Читать книгу Under Pressure: Life on a Submarine - Richard Humphreys - Страница 16

After simulation training ended, the Port crew returned from their patrol and it was now the Starboard crew’s turn to take over the boat; resupplying it, carrying out any required maintenance and performing sea trials to ensure we were fit to go on patrol. The term ‘alongside’ refers to the period when the boat is stationed in port before it goes out on work-up and then patrol, and when routine maintenance and storing the ship take place. It’s very much the calm before the storm, with the crew gradually moving from accommodation blocks in Faslane onto the boat. It doesn’t happen all at once, so we don’t get too cramped too soon.

I spent the days and weeks before my first patrol lugging food supplies on board and mostly avoiding the sharp tongue of the coxswain. It was pretty tedious, backbreaking work, and the other junior rates and I bitched about it constantly. But before my second patrol I was given the role of quartermaster, a hugely important job for a 19-year-old, particularly with the boat alongside. I was basically in charge of the external security of the submarine, making sure anyone coming onto the submarine had the correct pass, including members of the ship’s company. Security was so tight that serving submariners from the 3rd Submarine Squadron – also based in Faslane – were not even allowed on the jetty where Resolution was docked. I checked visitor lists against who was expected, whether the captain had any guests arriving or if the MEO had any thespian types up from London. His wife had something to do with the theatre and so we’d receive visitors from time to time. And, since I would be the first person visiting dignitaries would meet on their arrival, it was important not to look like a sack of shit.

My favourite visitor was the Oscar-winning actor Sir John Mills, with whom I shared a pint down in the mess. He was immaculately dressed in a gold-buttoned navy blazer, shirt, cravat, grey slacks, pink Lacoste socks and brogues. We talked at length about the final scene in Ice Cold in Alex