Questions for the Administrators...

[Stretch]

Tafmo, old friend (and I use that term loosly),

I am really impressed at your literary licence and describing how hard Greenies work at sea.

In your terms, lets go back 20 years. Greenies were the only techo rates who did not wear overies - always in short and sandals. Even the dibbies could not get a seat in the mess to watch the blueys because the place was chock a block with 'Watch on, stop on" greenies.

And yes, we were the Cruise Directors and Tour Guides - how else did greenies have fun ashore. We toiled hard into the dark hours to ensure you were able to step and tamper with the beenies in the Strasa.

Stretch

[tafmo]

Stretch,

I'm beginning to think you didn't get your nickname from a Dumb abd Dumber like activity on the ice, but from your proclivity to modify the facts.

Of course we Greenies wore shorts and sandals! Whilst you cruise ship passengers were able to sloth around the vessel in tatty and grubby overalls and not get too hot and bothered, imagine the state we would have been in, had we worn such attire. Anyone working as hard as we did in the tropics needed cool clothing. Slaving away in the confines of missile or gun directors, small switchboards, crowded magazines or hot equipment cabinets, while the Chippies whittled voodoo dolls on Mt52 deck caressed by the sea breezes, and each other of course .

And let’s not forget the Bilge Rats lazing around the fire rooms and engine rooms, blasted by chilled air provided by AC Units maintained by the Greenies, slurping home-made hooch and indulging in behaviour that was really quite riveting (particularly in the bilges, or the appropriately named Ram Room ).

the dibbies could not get a seat in the mess to watch the blueys because the place was chock a block with 'Watch on, stop on" greenies

There you go again, grossly exaggerating the facts. The only thing the mess was chock a block with, was Chippies and Bilge Rats, salivating in anticipation, and ominously popping their overall buttons or crumpling brown paper bags (I was amazed at how many of you had problems with hyperventilation ). The few spaces left in the mess did admittedly have a couple of Greenies there – one to operate the 8mm or 35mm projector (back in the days of steam we didn’t get those fancy VCRs etc until quite late in the piece) and the other one to operate the lights in the mess; both activities of course beyond the capability of your average Chippy, Bilge Rat or Dibby .

We toiled hard into the dark hours

You really need to learn how to spell 'whores' .

to ensure you were able to step and tamper with the beenies in the Strasa

Oh what scurrilous accusations! It was quite the opposite. For those who managed to get a skerrick of leave, they of course were in a confused state through lack of sleep from working virtually non-stop during sea-time, and could have accidentally stumbled into Bugis St, attracted by the screams and yells of drunken stokers performing the Dance of the Flamers on the toilet roof . Once there, to the beanies they would have been like honey to the bee, Lenny the Loop to a Chippy, or a blow-up doll to a Bilge Rat . All being devilishly handsome and with bodies Les Patterson would die for, they were irresistible to bar-girls and beanies alike . And as soon as they succumbed to their exhaustion (from overwork on the ship) and collapsed at a table or in a side alley, they were invariably accosted by adoring beanies and bar-girls . So as you can see, the tampering was actually being done by the delightful but dirty denizens of those dark and dingy doorways and dorbellos (or is that bordellos?) .

I’ve deliberately given you a bit of ammunition here Stretch as you clearly need all the assistance you can get. Please try not to mutilate the facts too much in your next attempted muck-raking exercise.

Your old (but eminently wiser) friend,
tafmo

[Bilko]

Why are all the questions coming from the 13th to the 27th mobi intake?, and most of them are chippies.
I ask that all the other mobi intakes ask a few questions!
Boogie street has been mentioned in regards to 'the boys' dancing on the toilet roof. Back in 62' it was a contest to see how many could get up there without too many falling off. In 63' we travelled in buses with grenade wire over the windows just to be there on a saturday night. I apologise for deviating from the original subject.

[Spud]

Correct there Bilko, those chippies are a lonely lot.

As they don't understand the real meaning of.
Suck (the air in)
squeeze (compress the air/fuel vapours)
Bang (ignite the air/fuel vapours)
blow. (exhaust the spent vapours)

Whenever those words are mentioned all they can think about is Boogie street why why.

[tafmo]

Ken,

A bit of deviation is OK.

[Stretch]

TAFMO,

GET YOU HAND(S) OUT OF YOU POCKETS - YOU WILL GO BLIND!!!

[Stretch]

Bugis Street,

The rest of the fleet only went there for the free entertainment - to watch the Greenies and Beenies (see - one letter different!) have jig-a-jig.

But then they couldn't even do that right - the submariners had to show them what to do.

And, Bilko, Chippies are an inquisitive lot. Knowledge is learned by asking questions. Not like the Greenies who learn by listening to the Chippies (& Bilge Rats) asking questions.

We all know that Greenies are pushing to string two words together at the best of times.

[BC]

Bilko,

Chippies are always asking questions because they don't know anything!

[Hippy Chippy]

And your 'Question for the Administrators' is.....???

[Bilko]

Rick
Why have you locked silent service?
Stretch
As a parting piece of trivia, Bill and Ben [on subs at least] were pump and flood men.