A PRELUDE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 225, 21 September 1940, Page 7

A PRELUDE.

SOLDIERING DE LUXE.j j SERGEANT'S LETTER AT SEA.j The following extracts from a letter! I written by a sergeant in the X.Z.E.F., 1 en route overseas, seem to show that at any rate the preliminary to active service; . is not any great hardship. I Ignoring Judge Starleigh in "Pickwickj i Papers": "You must not tell us what !; the soldier, or any other man. said, sir.' .j it's not evidence,"' let the sergeant speak llfor himself: —

"Dear Everybody.'' lio writes: "If tlii> letter appears to wobble a bit, don't | for a moment tliink it is me. I have a good excuse, the good ship is pitching, or is it rolling, and it has found me out. We are well on the high seas now. with a great ship under us, steaming| along at top. and I am simply 'lovingl it,' as the girls say. The comforts and' appointments far exceed anything Ij expected, and although we have a large crowd aboard, at no time do we seem at all congested. I am in a larpe cabin for six, with bathroom and the port opening out. It is on the main deck with plenty of portholes, which will! 'be appreciated as we net into hot weather. We have our meals in tinmain dining room, two relays, M-rjjeant-, fii'-t (as is fitting), then the officers and, nurses. The - food is wonderfully served.; stewards, menus, etc.. and I suppose, up to the standard of any first-class menage. One feels one should don a dinner jacket for the meal. From what I have heard of the last war, it seems like a fairy-tale troopship, but as thej facilities are there, why should be not] enjoy them while the going's goo"? Having a Really Good Loaf. "I am writing this in the sergeant-' ante-room, a large lounge furnished as | well as anything in any Auckland hotel.j I Drinks, cigarettes, etc., are sold at dutyfree price®, tpiFtti 4d £0 £4^beer 6d a

bottle, cigarettes 30 for lOd, and so on.j As few hi us are teetotallers or 11011- j »mokers. this lits in with our reduced j incomes." i A few day- later: "We arc still rolling I along very comfortably in jierfect I weather, bright sunshine and as calm! as the Waiteinata when a breeze is, wanted for a bis yacht race, except for' a lazy swell which «ivcs the shiji a bit i j of life. It has been really lazy weatlier.j | and so far have had little to do except j I to have a real good loaf. Quite a change ! after Pa]*ikura. ! I had my first swim to-day in the ship's swimming pool. It is quite large land a good depth at one end fur diving. I It will be a boon the weather gets ; hotter. A cocktail and a cigarette, then j lunch—l might easily be 011 tup of the j world. 1 enclose two menu cards fur Munch and dinner; with the appropriate j liquids, you can imagine we <l'i ourselves pretty well. . . . Take it from line that so far soldiering is much better than it is cracked up to be. The real job is ahead. Whatever sins lie 011 Hitler's uneasy head, he has at least provided some thousands of young Xew Zealanders with a trip—a de luxe cruisei —in a luxury liner. How They Fare at Meal Time. Here are the menus:— Dinner (Wednesday). — Consomme Magenta. Cream of Celery: Fried Snapper, Partare Sauce: Macaroni Croquettes: I!na-t Leg and Shoulder of Lamb, Mint Sauce. (Jreen I'eas. lJoiled and Roast Potatoes. Salad; I'lurn Pudding, Fruit; Tea. Coffee. Luncheon (Sunday).—Consomme T>i«uchere. Fhick Ox lail: (drilled Floiiwler. Anchovy Hutter: Steak ami Kidney I'ie: Haked Ham. Sauce M.idere: (arrots •lillieime: Haked .lacki-t ami liebjian Fried Potatoes. ( ..Id lSutTct: Ilna-i Lamb, (tx Tongue. 1.-cicc-tcr Hraun. Salad: Sago Custard; (Jit ■esc. Coffee.