Who would be more motivated: the Royal Navy receiving ice-cream makers or Americans receiving a rum ration?
Short answerThe joking answer favors the Americans, because British sailors could already obtain American ice cream and visiting Marines reportedly enjoyed alcohol aboard British carriers.
NotesA lighthearted question compares giving the Royal Navy ice-cream makers with giving American sailors a rum ration. The answer favors the latter because British forces already had access to American ice cream, whereas alcohol aboard British carriers was a novelty for American personnel. Accounts from US Marines serving aboard Royal Navy carriers are offered as evidence of the attraction. A story about Marines drinking aboard Queen Elizabeth and toasting the Queen's enemies is explicitly secondhand, reportedly heard from several people present. The comparison concerns differences in shipboard life, with the motivation ranking remaining a joke rather than a measured assessment.