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convoy requirements than to fleet manoeuvres, though how a convoy could protect
itself from aerial atomic attack seemed to be a topic to be skirted; logic would seem
to dictate that for ships to be widely separated would in such circumstances avail
them better than grouping together for protection. Again, however, I felt that we
were being prepared to fight the last war.
We were later privileged to witness Divisions, a smart word for a parade, of
the trainee Naval officers. Actually, we more than witnessed Divisions; we joined
the drill itself (miraculously Nelson had appeared at the College to ensure that
we looked our best and drilled with some degree of equality), but it has to be said
that we were a rather shabby bunch compared to these well-drilled professionals.
(Not that this fact changed my view as to the value of our being drilled, for I
could envisage no situation in which executing a superb ‘about-turn’ could have
had any role whatsoever on Khyber or Mantua.) They also seemed to have a lot of
swords, which made the drill that much the more impressive (and, incidentally,
antiquated); we had no such glamorous tools (though I learned a short time later
from the company magazine that there was a ‘P&O sword’ with which we could
have gained some dignity in face of the rather stuck-up RN cadets) but I knew
nothing of this at the time. (It should be noted that, although not coincident, RN
‘midshipmen’ were roughly at the same level as we ‘cadets’, though the latter rank
was of more recent provenance. Many will have read ‘Midshipman Hornblower’;
that rank had serious leadership responsibilities.)

The second day at Dartmouth was devoted to more lectures on varied subjects
related to some arcane matters, the topic du jour at the time being radar and its
value and future. Fortunately, this required much indoor work (late February was
not the time to go out for a row or a sail). A newish radar had been developed
which delighted in the term ‘True Motion Radar’ of which, of course, the Navy
had the very latest equipment (only later would modernity come to Warsash).
This technology would not to the non-mariner seem very revolutionary, but its
principle tenet was to put the ship not at the centre of the screen, but wherever
one wished it to be and to allow other vessels to stay in position relative to the
ship, which moved at its assigned speed across the screen. It took time and work
to become accustomed to it, but its immediate effect was to render my Radar
Certificate obsolete. In fact, it was a substantial advance in navigational tools; but
to a degree it was no big advance relative to the avoidance of the radar-assisted
collision. And some senior officers never became inured to its advantages.
This was useful training, but in its own way, so was the evening. This was the
occasion of the Midshipmen’s Mess entertaining us for a Mess Dinner, full regalia
included. Upon entering the imposing Refectory, however, I was disconcerted
to find that my worthy companions had elected me to give to give thanks to the
Mess for their hospitality and entertainment. There being, seemingly, several
hundred of them and less than thirty of us, this seemed a major undertaking …

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