Brian Wood – Much more relaxed than a surface ship

The discipline was slightly different. I mean on the surface ships at the time, I never spoke to an Officer except when I was under punishment or being weighed off at table or something like that. The Chiefs were all Gods as such. You didn’t question anything.

On a submarine it was more relaxed. At the time you used to wear what you call ‘Pirate Rig’ ‘cos you didn’t have lockers to put all your uniforms in, you just too to sea the basics. Jeans, T Shirt and stuff like that. All these people walking round in funny stuff, calling them by their first names and I sort of enjoyed that more than the surface ship.

The surface ship was all sort of a bit too disciplined, put it that way for my frame of mind. And I thought these are a good bunch of lads, you know, and you could talk to the Chiefs. Gawd dear, I’d never talked to a Chief before, let alone an Officer, you know and you earned respect. If you were keen, did your job , didn’t do anything stupid, and I found that quite pleasant. You were accepted, put it that way.

On the surface ship I was just a number.