That’s Life in a Blue Suit

Four young men decide to dodge call up papers for National Service in 1956, by signing nine years of their young lives away in the Royal Navy, the service of their choice. The Suez War is the catalyst that creates the desire to serve in all four. After training they find themselves aboard the largest battleship ever built in Great Britain. It is here that they come face to face with the realities of life on the lower deck. Life is harsh, and creates its own humour in moments of relaxation: shore time is used to full advantage, to shake off the rigours of life as an Ordinary Seaman. A Petty Officer Physical Training Instructor does his job as a senior rating, and points the lads in the right direction. From the moment of that meeting, their whole lives change, and they suddenly find themselves welcomed into the fraternity of career minded servicemen who not only do their job well, but enjoy doing it well. The story goes on to take two of the young men off to sea in the fourth destroyer squadron formed in 1957 for service in the Mediterranean. Many dangerous, exciting and humorous adventures are now mixed with the essential hard work of a fleet destroyer in full commission.