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• How to avoid boredom

• Uckers

• Cards and board games

• Handicrafts and letters

Cards and board Games

Traditional games such as cards have always been prevalent in the services. Individual games have spells of popularity such as Chase the Maid, Cribbage and Tombola.

EJF Records, serving in the Far East, wrote in his diary for Tuesday 1 January 1935 -

'Fellows crowded in the Stokers mess playing tombola with cards. One pack is served out and the other is places face downwards and a fellow turns each card up and his corresponding card held by the player is thrown in. The first player to throw his cards in wins the pool. In this case roughly 2 dollars. Cries of swindle, cheers, groans, and waiting, keeps the whole mess deck interested.'