slim said:
Best of luck with your promotion Fundiver. I am sure that with 17+ years service you will have a lot to offer the officer corp. However from experiences of my mates who became SD officers in the 70s and 80s they always seemed to get what I would refer to as gash Jobs. Some instances were MTO, Security officer etc. However these were from the air mechanic branches i.e. POAF POREL etc. Other mates who were artificers or mechanicians and became AEOs did considerably better. I did not notice any difference in their appointments to the graduate and direst entry AEOs.
In fact a guy named Dick Gooden***h who was the youngest CAA in the navy at the time took a commission and within an extremely short time was promoted to commander.
I don't think your service number wll,have any bearing on your appointments, your service histort almost certainly will.
G'day all.
I agree whole heartedly with slim, it does seem to be a snobbish and somewhat arrogant attitude to want to change your service number, because you have decided to become an officer, just because they (meaning people like me) would find out that you hadn't been a boy entrant to Dartmouth.
The best officer that I ever served under was Captain Padfield" at that time the most senior 4 ringer in the Navy, who started a s a boy seaman, then worked his way up, he had the qualities that the navy needed, and he never let snobbery stand in the way to promotion, another was Lieutenant Bell (Dinger) had the N/C for bravery, started as an o/d seaman, specialised in Underwater C and W, up to PO TAS I., then was asked to become a TAS gunner, did he worry that he had been lower decker :?: :?:
There have been hundreds of lower deckers promoted because they new what they were talking about, but never need to pick up the

artmouth" (bool in the mooth accent), which I am sure will be the thing that you will want to acquire. hundreds my boy, and though there may have been some who held it against them, most of them didn't worry about abject snobbery that you can find anywhere, civvie street and in the ward room.
If you don't like your service number and you think it will be held against you :idea: :idea: :idea: :idea: then stay where you are. :idea: Or wear you No 1. dress uniform every time you go ashore, then there will be no one who wont recognise you for what you are
As for lower Decker's they will I'm sure be delighted to serve under someone who hasn't let the wardroom go to his head, and is a worthwhile and knowledgeable officer to work with, for the will work "with you" other wise pick up some snobbery and the will work against you", do not fear the will :roll: :roll:
Pingie. I talk from experience.
PS. Captain Padfield, Also had 52 tattoos on him as well as many gongs and awards , and I know that no-one held anything against him.