Item 02: Fred Hamilton-Kenny letter diary, 5 December 1914-26 February 1915 - Page 25
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[Page 25]
Meals came down to-day to one thing – Breakfast – Salmon cakes – Lunch – Tinned dog (Fanny Adams they call it -) No Bread – No fresh meat – no potatoes. Water distilled & warm – How'd the average C.T. on the beach like that? – These chaps never growl – 'Such a bountiful meal' 'So well cooked' 'Such refreshing water' said Mr Bumpus with a solemn wink to me – 'Such a nice little craft!!' At 12.30 a function occurred which I don't believe in & the other officers agreed with me – Two bags of effects belonging to sailors in AE1 were sold by auction to the sailors of the Fantome – The sale realized £8/10/- which is a damned robbery – The proceeds go to the dependants of AE1 – So far, so good – but the beach people shd provide for widows & orphans & not the sailors of the fleet – Men gave 10/- for a damned thing worth 2/ & so on – They did it out of kindness & charity & out of their very scanty allowance of 2/4 per day – The sailor men get very little money – once fitted out they have to provide every new item for themselves wh is just the opposite of the military – They have women & relatives to provide for & they should not be asked in this indirect way to contribute – The country as a whole should & must provide for the fighting man's widow & children – Once dead it looks as if you & yours are passed down & out – For ever –