Purple_twiglet said:
.......how shite the MOD was at looking after the navy .......
They have always been this, even in the 60/70s - probably some of the older and bolder will have the same memories of 50s.
Upset a dockie in the Store houses, and the ship gets blacklisted, and no deliveries done.
I once served in a Frigate, and the stabs were so crappy, that we had them changed three times. The PSTO(N) as it was then, were most incensed that they tried to refuse replacements, until they were 'advised' that it sometimes gets really rough at sea, and things get damaged.
It was not the workers, but the poltroons who were supposed to be i/c (SEO levels and above !!).
Same problems when I served in a cruiser, half a decade later..!!
Same thing with oleo legs for the Wasp - heavy deck landings in roughers caused damage - same thing from them
'you have had too many.... the allowance etc etc' in a whiney tone.
The problem is then, and still seems to be now, that some in the MoD think that they run the show - having to deal with some in my current employment, it is still the same mindset - arrogance born out of lack of knowledge, understanding and experience.
Just consider, that some hi flying civil serpent will be given an honour because he/she decided a flag was far more important than armour.
Navybluememorabilia sells them for a few pounds, so it seems that £2.5mil is an awful lot of bunting !!
( a vast amount of profit for the manufacturers in reality - who are probably based in China !! )