Recent content by Red Sailor

Another gem from the pen of the late Mick Jones written during the 1950's. Haslar Naval Hospital was situated next to HMS Dolphin, the almer mater of the RN Submarine Service in Gosport. Christmas Day in Haslar It was Christmas Day in Haslar, the whitewashed halls were hung with merry...

Getting Your Own Back I am currently in Malta as I write this. This afternoon I went down to Sliema Creek where we used to be based many moons ago. It was hard to recognise many familiar landmarks as the whole place has been transformed into an expensive marina full of rich men's toys. It did...

The use of numbers rather than names for Royal Navy submarines was common up to and including the first two years of WWII. Winston Churchill issued a directive that they should all be allocated proper names for reasons of morale, pride and the camaraderie of their crews. P 311 was the last 'T'...

Grau Geist, Training being the operative word here. However well trained the former Warsaw Pact member's military forces may appear to be on paper - they remain as yet untested in combat. You have to turn up in a war for a baptism of fire and except for Poland, the rest of them were no-shows...

The decision as to whether or not the UK exits the EU will be made on the 23rd June when the nation votes. Should we opt to remain then the EU mandarins will be free to progress with their long held desire to form a European Defence Force from its member states. Support is strong with Germany...

Mick Jones was another fine example of the WWII diesel-boat submariners within our veterans branch. Mick was originally from Belfast, and as Irish as they come with that devil-may-care attitude and great sense of humour. Both Mick and Fiery Fred served together in the 10th Submarine Flotilla...

Thanks for the dit Airframes; it made me chuckle and brought memories flooding back. The very mention of rat packs and eating utensils reminded me of my early training on joining the RN. Not that sailors had much need for field crafts but they frequently sent us on expeds to Dartmoor to...

It was a bright and sunny Friday morning, the beginning of a four-day long weekend, as it was the Easter holidays. Having no duties to perform, I had the whole four days to myself and I was going to make the most of it. Dressed in my No.1 uniform looking as smart as paint, I caught the liberty...

Officers – Can’t live with them and can’t live without them. Many of the engineering officer trainees I came across were products of universities or the public school system. We are talking upper class seats of learning such as Harrow and Eton, that only the male offspring of the rich and...

Since I am on an aviation site I thought this NGOAT (No Guarantee of Accuracy or Truth) dit might be appropriate for your edification. Now my Uncle Albert knew a thing or two about Kamikaze pilots. In fact he was the only sailor in WWII to ever win the Distinguished Flying Cross without even...

When discussing what I want for Christmas with my better half I sometimes forget to remember that she takes everything literally and her memory would put an elephant to shame - it's like a steel trap. In a casual conversation months ago we had discussed men's toiletries and I ventured the view...

The best tattooist encountered by most sailors in the Far East was Johnny Gurkha from Nee Soon village in Singapore. In fact, Johnny, and his brother, Johnny Two Thumbs, left this world some years ago, but they did pass on their artistic skills to family members who still keep the business going...

HRH and Banjo's BLT's HMS Bronington was a Ton-Class minesweeper that was one of the then revolutionary high-impact plastic-hulled vessels built in the 70’s. Their unusual construction made them ideally anti-magnetic for their purpose and as she was first of class it rather unfairly earned her...

Since I am a matelot on an aviation site I thought this NGOAT (No Guarantee of Accuracy or Truth) dit might be appropriate for your amusement. Now my Uncle Albert knew a thing or two about Kamikaze pilots. In fact he was the only sailor in WWII to ever win the Distinguished Flying Cross...