I had kitchen duty on a fateful day when the dishwasher exploded with an almighty bang. just as I reflected on the irony as the only one trained as a caterer I had to the dishes, A royal navy is a strange place something to do with ranks not so much about what you know. The captain thought we had come under enemy fire and sent an angry signal to the nearest ship. Later that day when transferring oil to another ship there was a collision and we had to go to the nearest dock. The captain had to take the blame, which is customary in the navy; he got a job as a marine attache in Paris. The next in command became the captain, a good man. As for me, I was left to clean the pots and pans.