Royal Guard
In 1955 Her Majesty the Queen presented the Fleet Air Arm with new colours at a
ceremony at RNAS Lee-on-Solent, HMS Daedalus. There was, of course, a Royal
Guard for the occasion for which we had been well rehearsed for a week or so in
preparation.
On the morning of the ceremony we had been fallen in, and stood to attention for
an address from our officer in charge.
(Royal Guard... Stand-at Ease!
StanZee)
OIC: "Pay attention... HRH Prince Philip has often claimed to know the name of
every officer, senior rate and junior rate on his ship, and expects all
officers to know everyone's name. We've only been together a short while and
obviously I don't many of you... So...
If HRH should ask me to name one of you and I should say 'Naval Airman Smith' I
don't want any sign that I'm wrong... Understood ?"
During the ceremony we Royal Guard were being inspected by Her Majesty with
Prince Philip in attendance, at one point, Prince Philip turned to the OIC and
asked "What's this man's name ?" The OIC promptly replied "Leading Airman
Jenkins Sir"
Prince Philip quietly walked round behind the man and lifted his collar to read
his actual name !
Fortunately for the OIC, about an hour before we had to muster for the ceremony,
we had that morning all been issued with a brand new collar from slops,
supposedly so that all the collars of the Royal Guard would be exactly the same
colour, so none of us had had time to stamp our names on 'em. I've often
wondered if there was an ulterior motive for the new collars.
Smoothie