It’s a Dog’s Life

  • NAME DROPPING – TAKING A SHOT

    As the son of a middle ranking Naval Officer it might be assumed that such humble beginnings meant that there would be few opportunities for name dropping or even exploiting its more useful relative – nepotism. To make matters worse, Dad was a Plumber (aka an Engineer Officer) and so, generally regarded by the elite, such…

  • A SORT OF BOOK REVIEW

    Background As a minimal consumer of books, it is easy for me to remember those that I have enjoyed and this is one of them: The Captain – The Life and Times of Simon Raven – Michael Barber. This Review first saw the light of day at least a decade ago and it is to be…

  • BEAST FROM THE EAST

    We are told to expect another Beast From The East this is my reaction to the last one……….. TRAVELLING BACKWARDS As memories of miserable morale sapping train journeys to and from Waterloo abate, the time may now be right to take a more objective view of UK rail travel in the 21st Century.  Even with…

  • NOT LEADERSHIP

      “Can’t the b—– fools at home realise that we are fighting against a perfectly glorious army led by real generals and soldiers, and nothing but the best is of any use whatever.”                                                                                                                                                    Brigadier-General Henry Wilson, 1914 Introduction The study of leadership consumes much of the Services’ time-in fact to such an extent…

  • MOSTLY GUNNER RANDOM THOUGHTS.

    Background.  This piece is based on an article published in the early 1980s.  Aside from a few textural amendments, it is re-produced here in its original state.  That being the case, it needs to be recognised that the Army has changed much since the article first saw the light of day. Readers, if any, should…

  • In (Mostly Military) Confidence

    Background Having just passed out from the Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) soon after World War 1, my Dad (aka Nick) was sculling around awaiting a Posting Order as a Seaman Officer. With little else to occupy his time, he attended a presentation from an Admiralty team which claimed that the age of sail had truly…

  • The Early(ish) Years

    ST EDMUND’S (FOR ME) FROM 1952-57   BACKGROUND [More photographs to follow] As a consequence of recently attending a most pleasurable OSE reunion at the City Club in London, I resolved to activate an outstanding promise of some years ago – namely to record my recollections of my days (and nights) at St Edmund’s from…

  • AN UNANTICIPATED WAR.

    Background Those of us Commissioned on the 29th July 1965 had little idea that events in Northern Ireland (NI) would dominate our time with the Colours.  In her Sovereign’s Day address Her Majesty the Queen had offered a general indication of what lay ahead when she said: “…an officer must be, above all else, a…

  • A Real Tonic

    Oh goodie! After four years of debate the European Commission (EU) has ruled that Britain can keep the name ‘Tonic’. Many will be wondering what other vital investigations are being expensively pursued by the politically directed EU bureaucrats while the rest of the world is worrying about such trivial issues as climate change, fair trade…

  • A Sniffy Response to a Doncaster Socialist.

    Background This piece is intended to be a response to a recent article published by self-proclaimed Socialist who was formerly a South Yorkshire resident – hereafter referred to as ‘Doncaster Man’. It is probably the case the only subject on which men believe they are well informed is themselves and they are therefore given to…