Ian Moore – Nicknames for submariners

It was a chap called Dusty Roads.

Simon: Dusty Roads. What a great name.

Yeah, Dusty Roads. Everybody’s got a nickname. To this day I’ve got guys that I know by their nicknames, I’ve known them for 20-30-40 years and I have no idea what their Christian name is. Absolutely no idea what their Christian name is.

Simon: Why were you ‘Pony’?

It dates back to apparently there was a Pony Moore who fought with Nelson at Trafalgar. It’s annotated in the book somewhere.

Simon: Is that the link between surnames and nicknames?

It’s the link between your surname and what it actually pertains to be. With me, Ponies you’ll find on a Moor, Pony, Moor. So, it works out that way, and it’s the same as where anybody who is called Walker will be called ‘Whisky.’ Anybody who’s called Cross will be called ‘Jumper’, so Dusty Roads, anybody called Roads, he’ll be called ‘Dusty.’