Ron Gordon – Difference between surface fleet and submarine service

Well, I would say if you’ve ever seen any of these Navy programs on the Surface Fleet, there’s them and us. There’s definite between the Officers and then the Senior Rates, and then there’s the Junior Rates.

In submarines to me it was seamless. They just seemed to get on so well together.

Simon: Even on shore?

Yeah, even when they went on shore, together when they went on leave, you know, when they went out for the night, the Officers would mix with the Junior Rates and I thought, what’s this all about?

They still called them Sir, but they were all mixing together socially, and when the work ethic was just tremendous.

There was no ifs and buts. If you were asked to work right through to midnight, to get this defect fixed, you would do it and you didn’t ask for any extra time off, you just did it, and I just thought it was brilliant.

I volunteered for submarines then.