Morning Departure Page #3

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Well, who'd have thought it?

- Carry on now, sir?

- Certainly.

Give your wife and son my best wishes.

MANSON:
There I was and there she was

and I couldn't get away.

It's no use making excuses, Harry.

You promised to take me out

last night and you just didn't turn up.

Oh, it wasn't my fault, Margery,

you know that. The Admiral insisted.

What's the matter with you this morning?

Probably the effect

of all my suppressed excitement

at the thought of doing

an asdic exercise with the Bullfinch.

Nothing wrong with that, is there?

Poor Armstrong's suffering

from peacetime fatigue, sir.

Oh, no, he's not.

Peter just can't forget

he was my Number One

when I sank a troop transport

five years ago.

It gave him the idea that he's one of

the heroes of the submarine service.

- Never got over it.

- It was a sitting bird, anyway.

Well, that reminds me,

have you got anybody

to look after your kids tonight?

Good Lord, I forgot. It's Monday.

- We come to you, don't we?

- That's right.

James, would you like to be

our sitter-in tonight?

No, thank you, sir.

I don't think my nerves are strong enough.

Well, we'll have to rely

on the poor old char again.

- Come on, Peter. Time you got cracking.

- Right.

Bring a bottle over with you, old boy.

You can afford it.

You won enough last week.

- WT aerial's okay now, sir.

- Right, thanks, Hillbrook.

- Good morning, sub.

- Good morning, Number One.

- All reports correct.

- Good.

- I admire your taste.

- What? Oh, I see.

You're still navigating.

Sub-lieutenants are too young for sex.

I don't think many midshipmen

would agree with you.

Engineers haven't got the time.

- Got your snort mast ready, Chief?

- Aye.

One more damn thing to remember.

But it's a beautiful invention, all the same.

Do you know, if anybody had told me

when I was an apprentice,

that they'd be feeding air to the main

engines of a submerged submarine,

I'd have said they were crazy.

Well, never mind, Chief.

We'll be having mechanical men soon.

Soon all you'll have to do is

sit at home and press buttons.

As long as they're not

mechanical Wrens, I'm all for that.

If you've quite finished arranging

your social diary, Number One,

I should like to take this boat to sea.

- All ready for sea, sir.

- Good morning, sir.

- Obey telegraphs.

- TELEGRAPHER:
Obeying telegraphs, sir.

- Let go springs.

- Let go springs.

- Let go forrard.

- Let go forrard.

- Let go aft.

- Let go aft.

- Slow ahead port.

- Slow ahead port, sir.

(BELL RINGS)

Port motor running ahead, sir.

ARMSTRONG:
Starboard 10.

TELEGRAPHER:
Starboard 10, sir.

- Slow ahead starboard.

- Slow ahead starboard, sir.

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