This isn't Little Meg's FIL, is it?

[little meg]

Hi China,
it was the Royal Australian Navy.

It appears the 'Yanks' had a lot more than the Aussies did - in supplies, and were happy to share it.

My father had a different opinion, he was in the police force during WW2, and when asked was he in the war, he would say. "he was too busy fighting the Yanks in Bourke St." 
Bourke St. being a main street in Melbourne, I guess there must have been a few fights when the chaps were on leave.

I inherited my mothers crooked teeth, my dads were perfectly straight. 

Margaret

[chinakay]

I see the crown in the cap insignia is very slightly different.

Yeah, I got my mother's lank, straight hair instead of my father's curls, but the rest of my body is from his side of the family. Pity, because mom had a 22-inch waistline

Cheers,
C
 

[little meg]

It is different, ever so slight but definately there.
I shall put it past the FIL next I see him. 

I got my fathers big nose and bushy eyesbrows, mum had a perfect nose and perfect eyebrows.

Dad was 6ft, mum was 5ft, got mums height (hence the name Little meg  )

Doesn't seem right that we inherite all the bad bits and not the good bits does it.

Margaret

[little meg]

Hi China,
thought this might interest you, part of the info I have managed to get out of my FIL about his part in WW2.
This is in New guinea:

"Eventually we were taken by an American ship and it took us aroud to Milne Bay, and from there a smaller ship took us into the harbour.  This was our first vision of how well the American soldiers faired compared to the Australians.
Our Navy had packed up a box of food, bread, oatmeal etc. for us to take on the trip.  We left Moresby about 4pm and being an overnight trip we needed something to take for breakfast.  When we brought out our food in the morning the Yanks took one look at it and said, "you'r not eating that rubbish".  They promptly threw the whole lot of our food overboard, we were then offered a wide choice of more interesting foods, bacon and eggs, corn flakes and rice bubbles - what ever we wanted."

There is a small reference to the beer, just that they would pull alongside an American ship and combine resources, ie beer and then play crib, eucka or poka.
He did comment that they (Americans) loved the Aussie beer.

I never had the chance to get stories from my own parents so next best thing . .  the in-laws

margaret

[chinakay]

Well, hey, at least they were willing to share "Rice bubbles", that would be Rice Krispies, I think, still going strong!

OH says he thinks American ships were dry during the war, and still are...that may be why the Yanks were so interested in Aussie beer

Oh, my dad had some interesting stories from the war...I wish now that I'd paid more attention.

Cheers,
C

[little meg]

They're called Rice Bubbles here in Australia, probably why he called it that.

Will find out more about the 'dry' argument. Might get him on the phone 

cheers
Margaret

[g a r]

if the Americans were getting American beer with their rations, they would definately be interested in other beers. American beer is notoriously "under powered". Even Canadian beer is stronger at a measely 5% alcohol. 

[little meg]

Hi Gar, well I think Aussie beer has always been regarded as a success in many countries.

ok, just spoke to FIL on the phone, you and OH are right China, he said they didn't have much grog at all and it was the Aussies who did most of the sharing in that regard.

The Aussies were given 2 bottles of beer a week per person, that would be about 750ml bottles he thinks.
I have a couple of funny stories  on that

In regard to the insignia variation, being on the phone it was hard to explain, but he thought it may well just have been a manufacturing error of difference.  He was under the impression that they were all the same.
The 'dress' suits that they bought privately were also made privately by a tailor.  The hats were all Navy issue.

Margaret

[chinakay]

Yeah, American beer is only 3.2, but there are independent brewers who make much better stuff.

Molson in Canada came out with a high-powered beer called Brador a few years ago. It was 11% and got drinkers under the table so fast they took it off the market after a year or so...you just don't buy very much beer when you're passed out

Cheers,
C