JACK COMES HOME TO-DAY.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 March 1921, Page 1

JACK COMES HOME TO-DAY.

(By “Jaekstaff” in the “t)aily Mail”). When the Army takes a holiday it I “goes on furlough.” Tht Navy, in like circumstances, gets a “drop o’ leave.” 1- : I AA’hy the one Service has a. “furlough” ‘ and thp other a “leave” I am inable j, t|o explain 1 , seeing that both terms I mean the same thing. They are i robfj ably as old as the “arms” that employ , them; they arc official, and anyone |t who sought to alter them would he decried as a sacrilegious meddler, j Tho “first watch” of the Navy is now going “oil leave.” As ships 1-1111-R not be left empty their crews make a holiday in two batches, or “watches”. H When the first returns the other goes 3 off. _ i At such times sailors can make the R 1 double journey at a single fare hy proI diicing their “leave ticket” at the hooking office. Without its aid they eannot get a ticket at all. no matter what , 1 they may be willing to pay for it. as a I sailor is not supjMised to go a wav from I his port unless lie has official pc,‘mission to do so.

| But with the Christnnis-leave season r in full swing a broad stream of “navy , blue” flows merrily through the prin- , cipal London stations every day. From . | Portsmouth, Portland, Chatham, and ] Plymouth, the men arrive by the train load “in town” and then distribute themselves all over the United Tving- . dom. | Until rt'conl years, the Royal Navy , was largely a hereditary Service, and recruited mainly from the maritime counties of tile south and west. Generation following upon generation from j the “old naval families” filled the wardroom ; on the mess deck there was a lineal succession from sir 0 to son. I To some extent this hereditary tradition is honoured still, but the displacement of sail by steam went far toward" breaking it down, especially on the lower deck. Now the personnel of the Navy comes from all parts of the 'country, with a considerable contribution ! from Ireland, botli south and north. 1 'j im “shell-back” counties could fine I the sailors to man “square rigs,” but j they cannot furnish the man-power to a mechanical fleet. j Consequently, “lean- periods” now mean that sailors Iron) all quarters incus upon London and then scatter tc all parts of the country. Listen for a

1 moment to the greetings exchanged on the platform and you will obtain an idea of the far-flung activities of out Fleet. “AVhere are you from, Jumper lasks a Tar. “Black Sea luineswcoping,” conus the laconic answer, as “Jumper” fislie; 1 his ticket from the crown of 11 is hat. Bluejackets seem able to carry as man tilings in the crown Of their hats and the waistband of their trousers as 5.11 ordinary person can pack into a port- 1 manic,‘in. and if von hear a sailor ad- • liessoj as “dumper” you will know ! that his surname is Collins. A lively little contingent is just home i from “the Straits” (the Mediterranean) ; others have come from the Baltic from China, from the South Atlantic, or the Cape. There is hardly a sweep 1 of the Seven Seas that has not contri- ; j' billed its quota to this “first leave" contingent of homeward hound Tars. But Bluejackets are genial, and en- ' tertaniing travelling companions, though their language may ho somewhat puzzling to their fellow pnssen- ' gei's in the trains these days.