The Chameleon Theory Seven years old, now inured to Africa, I adopted a chameleon. We watched one another, daily, although it mostly watched insects – as dinner – from a bush beside the front door. I was enthralled by the stillness of this ugly creature, its strange jerky movements, and the speed of the rapier-like… Continue reading Royal Navy, 1941 – 46, First Day in the the Navy
Category: Royal Navy
17.05.08, Changes to the Class System
In doing a revamp to the blog, and in recent years hearing officers of the rank of colonel talking with regional accidents, made me evaluate the vast changes in our class system in the services, since 1914. These changes have mainly been brought about by the First World War, World War II, technology and growing… Continue reading 17.05.08, Changes to the Class System
Royal navy 1941 to 46 in order, Hypnotism
Since my Naval days I have never been remotely interested in hypnotism as entertainment. I would go so far as to say that I disapprove of the practice. When my daughters were young and we were on holiday, on more than one occasion they and Sophie went to the theatre to see a hypnotist and,… Continue reading Royal navy 1941 to 46 in order, Hypnotism
Royal Navy 1941 to ’46 in order, Living Ashore
I don’t think I ever entirely accepted the Navy philosophy of calling any accommodation, be it a house or a concrete bottomed wreck, a ship. I could never thought of myself as being ashore when I went out the gate. In fact I thought the whole concept childish and foolish, but it was surprising how… Continue reading Royal Navy 1941 to ’46 in order, Living Ashore
Royal Navy 1941 to ’46 in order, Teaching Navy Style
The examination techniques we adopted at the Royal Naval Signal School should have been the norm for the Country’s education system in genera . Education is not a case of knowing information, but knowing where to find it and how to apply it. The Leydene examination organisers had obviously taken this theory to heart. We,… Continue reading Royal Navy 1941 to ’46 in order, Teaching Navy Style
Royal Navy 1941 to ’46 in order, The Chief’s Course and After
Isle Of Man, Two – A careless death The second visit to the Isle of Man was an entirely different experience, we were now Petty Officers with the privileges that entailed. The work if anything was harder, and the sets we were learning much more sophisticated and in some cases as big as a small… Continue reading Royal Navy 1941 to ’46 in order, The Chief’s Course and After
Royal Navy 1941 to ’46 in order, An Unusual Iniative
Once I had found my feet, dancing was the best way of meeting people and filling the long evenings when Belfast City was blacked out. My mate Bunny was keen and we went every night to some dance hall or other. On Sunday nights when all the other halls were closed we went to the… Continue reading Royal Navy 1941 to ’46 in order, An Unusual Iniative
Royal Navy 1941 to46 in order, The Irish Question,Coincidences.
The Irish Question Take the Irish Question, for an instance, not the Irish question, from where I stand I find nothing amusing in that. No! Just an amusing Irish question. I don’t remember my friend Bunny’s rate of assimilation, certainly I didn’t really find my own feet for about a week and then he and… Continue reading Royal Navy 1941 to46 in order, The Irish Question,Coincidences.
Royal Navy 1941 to ’46 in order, Belfast Shipyard Part 2.
Shipbuilding is probably the most complicated and detailed engineering exercise, outside aeroplane design. The size of a ship, various hull designs, its use, all give multitudes of options from the thickness of the plates, to the design of door handles. All the equipment has to be installed which involves designing the positioning, the fixings and… Continue reading Royal Navy 1941 to ’46 in order, Belfast Shipyard Part 2.
Royal Navy 1941 to ’46 in order, Belfast Shipyard Part 1.
To those who hate technicalities I apologise for this entry, For me it records something gone and lost never to be recovered. Whether that is good is debateable. In ’43, I was drafted to Belfast to supervise the radio installations on the warships being built there. The shipyard was vast, there were at least six… Continue reading Royal Navy 1941 to ’46 in order, Belfast Shipyard Part 1.