Winchester Castle grounding February 1936

[happy daze john in oz]

Windsor Castle, Christmas day 1963, Durban. No bloods on board as it was Wednesday and sailing was Boxing day. The concept was that at 1800 hours the officers would serve the general crew Christmas dinner in the tourist gallop. (dinning saloon to the uninitiated). The best laid plans of mice and men comes to mind.............
As an officers steward ginger and I were told by Bob that we had only to do light duties, make the bed, empty the rosy and that would be it for the day. We began with the best of intentions in the hope that if we got done early we would go ashore to enjoy Christmas Yarpy style. Sadly the officers had other ideas. Each officer wanted us to have a drink with them to celebrate the season. Being brought upp as an upstanding young man I had been told by my mother that to refuse a gift was an insult. As a result along with ginger I was made to consume copious amounts of alcoholic beverages.
But we were not alone, the officers in general joined withn one another to celebrate the season. By 1800 hours there were few capable of standinglet alone serve dinner.
Bill Forde and Alfie Gurd, refrigeration, Chuckles Charnley, Abercrombie chief engineer, Staff Captain, four radio officers and a couple of junior deck officers were all that could be mustered to serve. The bosun, Master at Arms, Cheif Barman, Ray Meadows head chef and a couple of his cooks were gathered with the officers to do the job. Apparently they somehow managed to get the job done, though by all accounts with great difficulty.
Next morning Chuckles was anything but happy. He gathered the deck officers and read the riot act to them, closest to a logging, though by all accounts he would have cheerfuly conducted a flogging.
Abercrombie was not so hard on the engineers as by his own admission he was only just good enough himself.
Little wonder Chuckles was careful with Christmas day drinks after that.

[comchave]

I have that book. dated 1920 by E F.Knight and illustrated by E.G Fuller.

The Union- Castle Mail Steamship Co Ltd, 3 & 4 Fenchurch St, London E.C