HMS Illustrious...
Warrant Officer Rtd. David 'Brum' Endall, PFG & The Naval Ethos

From an article in the Telegraph about HMS Illustrious' (My last ship I served in) final voyage from Pompey. Just seemed to sum up what being a member of her majesty's Royal Navy was all about...
Ships sail ready for almost every contingency, as do the sailors in them. Those matelots also embark on these deployments together. No one is a spectator – no one stays back on an airfield, or commands from a bunker miles away from the action.
The naval ethos is: “All of one company.” Every sailor accepts the same level of danger, the same highs and lows, and the same separation for months at a time. The bond between the people on board is based on trust: that your “oppo” will protect you when needed, fight alongside you when called upon and share in your troubles and woes.
When you are thousands of miles from a friendly port, there is no fire brigade to fight a fire, no repairman to fix the engine, and no one else to protect you from enemies. Everyone in the ship runs out of milk and fresh food (or loo roll) at the same time.
What's Happening...






