Rations what rations go down below and bring the chief steward to me.... i brought the chief steward up to the bridge and strong words where exchanged. Captain got his cocoa and rationing ended, chief steward didn't like me much after that watch


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## Keith Adams

Now I know why you agreed with my earlier comment about it depending on
the Old-Man and Chief Steward ! For the record... my Dad spent 3yrs on the
Norweigen cargo ship "GRO" in the early 20s... the only foreigner aboard. If
anyone has a photo of her I would be grateful. He said they always worked 4 on 4 off with a Dog Watch thrown in; same as Sailing vessels,only far fewer
hands.


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## Keith Adams

Before anyone jumps on me ... typo in above comment s/b Norwegian... sorry.
Snowy.


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## Bearsie

jim barnes said:


> i was on a shell tanker lowly deck boy on the bridge in bad weather, Captain requested me to go below and make him a cup of cocoa, i said can't do that? silence.. "what "the captain said. i said couldn't make the cocoa as it came out of our rations (only been at sea a couple of days, me quite new at this game) Rations what rations go down below and bring the chief steward to me.... i brought the chief steward up to the bridge and strong words where exchanged. Captain got his cocoa and rationing ended, chief steward didn't like me much after that watch


Good going Jim !
Food seems to be popular with this crowd, regardless of flag 

Is there regional cooking in the UK?
That's one problem we had, since the majority of the crews were north german (terrible food) Once, we had an Austrian cook, I loved him !
The rest of the crew disliked him since he didn't cook "their" stuff ...
And so it goes LOL
Incidently I am from the state of Thueringia (Thüringen) far from the sea...
But my Grandpa was in the Imperial Navy and the british made him swim home twice (minus the ship) that was 14-18 LOL


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## Bearsie

Was the food better. or worse on family owned ships?


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## Split

When I was an apprentice in 1948 we used to get an egg on Sunday for breakfast. The trouble was by the time the cook had done with it we didn't know what it was.

We used to get duff for desert on Sunday, too, along with some, unsweetened, yellow stuff, called custard. When it was brown duff, we knew it was Christmas Day I remember the sandwiches left on a tray at night for the officers. The apprentices did not get any of those delights- fish paste and margarine, warmed up and mixed into a paste, which was then spread on the bread after which the excess was carefully wiped off by passing the knife blade vertically over the finished product. These sandwiches were then carefully cut into triangular pieces, without the crust, just to put the final, delicate touch to them. I can always remember the 2nd mate's question when he came up. "What's in the sandwiches?" As if he didn't know! I can remember one officer who used to read the menu beforehand. If he didn't like what he saw he used to come into the saloon, say "Excuse me", reach over someone's shoulder, grab an orange and walk out again.

Split


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## tell

*pound and pint*



dundalkie said:


> thanks all for the comments, but what I would like to know did any old man ever impose the minimum rations on his crew and what happened?


you miss the point, the question of pound and pint only came up when we were being given LESS than our correct amounts


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## Ray Mac

The feeding rate would be higher if everyone collected their BOT rations.


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## lakercapt

Think the term I heard most often was "you are on your WACK"
don't know if other members heard this expression but tea, sugar and connie onnie were usually the ones strickly rationed by some miserable stewards.


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## tacho

> Is there regional cooking in the UK?


Lancashire Hotpot, Irish Stew, Manchester Tart errr..............


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## Ray Mac

Nowt wrong with that lot Stew -Hotpot -Tart,[=P] (POP) Better than connie onnie with a slice of bread.(H)


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## Ian

lakercapt said:


> Think the term I heard most often was "you are on your WACK"
> don't know if other members heard this expression but tea, sugar and connie onnie were usually the ones strickly rationed by some miserable stewards.


British Tankers were famous for that(Thumb)


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## Ian

Sorry forgot to add that was in the 60s(Thumb)


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## slick

All,
Hain's, The crowd asked for and got "BOT Whack", however at the end of the trip they were able to tip into the Chiefs Steward's Cabin some 7 Lbs. of loose tea.
The Chief Steward's name was Fenton AKA "Fabulous" Fenton, to say he was surprised would be an understatement.
Yours aye,
Slick


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## KIWI

Could not complain about food during my time at sea.Norwegian tramp excellent even to the extent of ensuring a copious supply of fresh milk came aboard on reaching port.Great base for what followed.P&O excellent both on passenger ships & cargoe.Stanvac,under one skipper cordon bleu otherwise excellent.As a point of interest on Maloja outward bound with immigrants who had endured years of rationing many complaints along the lines of"not enough chips".Homeward bound very few.Years of a restricted diet obviously took a toll.Kiwi


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## marinero

I think the Board of Trade referred to the list of Minimum Allowances that was displayed on a notice board on the Ship, i.e. not less than this amount.
One Ch.Stwd. I sailed with used to say "One egg per man per day, perhaps".
Regards(Thumb)


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## SSimon

Chief Stewards HAD to be the most unpopular members of a ship's company?
I know that we apprentices were in a constant state of war with most of the chief stewards I sailed with.


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## trotterdotpom

That's a bit harsh, SSimon- I sailed with a lot of great Chief Stewards.

By the way, Imon, how long were you in the German army?

John T.


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## MARINEJOCKY

I think I remember reading something about the company having to supply a straw mattress of at least a certain thickness besides the food & water. 

I also remember a newspaper clipping being posted on the notice board for a job opening:

"BUTLIN's: Chef's required, Merchant Navy cooks need not apply." 

Thank god, I only sailed with good ones with Houlders, the same could not be said for the FOC ships. British Captain & I bought some yeast to make fresh bread, the cook used it all for one loaf

We had a collection onboard and three of us cadets went ashore in America to buy fresh milk, bread and bacon. we spent the money on pasturized/homogized strawberry/chocolate milk, sweet bread that had sugar on it and hickory smoked bacon that was all fat. so much for the bacon butty's that the whole crew was looking forward too. 

I think the feeding rate with Houlders was 1.50 per man per day on the ships, I then went onto the Uncle John which was a DSSV and the feeding rate was 12 pounds per man per day. Instead of loosing weight on the ships everybody was putting weight on so everybody except me was on a diet. I knew I was only going to be there for a few weeks so I ate five courses everytime I went into the dining room.


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## Chris Isaac

The only case of rationing I can remember was on South American Saint Line's St.John when I was a cadet. We had run very short of bog paper and the Chief Steward had requested that we show restraint in its usage.
Someone typed up a notice, copied it and stuck it above every loo roll holder.
"Officers and Crew are respectfully requested to limit use to three sheets on each visit. One fore and aft, one athwartships and one polishing".


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## SSimon

Chief Stewards. Pretty good? All I can say is 'Lucky you'. Let me tell you a story.
Of course for the Ch St a gang of gannets (otherwise apprentices) must have been a nightmare. 

The scene.
Four apprentices, inadequate food and a heartless Chief Steward eventually leads to something like a revolution. We acquired keys to the store rooms and used them to acquire additional food to supplement our diets. We managed to survive. This put pressure on the ship’s budget. The Chief Steward was a short stooping, bald man with a bit of a paunch. He had done some sort of a deal with a chandler in Rotterdam. Suddenly there was a huge surplus of Bologna sausage on the ship. There was no bacon, no beef, no pork, no mutton but there was always Bologna sausage! It appeared fried for breakfast, cold for lunch, warm for dinner and in the sandwiches at night. After a few weeks the whole ship wasn’t just sick of it, it was completely and utterly fed up with it; and no amount of words of various sorts in the Chief Steward’s ear could influence it’s appearance at every opportunity.
It was against this background; unpopular Chief Steward, bad food and a discontented ship; that we apprentices started a campaign of harassment. It started with a few cartoons, drawn by me, of the Chief Steward depicted as a Bologna sausage in various situations. This was an easy task, he looked a bit like a sausage anyway. These cartoons appeared on notice boards first, and were torn down by the Chief Steward. They appeared on doors and on the inside of his cabin door. Of course we had keys; apprentices are intelligent and resourceful people as well as being young, hungry and inclined towards petty crime.
The cartoons appeared on the inside of the storerooms and on the engine room notice board; they appeared on the bridge and in the crew’s mess; cartoons fell off the top of doors as the Chief Steward opened them. The range of cartoons grew to include Mrs Bologna and then Mrs Bologna and their fictional children, the Bolognatinies. The Chief Steward became nervous, afraid to go into his own store rooms, afraid not to, afraid of what would happen next but the cartoons kept coming; they appeared as effigies suspended from deckheads by hangman’s nooses; we made a sausage shaped mould for his poached egg; they appeared as patterns of tea leaves; they were always there; almost always, we would leave it for a few days and he would think it was over and then there would be ten in one day; the persecution was relentless and went on for months, much as the Bologna sausage kept on coming for months too.
The ship called at Hamburg; the location of the famous Reeperbahn, end to end with *****houses, most with windows displaying their attractions. We went there and bought a huge condom with coloured bumps on the side and bits stuck to it. The Chief Steward went ashore stating that he was going to get drunk and ignore any jibes or cartoons. While he was away we filled the huge condom with water and cochineal, dressed the now four foot long monster in his pyjamas, drew his face on it, put his spare glasses on it and put it doubled up under his pillows.
The Chief Steward returns; merry and relaxed; goes into his cabin; gets undressed and goes to get his pyjamas from under his pillow and we assume the condom/effigy/self-image jumped out at him. He screamed and screamed and .. .. couldn’t stop, didn’t stop, no-one could make him stop. An ambulance was called and he was sedated, put in a straight jacket and taken away.
That is the last we saw of him .. ever.
We packed up his things the next day and sent them ashore after him.
In retrospect I am not too proud of this but at the time I felt no remorse whatever.


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## K urgess

Saw a Purser locked in his cabin under guard on a VLCC for misappropriation.
Mostly for his own protection.
The catering super had found so much syphoning going on it was a wonder the bloke hadn't exploded.
He was cashing bar cheques into his own account.
Mind you quite a lot of fools were making their cheques out to him personally and one joker had even given him his cheque book to use.
A bit too much temptation?
Food didn't make a miraculous recovery afterwards, though.


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## trotterdotpom

Simon, after the Chief Steward flipped out, did the bologna sausage stop? Relax, he probably got better eventually and went on to be an internet spammer!

Of course, we've all met Chief Stewards like that and there were plenty of Captains and Catering Superintendents involved in the monkey business too. However, they weren't all complete rogues and some even had the knack of making a packet and looking after the lads at the same time.

John T.


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## K urgess

Agree, John T.
Having posted my last I've been trying to think of another Purser/Chief Steward/Butler I didn't get on with. Can't remember one. Most of 'em were very helpful.

Kris


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## vasco

On the Royston Grange I was extremely lucky to Sail with an apprentice that had no joints. He could slither like a snake.

The ship had a Galley Port hole blocked by a ladder but no bars, as the gap was small and awkward. Except for Mick. When the baker had made the goodies for the next day he would leave them out on a tray. Jam tarts, eclairs, all the mouth watering tab nabs you could think of. Occasionally we would raid. A big jam tart would go missing or 3 fancies, sometimes 5. Never 4,that would point to the apprentices straight away. The Cat Off was going ballistic. Locks were changed, engineers 'escorted' to check the fridges, you name it.

The good old days, where are you now Wally, I'm feeling hungry.(Eat)


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## Ray Mac

Tut Tut such a hard life for you lads (cadets as well) Cadets Did not count for the feeding rate (Gannets) so the Purser and Ch.Cook fed you well.


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## salvina

*working by*

On the Salvina in Liverpool between articles all the crew except for 9 shelties and a couple of others who were too far from home we had shore caterers providing for us. We could not believe that they could provide the standard of food they did for the board of trade rate (7/6d a day) it was b----y magic compared to what we were used to and the scoff on the Salvina was pretty good.(Thumb)


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## vasco

Burned Toast

Whats a purser?

On that particular ship the Chief Steward charged me extra for laces for a pair of shoes from his slop chest and half a days wages for 2 beers drunk at the Officers Land Fall Party. That was 50p.

I found out 3 years later that no one was charged for the officers landfall party it was a Company freebie.

To stoop so low as to rob the lowest paid person on the ship as he did deserves all the distain and sarcasm I could muster. 

Now, 40 years later, and done his job as well as my own, I wonder what all the fuss was about and maybe I am be better off without people like him


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## sandystrone

Always knew it was a sunday on Shell tankers, on that day only,you got chicken at lunch and steak at dinner and of course the sweet was Shell strawberries and cream (prunes and custard!)


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## william dillon

SSimon said:


> Chief Stewards. Pretty good? All I can say is 'Lucky you'. Let me tell you a story.
> Of course for the Ch St a gang of gannets (otherwise apprentices) must have been a nightmare.
> 
> The scene.
> Four apprentices, inadequate food and a heartless Chief Steward eventually leads to something like a revolution. We acquired keys to the store rooms and used them to acquire additional food to supplement our diets. We managed to survive. This put pressure on the ship’s budget. The Chief Steward was a short stooping, bald man with a bit of a paunch. He had done some sort of a deal with a chandler in Rotterdam. Suddenly there was a huge surplus of Bologna sausage on the ship. There was no bacon, no beef, no pork, no mutton but there was always Bologna sausage! It appeared fried for breakfast, cold for lunch, warm for dinner and in the sandwiches at night. After a few weeks the whole ship wasn’t just sick of it, it was completely and utterly fed up with it; and no amount of words of various sorts in the Chief Steward’s ear could influence it’s appearance at every opportunity.
> It was against this background; unpopular Chief Steward, bad food and a discontented ship; that we apprentices started a campaign of harassment. It started with a few cartoons, drawn by me, of the Chief Steward depicted as a Bologna sausage in various situations. This was an easy task, he looked a bit like a sausage anyway. These cartoons appeared on notice boards first, and were torn down by the Chief Steward. They appeared on doors and on the inside of his cabin door. Of course we had keys; apprentices are intelligent and resourceful people as well as being young, hungry and inclined towards petty crime.
> The cartoons appeared on the inside of the storerooms and on the engine room notice board; they appeared on the bridge and in the crew’s mess; cartoons fell off the top of doors as the Chief Steward opened them. The range of cartoons grew to include Mrs Bologna and then Mrs Bologna and their fictional children, the Bolognatinies. The Chief Steward became nervous, afraid to go into his own store rooms, afraid not to, afraid of what would happen next but the cartoons kept coming; they appeared as effigies suspended from deckheads by hangman’s nooses; we made a sausage shaped mould for his poached egg; they appeared as patterns of tea leaves; they were always there; almost always, we would leave it for a few days and he would think it was over and then there would be ten in one day; the persecution was relentless and went on for months, much as the Bologna sausage kept on coming for months too.
> The ship called at Hamburg; the location of the famous Reeperbahn, end to end with *****houses, most with windows displaying their attractions. We went there and bought a huge condom with coloured bumps on the side and bits stuck to it. The Chief Steward went ashore stating that he was going to get drunk and ignore any jibes or cartoons. While he was away we filled the huge condom with water and cochineal, dressed the now four foot long monster in his pyjamas, drew his face on it, put his spare glasses on it and put it doubled up under his pillows.
> The Chief Steward returns; merry and relaxed; goes into his cabin; gets undressed and goes to get his pyjamas from under his pillow and we assume the condom/effigy/self-image jumped out at him. He screamed and screamed and .. .. couldn’t stop, didn’t stop, no-one could make him stop. An ambulance was called and he was sedated, put in a straight jacket and taken away.
> That is the last we saw of him .. ever.
> We packed up his things the next day and sent them ashore after him.
> In retrospect I am not too proud of this but at the time I felt no remorse whatever.


(Jester) A great story...............(Thumb) (Jester)


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## SSimon

I was on HALIA on the Viet Nam run in the very early 60s. We lived. We were amazed at how well the Americans lived though, both ashore and in their ships.


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## MikeK

Great story Ssimon, 
I did my apprenticeship on a Cardiff tramp (1957) and remember the crowd queueing up at the galley hatch for their BOT rations for the week, or was it two ? We apprentices were also adept at every wrangle to lay our hands on anything edible to assuage our never satisfied appetites - and all the furtive dealings in every port between chandlers and Ch Stwds.
Come to think of it, surely there must be some chief of all the stewards on the forum - strange they havn't leapt up in righteous indignation on this thread (Smoke) ! Or are they all living the life on their yachts in the South of France (Thumb) 
Mike

PS To be fair not all Ch Stwds were tarred with the same brush - just never sailed with one is all !


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