A SH O RT A CCOUNT OF T H E WOR K O F TH E un io r Armya n d N a vySto re s LTD. WI TH G AN D FLEET H . M R 1 C 114 FEBRUA RY 11 DE EM BER 9 9 9 WI L LIA M A L LE J . n n n ( S ecretary a d Assi sta t M a a ger, Ju mo n ARM Y A PRI N TED AN D PU BLI S H E D FO R T H E U O A RM Y A N D N Y T RE LI M I TED J N I R AV S O S , R 1 S E R N T T W EG S R T S . I YO K HOU , 5, E EE , LONDON , B T H E FL RE TWA V PRE S S LIM IT E D 12 a n d a l isb u r rt Fle t . L n n y , , , 3, S y C o u , e S t , o d o . E C . 4 A L L RI G H TS RE S E R VE D LIST OF PLATES. ’ V S E S E S . S I I . BOROD NO , J UN OR ARMY NA Y TOR S TOR S OFFI CERS AND OFFI CI ALS I NTERI OR OF S HOP WASHI NG MACHI N E RY I N LAUNDRY F I I H . M K I P O S . I . E RON DU , FLAGSH ADM RAL V SCOUNT J ELLI COE L H M OF I I I M . S E BORODI NO A ONGS DE . E P ROR ND A WARE HOUSE I N BORODI NO I RONI NG S ECTI ON OF LAUNDRY ’ FOR ARD VI EW OF BORODI NO REFRI GERATI NG CHAMB ER MI NE E"PLODI NG FROM G UN FI RE ’ MI NE S WEEPERS T ROT AT S CAPA FLOW BO"I NG CONTEST ON BORODI NO M I A H . S I N N D PI . H PS MALAYA VAL A T WARS TE K M B I N K2 . S E . U MAR BORODI NO S TAFF GOI NG ASHORE B ORODI N O CONCERT PARTY RE HEAR SI NG W U S S . N E RK I OF E I S YO , FLAGSH P AM R CAN QUADRON U S . S I I I TO . A LORS WA T NG BOARD BORODI NO M F T H . S . H HI O H E S BAR AM . FLAGS P 5 BATTL QUADRON M PI FF F O F H M S . R J U NG O ROM FORE PART . BA HAM E O F I L P TH E S E E PROGRAMM MUS CA LAY , CR T PREF E AC . Th u rsd 1th . rw a On y, October s , Mr Wa ick Di re c o M . Brookes (Managing t r)and r C . G . Selfe (General Manager), Of the Junior Army Navy Stores , Ltd s attended at the Admiralty by special reque t , and were received by . BERT R. N . Capt C F LAM , , Fourth Sea Lord REDERIC L C o f . Sir F K B A K, Director Navy Contracts . H . ROO Es o f l . J B KS , q . , Director Victual ing - B . KEM BALL OO Es . Tra n s o rt . A C K, q , p Department At this interview a proposal wa s made to place at the d ispo sal o fthe Stores a suitable Steamship fo r supplying e verything required to fli ’ Ward Room O c e rs Messes . ’ s Gun Room Office r Messes . ffi ’ Warrant O c e rs Messes . It wa s intended that the Vessel should be fitted with a Grocery and Provision Shop , a Laundry , and also a o f Hairdressing Saloon , the working which the Stores w o wa s ere t undertake and maintain . Since the Ship to to be attached as an Auxiliary the Grand Fleet , she thus came under the directions o f the Commander -i n Chief . o f Here , then , may be said to be the source the greatest e nterprise ever u ndertaken by the Junior Army 8: Navy n Stores , Ltd concerni g which the following narrative o u r and pictures will , it is hoped , prove interesting to m a s any friends , and be treasured by not a few a souvenir o fthe work accomplished . CHAPTER I . to to Subsequent the interview referred , after many meetings had taken place between representatives o f wa s the Admiralty and the Stores , a formal agreement i y s gned , by which the Junior Arm Navy Stores , Ltd H M fi l became Contractors to . Grand Fleet , and na ly , i n the . following December , Mr Warwick Brookes , Mr C . G . Selfe and the present writer , met representatives o f i i E the Adm ralty at the Victor a Docks , , where , under o f . the guidance her Master (Capt W J Norton), we were shown over the Steamship Borodino , which was to be o u r Storeship in the North Sea— fo r th e duration Of the war . She had been brought round from Hull in ballast , ’ and during o u r inspection o f her upper and tween l decks and ho ds , her carrying capacity , due to her very emptiness , at once astonished and appalled . Here was a vessel that could swallow quite comfortably the entire grocery stock o f the Junior Army Navy ” a sk fo r . Stores , and , like Oliver Twist , more We hinted as much to Mr . Warwick Brookes , who , however , with that wonderful faculty he possesses o fsiz ing up a o n fo r proposition sight , replied We are in a big thing , the Junior is no ordinary Stores , they are the people ” to a o n . do it , so c rry 8 Neither he nor any o fthose present realised at that m Of o r oment the years , and volume , work ahead , fore i saw the welcome advent Of the American Fleet , add ng so pleasantly to that labour and not without j ustifiable Of pride , all those responsible for the carrying out this i mportant undertaking can rej oice in the knowledge that the sanguine prophecy Of our Managing Director was f fi ul lled to the letter . ’ E e n the wea ri est ri ver Wi nds so me whe re sa e to sea f , fin d the following brief , tedious details may an interested reader . The Steamship Borodino is E - owned by the famous llerman Wilson Line , of Hull , the largest private Company of Shipowners in the world . 111 ’ E Launched in September , 9 , by arle s Shipbuilding Company , of Hull , she was constructed specially to run t between that port and Petrograd , and by connec ing w f ith the new Siberian Railway , thus a ford facilities for the more speedy transit Of cargo , chiefly eggs and butter , E to ngland . Gross tonnage nett dead P H . 1 N weight tons single screw , 79 indicated P . 1 H 2 18 speed 5knots length 3 feet beam 4 2 feet . Borodino is fitted throughout with electric light and has accommodation for 2 7 first- class passengers E w and a crew of like number . ach cabin is provided ith o f a radiator , and from the cosiest berths to the most - - to inviting of saloons , from well appointed bath rooms the last word in music rooms , nothing in the interests o f . comfort has been left undone Last , not least , Borodino carries four lifeboa ts with a capacity for 0 9 persons , a provision which may mean so much for ” ll those who go down to the sea in ships , especia y in war time . The greatest feature Of the vessel has yet i . to be mentioned , her Capta n (W J Norton , 9 fi i o n e Of the nest masters who ever handled a sh p , and , as we were not long in discovering , at once the who bravest , most modest and lovable of men , , “ having been in command o f Borodino from the fi ho w rst , knew all her ways and best to turn them to advantage . The Transport Department Of the Admiralty took o ver the work o freconstructing the Borodino inter Of i nally , and an army workmen was engaged n ght and E day for a fortnight . very day we visited the ship in ' company with Officials and heads Of departments of l h e . I Stores The wonderfu progress , hour by hour , was as the unfolding o f a gigantic transformation scene . n o f Mr . K . P . Burgess , the Admiralty Chief I spector Of wa s his Transport , in charge operations , untiring in f to fit efforts to e fect any improvement , and out the ship o u r On to requirements , and we desire to place record our ’ Compan y s appreciation o f hi s never- failing courtesy and assistance . At Head Stores we were interviewing and engaging f sta f for the Grocery, Provision and Laundry Sections , a n d rw ordering fo ard tons of merchandise , which was e l all being list d and quoted in a specia Price List , in order that Officers and Messes fo r whom we were to cater , might see at a glance what was stocked for their b enefit . We could never learn where the Borodino wa s to “ be stationed , except somewhere in the North Sea , and whenever we inquired how many ships we were e xpected to serve , or at what port we were to replenish , 1 0 o r asked for any information which seemed vital to us, i ' th sa e r e rn n .