Stan Knight of Bobcaygeon, Ont., sends us this story.

The convoy had broken up and the merchant ships, considered out of the danger zone, were proceeding independently to their ports of destination. The first mate of an old tramp steamer, happy to be completing a safe voyage, took a couple of good belts of rum before going up to the bridge to relieve the captain and stand watch for the last time that trip.

Unfortunately, the captain detected the smell of booze on the mate’s breath, dressed him down, and wrote in the log: “The mate was drunk today.”

The mate, realizing such a report would damage chances of advancement, pleaded for a break but the captain was adamant: “Only the truth goes in this log.”

When he finished his watch, the mate in his turn wrote in the log: “The captain was sober today.”