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Old 10-07-2008, 21:10   #17
Royboy39
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Re: Joining the army not to fight?

Quote:
Originally Posted by jambutty View Post
When I joined the Royal Navy in 1954, during the first 6 weeks of basic training it was all about fighting and being shot at. Square bashing to instil discipline, rifle firing with live rounds so that if needed we could defend the ship from mass boarding, fire fighting to put out ship fires, damage control to try and save the ship from sinking, boarding parties for attacking other small craft and going ashore fully armed to bolster the authority of the government against insurgents.

Sadly we were not issued with cutlasses although the officers wore a sword. How quaint!

We were under no illusions that there could come a time when we might have to go to war, but not until we were 18.

However going to war in a warship is far removed from going to war on foot and back in the fifties a warship was a pretty safe place to be until you met an enemy warship with bigger guns than us. Then it would get hairy. Not that I ever experienced that pleasure except in exercises.

However surely everyone who joins the ARMED FORCES must realise that fighting might be involved at some time. Surely the various battle exercises would give them a clue.

The only full time none combatant in the armed forces is the padre mani. And even then some padres during WWII were known to pick up a gun and use it. Medical personnel were sort of none combatants and in general were recognised as such by both sides but if push came to shove they had to pick up arms.

Jim...Where in the fifties did you meet an enemy warship with bigger guns than the Royal Navy?
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