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This story has been written onto the ´óÏó´«Ã½ People's War site by CSV Storygatherer, Pam McCarthy, on behalf of Bernard Peters. They fully understand the terms and conditions of the site.

In 1943 and 1944 I used to help out in the NAAFI, the Forces canteen at the bottom of Lemon Street. Across the way, at the back of Gills shop (facing the Piazza that is now) was the American Forces Doughnut Dug-out. However, the GIs used both canteens, but it was the Dug-out where the girls hung out.

It was an eye-opener to see the Americans eating jam on their spam. Of course now we enjoy turkey with cranberry - very similar, but JAM and SPAM! - that was new. There was a wartime song we used to sing:

‘There was spam, spam,
mixed up with the ham,
in the Quartermaster’s store.

Spam, spam all covered in jam.’

Fun was made of the menu: Spam & Chips; Egg & Chips; Spam, Egg & Chips; Spam, Spam with Ham; Ham & Chips; Chips with Chips ... One funny cartoon at this time of shortages had a caption, ‘You could have Ham & Eggs, if we had some ham ... if we had some eggs.’

Sometimes there were spillages with the delivery of supplies. Split bags, broken crates, would mean spilt goods and we could tidy the storeroom and take home a handful of currants or raisins to mum and grandmother who would then be able to bake a small saffron cake. Visitors back then thought the cakes with saffron were poisoned.

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