Item 02: John Duncan McRae diary, 11 December 1916-9 February 1917 - Page 58

[Page 58]

salt-water shower & by 6 had my book upon the forecastle & there enjoyed a nice quiet hour before breakfast.

Although we have never been guilty of wearing much clothing of late, we are daily becoming more like Mr. Chidley. For the last two days I have worn nothing but those silk trousers which you made me. We are just at the Equator, except for a few hour's, or day's, sailing, & the sun is warm, but the weather is so perfect that we don't mind the heat at all & enjoy getting sunburnt. As we had to be dressed in dungaree clothes for Church Parade this morning I only wore shoes & socks sox, short dungaree trousers & dungaree coat, buttoned up to the neck so that the officer wouldn't notice that I had no shirt on. So far so good: but Church Parade got warm & as Alan & I were not in front we soon had our coats off & but fo & then felt quite all right. At breakfast this morning four at our table came dressed in shorts only.