For help, advice and discussion about stuff not related to aviation. Play nice: no religion, no politics and no axe grinding please.
By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1839251
Thoroughly decent chap with a wicked sense of humour and unsullied by excessive political correctness, but possessed of unfailing good manners. Was lucky enough to meet him at Buck House a few times as part of my involvement in charities and City Livery. RIP
Flyingfemme, Grelly, MikeB liked this
By Bill McCarthy
#1839270
When I served on the Royal Yacht in ‘65 it was disciplinary offence to bare the skin of the arms in a steam machinery environment. However, when under way, he would appear in the engineroom in short sleeved polo shirt, get a few disapproving glances which were ignored of course.
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By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1839286
@Bill McCarthy Did you come across a deck officer called Adair??
By Bill McCarthy
#1839308
The yacht was a very unhappy time for me in the mob - it’s propulsion and auxiliary systems were a missmatch of odds and ends of ancient spare parts from the rest of the surface fleet. It’s crew accommodation areas were terrible - I slept in a hammock in a main corridor and movement aboard was severely restricted when “they” were on board. Promotion was “dead man’s shoes” and there were many “groupies” jockeying for position. I was very lucky to escape it and alas, as such, I recall very few names from that time.
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By Rob L
#1839322
Bill McCarthy wrote:The yacht was a very unhappy time for me in the mob - it’s propulsion and auxiliary systems were a missmatch of odds and ends of ancient spare parts from the rest of the surface fleet. It’s crew accommodation areas were terrible - I slept in a hammock in a main corridor and movement aboard was severely restricted when “they” were on board. Promotion was “dead man’s shoes” and there were many “groupies” jockeying for position. I was very lucky to escape it and alas, as such, I recall very few names from that time.


That's a sad story of Naval Service (esp. in the Royal Yacht)
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By OCB
#1839345
Bill McCarthy wrote:Oh, I certainly made up for it for the remaining years !!


So, what was the deck hand’s name for the Britannia?

I’m thinking “BeGoneWithYa”
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By OCB
#1839346
Btw, my wife - a mid 1970s francophone Belgian - is in tears of laughter and cannot stop to quote some of the dearly departed’s best utterances.

I told her he is an icon of mine. I explained a bit about his early years, his education and his military career during WWII - especially given the political situation with his older sisters - she genuinely had no clue.

I’m just a bit sad he didn’t make it to a centenary. His wife would have sent him a card :(
By Bill McCarthy
#1839402
I had heard that the flight deck crew on HMS Victorious were informed by main broadcast of the impending arrival of the duke that- “the queen’s chopper is on the way” in a certain tone that got the person in a bit of bother.

Every TV reporter has thus far failed to pronounce the name of the school “Gordonstoun” properly.
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By rf3flyer
#1839420
Bill McCarthy wrote:Every TV reporter has thus far failed to pronounce the name of the school “Gordonstoun” properly.

FWIW there's a nice little grass strip just outside the grounds of Gordonstoun.