so tell me
- Thread starter dunkers
- Start date
Gruff's reply was,
Maybe not, but at least they could spell !!!!!! :wink: SEA for example.
Dunkers it was great, lots of pride, lots of ships, lots of bases, and lots of good foreign runs ashore. 2 years, sometimes three and half years in the Far Flung (Far East) Leave on Station. A great life.
RoofRat
Dunkers it was great, lots of pride, lots of ships, lots of bases, and lots of good foreign runs ashore. 2 years, sometimes three and half years in the Far Flung (Far East) Leave on Station. A great life.
RoofRat
Some comparison figs. from the Mail today
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=426604&in_page_id=1770
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=426604&in_page_id=1770
Well I thought it was great, first trip with the RNR was with MS10, all to minesweepers went to Lisbon, Gib, and Tangiers and ACR came along with us in Belfast just in case we got lost. Had my first tot (I was just over 17 then), convinced me the RN was the life for me. That lasted until H Wilson cocked thing up and I'm afraid it has gone severely down hill since then.
Agreed Maxi,
Normal way to FES was Gib, Malta, Suez, Aden/Mombasa, Ceylon/Gan, Singapore - then Hong Kong, with detours en route to make a variation, and "extras" when you arrived there. Once those ports had gone, the requirement for a presence East of Suez was virtually eliminated except for occasional visits and excercises. There was a certain something about that routine. Everyone in the RN/RM had done it. ODs learned their trade by it. All had a dit to spin about it. In other words, it was a common factor. I never met a senior rate, (stand fast some airy-fairies), who hadn't travelled that course at least once.
Things, as you say, went downhill from Wilson's time, but I don't blame him entirely. The Empire, which we of my generation took for granted, started to break up. Not all were sympathetic to the aspirations of our country, in fact, most were anti to the extent of self inflicted injury, and we have borne the consequences ever since.
The sea to shore ratio for our current colleagues is probably greater than at any time since the war. In my OD time, you were lucky to get a ship within two years of joining, as a non exec/engineer/comms rating. The world was full of ex HOs, with no ambition except to complete the seven years they had signed for in order to achieve a regular pay scale.
It levelled out in the late fifties, HOs all gone, a few NS left, and we were mainly a regular, volunteer, Navy, but we still had lots of ships, and lots of exciting places to go, with no real confrontations after Suez.
This was noted by the pennypinchers in Whitehall and ships were discarded left right and centre up until 1982 when the politicians wished they had kept a larger fleet in being, but, being politicians, they cannot see further than the next election, and with a general voting populace that cannot see beyond the next episode of Big Brother, I think that the unfortunate decline of our beloved Royal Navy is inevitable. I have just entered my seventies, and I hope that I don't live to see the ultimate demise of the service that I love so much, and of which I was so proud to be a member.
Heart of Oak, played by a Royal Marine Band, still brings a tear to the eye.
2BM
Normal way to FES was Gib, Malta, Suez, Aden/Mombasa, Ceylon/Gan, Singapore - then Hong Kong, with detours en route to make a variation, and "extras" when you arrived there. Once those ports had gone, the requirement for a presence East of Suez was virtually eliminated except for occasional visits and excercises. There was a certain something about that routine. Everyone in the RN/RM had done it. ODs learned their trade by it. All had a dit to spin about it. In other words, it was a common factor. I never met a senior rate, (stand fast some airy-fairies), who hadn't travelled that course at least once.
Things, as you say, went downhill from Wilson's time, but I don't blame him entirely. The Empire, which we of my generation took for granted, started to break up. Not all were sympathetic to the aspirations of our country, in fact, most were anti to the extent of self inflicted injury, and we have borne the consequences ever since.
The sea to shore ratio for our current colleagues is probably greater than at any time since the war. In my OD time, you were lucky to get a ship within two years of joining, as a non exec/engineer/comms rating. The world was full of ex HOs, with no ambition except to complete the seven years they had signed for in order to achieve a regular pay scale.
It levelled out in the late fifties, HOs all gone, a few NS left, and we were mainly a regular, volunteer, Navy, but we still had lots of ships, and lots of exciting places to go, with no real confrontations after Suez.
This was noted by the pennypinchers in Whitehall and ships were discarded left right and centre up until 1982 when the politicians wished they had kept a larger fleet in being, but, being politicians, they cannot see further than the next election, and with a general voting populace that cannot see beyond the next episode of Big Brother, I think that the unfortunate decline of our beloved Royal Navy is inevitable. I have just entered my seventies, and I hope that I don't live to see the ultimate demise of the service that I love so much, and of which I was so proud to be a member.
Heart of Oak, played by a Royal Marine Band, still brings a tear to the eye.
2BM
Life was great back in the 70's, ashore or afloat. We were able to put together a task force of up to 12 ships, and rugularly send then off on a round the world cruise, playing wargames wiith anybody and everybody and showing he flag. These deployments could take up to 18 months. Great days 8) :lol:
As you can see from fishmiester's avatar we coud muster at least 3 Carriers with aircraft in 1961 when that photograph was taken. We had ships in the Atlantic,the Med; the Persian Gulf and in the Pacific all at one time. That is when we had a real navy not a squadron of rowboats. We also had stone frigates all over the world. Army barracks in good nick. Royal Marine Barracks even in better nick! Life then was one round of overseas postings.
2BM, That was the route taken in reverse when I brought the Picton home after the end of the Indonesian Confrontation. After we paid here off in Vernon I was sent to Ganges as an instructor which I hated, in fact while I was there I heard that my branch ie. Boom Defence was finishing so I decided to buy myself out. I came out in 68.
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