Preface
| Long referred to as the ‘demon’ rum it has nevertheless been used for hundreds of years to discourage the ravages of cold, wet, lack of sleep and depression along with most other maladies faced by serving men. Rum rose to prominence because it did not ‘turn’ or ‘go off’ as beer and wine did. Our Facebook entry regarding the location of the rum stores aboard HMCS Ojibwa jogged the memory of Jim ‘Lucky’ Gordon – and helps us understand the nickname ‘Lucky’. |  The Cox'n's Stores located on the deck between the gash ejector and the Chiefs &Petty Officers Wash Space. |
That Alone should have Raised Suspicion
Until we left the UK in ‘66 our rum arrived in one gallon wicker crocks, corked and sealed with a red wax with a ‘broad arrow’ imprint stamped on the top. The shoulders of the crocks were quite sharp. LSSN Scouse Keough often volunteered himself and me to stay back when leave was piped to help the Cox'n put the rum down. That alone should have raised suspicion.
We would accompany the Swain to the rum stores inboard, load all the wicker crocks of Nelson's blood on a square wheeled cart and wrestle it back to the boat. The duty watch would be mustered to strike it down to the Senior Rates wash place adjacent to the Cox'n's store hatch and consequently the top of the rum tank.
| The usual suspects of the day. Left: the late Mike Keough who joined the RCN in 1955 and Right: a very young and impressionable Jim Gordon. |  |  |
According to Hoyle
 | With the duty officer (OOD) and the Cox'n watching intently, Scouse sat on the edge of the hatch, feet on the tank top, with a large copper funnel grasped between his knees and a hose leading from the funnel into the rum tank. When ordered to do so, I selected a crock of rum and armed with my seaman's knife showed the seal to the OOD and Cox'n and proceeded to cut the wax seal off the top. |
Then with a large cork screw removed the cork and passed it to Scouse. Scouse then offered the open neck to the Cox'n who would stick his finger in and then have a taste. More security than the Royal Mint. Once he gave the nod, Scouse grasped the ring and inverted the crock into the funnel.
The rum would glug out until Scouse gave the crock a practiced swirl so that the contents flowed fast and smooth.
The rum would glug out until Scouse gave the crock a practiced swirl so that the contents flowed fast and smooth.
A Variation
At precisely the right time, when there was a slight pause in the flow; Scouse uprighted the crock and passed it to me. There was always a tot or two left swirling around the sharp shoulder away from the spout. I put the crock behind me and we began the procedure with the next crock. As Scouse was doing his duty with that one, with no one watching me, I took one of the large rum measures from under the sink where the Cox'n stowed them and drained the crock into it. This went on for up to 20 gallons sometimes.
Sippers
When it was over, the tank locked and the OOD gone, the Cox'n came into the mess and meticulously drained each crock, again. Scouse taught me not to be too greedy and leave a little behind when I drained them, so the Cox'n was able to salvage a tot or two total, from which he would offer us a sippers for helping him. We would express our gratitude, and gather the MT crocks for return. The Swain would be enjoying his tot and paid us no further heed as we whisked the rum measure away with at least 10 to twenty tots in it. We knew the Swain would never be short because we were certain that he watered the issue down a little each day to ensure he had 'extra'.
A Linger in the Moment
Just another tot dit. The dits always got better after the tot. Up Spirits, Stand Fast the Holy Ghost.
Jim 'Lucky' Gordon
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