Published in Warships IFR magazine in October 2010.

No-one who spends a lot of time away from home needs reminding how one misses the missus, and other family members, of course – but Os seems preoccupied with matters closer to his heart – just nearby in his stomach, in fact.

I can tell you that figgy duff was/is a popular dessert with seamen similar to plum duff, usually made from a mixture of available ingredients, including flour, oatmeal, dried fruit (figs, plums, raisins, etc), biscuit (powdered down), etc and boiled in the galley coppers.

I can’t tell you about Abie’s missus.  That is not to imply there is anything to tell, of course.