YARNS OF THE NAVY

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXIX, Issue 266, 19 November 1934, Page 6

YARNS OF THE NAVY

Lord Fisher’s Story AND OTHER ANECDOTES ADMIRALTY ORDERS When the late Lord Fisher was 61 years old, he was overhauled by a doctor, who told him that his vitality was so great that he ought to have been twins. This remark appealed to him so much that he repeated it to a brother officer, whose comment was: — “What a mercy, sir, it isn’t so. Can you imagine two of you in the Navy ? Sir Charles Walker, who was his secretary, and later Deputy Secretary of the Admiralty, tells this and other stories of Fisher. Sir Charles Walker discovered, in searching through some old records for information, the curious fact that for some years in the middle of the last century there was no Admiral of the Fleet. This seemed to him so extraordinary that he asked Admiral. Sir Herbert King-Hall if he could explain the reason. “Certainly I can” he said; “the sen ior Admiral was of unsound mind, and, though they felt they could not promote him. they would not pass him over. ’ ’ That this was correct was proved when, on turning up the date of death of this admiral, it was found that a promotion to Admiral of the Fleet was at once made. Corsets and Coiupasseii During the war the admission of women to the monastic atmosphere of the Admiralty gave the wags their chance. Many minutes went tho rounds for instance, on the employment of women in the Compass Department. The minutes began by drawing attention to the disturbing effect on cpmpasses caused by the sTeel used in a certain article of feminine attire, and impressing on all concerned tho necessity of inspecting the garment in order to obviate the danger. Ultimately a decision was given that non-magnet-ic material only should be used, and that, unless there was likely to bo a shortage of whale-bone, its use should be compul-ory in the Compass Department.

Another war-time story is that of the village blacksmith who was called upon to put a shoe on an Army hcrsc and was given a signed chit to enable him to claim for seven shillings, but to his astonishment he received a cheque for seventy pounds. Thereupon he wrote saying there must be a mistake, as his charge was only seven shillings. The result of his letter was another cheque for seventy pounds. As it seemed hopeless to carry on correspondence on these lines, he consulted a friendly solicitor, who, advised Him fb bank the two cheques and await developments. Tn due course the mistake was discovered and a claim for refund was made.