[BITList] Fwd: Life on board a warship in our much-reduced Royal Navy

[John Feltham]

G’day  Hugh,

Some questions.
 
Did Francis Drake serve in the Royal Navy? Nothing but stokers down below we gather - stoking what?  And will it be necessary in the future to have a "person overboard" shout, valid only until the gender of the unfortunate is established, when it will change to whatever is thought appropriate.  In the meantime the poor soul will be buoyed up by the speed with which his/her fellow crew persuns are searching the vessel to ascertain exactly who is missing so as to ascertain the correct gender to shout.  Hopefully not some trans-gender person.  I'm glad I joined the MN.



I can’t resist…

Your comments remind me that I joined the BI in Calcutta aged 16 ½.

There were 20 Life-boats on board, to service in an emergency, 2,500 souls onboard.

By the time we got to Hong Kong I was expected to take out a Lifeboat with crew - “In Command”.

Row x yards directing the crew, who had been at sea for how many years?

All this so that I could be issued with a "Certificate” telling all and sundry that I was skilled enough to actually be in charge of said LB, in an emergency.

I had been at sea for what 4 weeks? Calcutta to HK on the Sirdhana?

I did pass!


ooroo

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.bcn.mythic-beasts.com/pipermail/bitlist/attachments/20160206/f5544ae1/attachment.html>