A "DRY" TRANSPORT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 141, 10 March 1919, Page 6

A "DRY" TRANSPORT

NIGHT RAID BY TROOPS WHAT THE HOLD HELD The following story was related by a soldier who returned to Auckland by the transport Port. Melbourne, regarding an incident that occurred ill the mid-Atlan-tic on Ji "dry" transport. One night as tins bugler sounded his soothing lullaby, ami the fading lights put an end to the "two-up" mission meeting, half a dozen soldiers, who must bo nameless, heaved up the hatch cover, and one by one slid swirilv down an obliging rope< into the nether regions. The club obtained an increase or membership within tho half hour. The news spread like a scandal in a steam laundry. Men who had slept soundly even as Fritz came over tlio top woke with a cold sweat. Beer on a New Zealand transport! Every case within range hail been opened, with results that would have done credit to a Lord Mayor's banquet. It was a perfect welter of beer, stout and lager, tinned fruits, tinned fish, nuts, lollipops, and other sustenance beloved of the gods. A sack of loot sugar was also tapped! The feasting r,nd drinking went on till the early hours of the morning. The menu was limited, but the supply never failed. Anon there were affectionate adieus, and not ft few bellicose benedictions as the participants crawled to their hammocks. What pen is capable of describing tho scene when the cock crew? The bottles and corks, shells and sugar, tins and bones, and concomitant symptoms of the Bacchanalian beanfeast need not bo parlieularised. One wild-eyed soldier leaned against a wall and sang, "Tlio officers' mess have puddingsh and pics, ~ The soldiers' shwives have skilly. Two or three others zig-zagged along carrying a rope. Tho deed was not yet discovered, so a case or two more of beer was drawn from the hold, and smashed open, the contents'being furtively distributed in odd corners. The breakfast was porridge, liver nnd bacon, and beer. The. hue and cry came in due course, an i it was not hard to discover some of tho delinquents. The bill when duly presented footed up to t £7o for liquor and other goods. Every man on tlio ship was mulcted'to the extent of Is. 2d., thus a. thousand nien had to pay for the act of about thirty of their comrades.