May 4th 1982: As HMS Sheffield is abandoned and the fire spreads towards the Sea Dart ammunition. The remaining crew gather on the foredeck singing “Always look on the bright side of life”.
…..
Tim Bromige
@Timbrom2Singing led by the FC that we had loaned to them. One of our Sea Kings closed on the fo’c’sle to pick up wounded and saw them all swaying from side to side with their arms outstretched. I learned why when he got back.
Yes, I do know that second chappie there, have since before this all happened. And yes, he was there.
We’re a weird, weird, culture.
It’s absolutely crazy. Bonkers. Stupid. Silly.
So why does it make me so proud?
No wonder the rest of the world thinks we’re strange…
There’ll always be an England.
What’s an FC?
Flight controller. The second guy there, Tim Brommidge, was an FC on Hermes through lal of that.
Sam,
In this context, FC is “fighter controller” – whose job is getting friendly fighters into position to intercept enemy aircraft, while making sure that the ship’s own weapons only shoot at them and not us (keeping the Fighter Engagement Zone and the Missile Engagement Zone distinct)
The Bill Bryson book Notes From A Small Island gives a good foreign perspective on the British. To begin with he is mildly bemused by our whimsical ways but gradually finds himself going native and saying “Ooh lovely” when being presented with a steaming mug of tea. There is also a Canadian YouTuber called Alana who has been living here for eight years and has lots of videos about people who have separate taps for hot and cold water and faces on their vacuum cleaners.
Thanks Jason.
Oh, and thanks too to Tim – who ever has it exactly right!
Probably Jason.
Not uniquely a British thing.
The reaction to surviving great danger is always to laugh. When young monkeys fall out of trees and survive they find it hilarious.
Philip:
“Not uniquely a British thing.
The reaction to surviving great danger is always to laugh. ”
Sure, but these guys hadn’t yet survived it. Burning ship, Sea Dart ammunition. They didn’t know if they were going to make it.
Remarkable behaviour for any monkey.