THE SAILOR’S TEN COMMANDMENTS

1.      Thou shalt not scrounge, neither shalt thou swing the lead, lest they resting place be the deep waters upon which thou sail.

2.      Thou shalt not take the name of the Petty Officer in vain or thou shalt have thy name inscribed upon the books of the Commander and thou shalt embark on a course of Chokey.

3.      Honour the Master at Arms and the R.P.O. all the days of thy service that they credit you thy credits be numbered even as the fishes below thee.

4.      Thou shalt not fill thyself to overflowing with beer, or by Royal Warrant thou shalt lose much of thy pay, and the Master at Arms shalt number thee amongst his flock, for it is written that he who drinketh to excess shall bash the square.

5.      Six days shalt thou labour and on the seventh thou shalt do twice as much.

6.      If it comes to pass that thy zeal and the sweat of thy brow cause mention of thee in the wardroom, and thou art elevated to the dizzy heights of AB, Lo, thou shalt present thy humble body at thy canteen and shall crave thy messmates accept sippers of thy ale all round.

7.      Thou shalt not take unto thyself they comrade’s kit, neither shalt thou borrow when the owner thereof is not present or thy sins will  be visited upon thee by the quickness of the hand that blacketh the eye.

8.      Thou shalt not fritter away they worldly goods by playing Crown and Anchor lest the avenging voice of the R.P.O. be heard to say “Render unto me the names and let thy money remain where it lieth”.

9.      Though shalt not kill if the Petty Officer grieveth thee. Thou shalt not smite him, neither shalt thou sling him over the side. Thou shalt go unto the top man and crave audience with him and set forth they grievance with much wailing and gnashing of teeth. He shall open his mouth and words of wisdom shall flow forth, next time it shall be even twice as bad.

10.  And when it shall come to pass that thou has finished thy time, thou shalt embark upon the waters and journey thereon until thou reachest thy home port. There thou shalt take thyself strange garments and shall be known as a civvy in the land, and thou shalt study the dole and the drawing thereof, and so for many years thou shalt take it easy and rest from thy labours.