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February 20, 2004
More quotes
Britain declared war on Japan soon after the US. The Royal Navy signalled all ship's and shore stations with the news. One group receiving the signal was a small group of escorts struggling to herd a convoy of reluctant merchantmen across the Atlantic. The Flotilla leader decoded the signal and relayed it to all the other escorts by lamp and flag hoist. The signal read:
"Commence hostilities with Japan."
One of the escorts immediately flashed a reply:
"Request permission to finish breakfast first."
Another equally facetious response to a signal arose during the 1949 Yangtse crisis, when two Frigates were despatched up the river to retrieve foreign nationals. The first frigate negotiated a tricky bend in the river and slowed to await its consort. After an interval the consort failed to appear, so the signal was made:
"Where are you?"
Reply:
"Regret have become semi-permanent feature of the Chinese landscape."
Or the WW2 destroyer returning from an Atlantic convoy up the Mersey, having survived a really bad weather crossing, but having lost her top masts and suffered other damage to her upperworks. Signal from a ship leaving for escort duty:
"How come?"
Reply
"Scraping under low cloud."
And another of Churchill's famous put downs -
Lady Astor: "Winston, if you were my husband I would flavour your coffee with poison!"Churchill: "Madam, if I were your husband, I would drink it!"
Posted by The Gray Monk at February 20, 2004 11:24 PM
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» Thank God for the Royal Navy... from All AgitProp, all the Time...
Because, without the RN, it would be impossible to read something like this over at Pat's place: Another equally facetious [Read More]
Tracked on February 20, 2004 11:35 PM
» Navy Quotes from LOL: Laughing Out Loud
Britain declared war on Japan soon after the US. The Royal Navy signalled all ship's and shore stations with the news. One group receiving the signal was a small group of escorts struggling to herd a convoy of reluctant merchantmen across the Atlantic.... [Read More]
Tracked on March 21, 2004 09:19 PM
Comments
These are priceless... lol
Posted by: Paul Jané at February 20, 2004 11:30 PM