A Soldiers Journal (Page 8)

Through out our stay the barber was called upon to check our hair cuts,We had one lad who always combed his hair on the brush back still,the barber combed it down over his face then said can you see through that? when the lad replied yes the barber then cut it off up past his eyes and said you will see even better now. One of our officers was chief petty officer and was a whale island gunners mate and our sub divisional officer was a commission warrant gunners mate in the older days they would live in the area which was called the gun room or what I liked to call the fun room. they shared this space with the mid ship men who were our drill instructors.

The dormitory held about 100 sailors which left us about 50 square feet living area for our hammocks, The chief was responsible for our daily for daily parade and daily routine. Every morning at 0600 he would enter the dorms hitting us underneath our hammocks with a broom stick we would then lash up our hammocks and place them in the bin provided and then continued out to parade.Upon arriving to parade we received a lecture from the master at arms, the lecture was long winded and about theft. Anyone caught stealing would receive severe punishment, he did not care about condition or mental state of this person.stealing is frond upon in the armed services.In my service I never herd of anyone stealing anything.

our days then continued into physical training until about 0730 which at this time we would move to the dormitory to have a shit shower and shave then after we would move to the mess hall for breakfast,by this time for sun up at 0800 we would all return to the parade ground for the rising of the flag with the duty class of the royal Australian marines presenting arms at the raising of the flag with the band. On some mornings prayers were also said, this would occur at least once a week, prayer was split into two groups roman Catholic and the others.