Dawn, September 1, 1917, H.M. destroyer _Rosalind_ was engaged with enemy ships off Jutland. I was serving on one of the guns, and we were approaching the enemy at full speed. The ship was vibrating from end to end, and the gun fire, the bursting of shells, and the smell of the cordite had got our nerves at high tension. When we were very near the enemy one of the German ships blew up completely in a smothering cloud of smoke. At this time something went wrong with our ammunition supply, and we had used up all that we usually carried on the gun platform. One of the gun's crew, a Cockney, put his cap in the breech, and said "Quick! Send 'em this to put the lid on that blinkin' chimney." We all had to laugh, and carried on.--_W. E. M. (late H.M.S. "Rosalind"), 19 Kimberley Road, Leytonstone, E.11._ Give 'im 'is Trumpet Back After the _Britannia_ was torpedoed in November 1918, and the order "Abandon Ship" had been given, the crew had to make their way as best they could to a destroyer which had pulled up alongside. Hawsers were run from the _Britannia_ to the destroyer, down which we swarmed. Some got across. Others were not so lucky. One of the unlucky ones who had a free bath was a Cockney stoker nicknamed "Shorty," who, after splashing and struggling about, managed to get near the destroyer. To help him a burly marine dangled a rope and wooden bucket over the side, this being the only means of rescue available. The marine, who was puffing at a large meerschaum pipe, called out: "Here y'are, Shorty, grab 'old o' this bucket an' mind yer don't drown yerself in it." "Shorty" makes sure of bucket, then wipes the water from his eyes, looks up to the marine, and says: "Garn, give the kid 'is trumpet back."--_G. Lowe (ex-R.M.L.I.), 18 Brocas Street, Eton, Bucks._ Getting the Range It was on H.M. monitor _General Wolfe_, my first ship, and this was my first taste of actual warfare. We were lying anchored off the Belgian coast, shelling an inland objective with our 18-in. gun, the ammunition for which, by the way, was stowed on the upper deck. All ratings other than this gun's crew were standing by for "action stations." Just then the shore batteries opened fire on us. The first shot fell short, the next went over. A Cockney member of my gun's crew explained it thus: "That's wot they calls a straddle," he said. "They finds our range that way--one short, one over, and the next 'arf way between. Got a 'bine on yer before it's too late?"--_Regd. W. Ayres (late A.B., R.N.), 50 Lewisham High Road, New Cross, S.E. 14._ Coco-nut Shies Early in 1915 I was attached to one of our monitors in the Far East. We had painted the ship to represent the country we were fighting in. The ship's side was painted green with palm trees on it, and up the funnel we painted a large coco-nut tree in full bloom.