When we arrived in the Far East it was arranged with the Royal Navy that we would hire three Chinese civilians from Hong Kong who would become the ships laundrymen. They had to sign a waiver that in case they were killed or wounded they could not come back on the RCN for compensation. These three laundrymen were paid for from the ship's fund and the RCN used to pay about five dollars a month more than the RN so we got the best people. They used to work and sleep in the laundry area and they could eat the same as the ships company but they preferred to cook their own rice as they thought the way our cooks cooked rice was barbaric.

We supplied them with the laundry supplies and did not charge for this whereas they had to by their supplies in RN ships. The head man was much impressed with this so he told me that I could send my laundry at any time instead of one a week. It was great to be able to have fresh khaki washables into which I could change three times a day for a very small laundry cost. Now, at the same time, the Miscellaneous Chief's were billeted in a small mess next to the Stoker PO's mess. There were seven of us in the mess but only five hammock spaces, so two were supposed to sleep on the seat lockers, not the best thing in rough weather. At Pearl Harbour on the way out to Japan I was able to obtain a coupe of sleeping bags from the USN and we had folding cots in storage so Chief Victualler and myself used to sleep under the trellis mast every night in our sleeping bags on the cots. I do not remember one night when we were rained out. I do remember a night when I awoke to find the ship bathed in an erie glow and it was the only time that I ever experienced St. Elmo's fire and it was quite a sight. Thank goodness it did not last long as the ship must have stood out like a sore thumb.

On the second tour of "Iroquois", the Miscellaneous Chief's were billeted elsewhere in the ship while the Chinese
laundrymen were given the Chief's mess for living quarters. Three people in a space for seven and those laundrymen must have hit the jackpot after their living conditions in the laundry and at home in Hong Kong. So much for life in a Tribal!