Ep 9 Part I - Mickey Ellis - From running wild to Royal Navy training

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Episode 9 Part I:  ‘’Under the sea, Under the sea, Darling it's better.’’
This week, we have Mickey Ellis, who dedicated his career to the Royal Navy. I met Mickey while giving out flyers outside the  Royal Albert Hall at the D-Day 80th Anniversary: Remembering the Normandy Landings event. 

Mickey grew up in Hounslow and had a colourful childhood, from running wild in the neighbourhood to living in different council houses. What was Honslow and London like in the 50s? What do you play as a child in the 50s and 60s? Want to hear first-hand experience of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation without TV? 

He joined the Royal Navy at age 15 to rebel against his dad and spent 22 years in the service. From the Arctic Circle to Hong Kong, from seaman to diver, what were his experiences like in the Royal Navy? Do you know what social life was like in the Royal Navy? Come and dive into Part I of a Royal Navy's officer story. 

Transcript

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This week, we have Mickey, whom I met while giving out flyers outside of the Royal Albert Hall at the event's D-Day 80 years anniversary.

Remember the Normandy landings.

Mickey was wearing his Royal Navy uniform with his shining medal, but it was his energy that drove our conversation going for 30 minutes outside.

His passion for being a veteran, as well as serving the Royal Navy.

His eyes spark when we talk about his career.

There was a line of people thinking and chatting to Mickey after the event.

Now, let's us dive into the world of the sea and a sailor.

Nice to see you today.

Before we start, what is your name?

Where are you from?

How old are you?

And where do you live now?

My name is Michael or Mickey Ellis.

I come from London or Chiswick, and I was born in 1945.

I'm 80 next year, and now I live in West Swindon.

Great, thank you.

So we're going to start the recording today now.

How would you describe your childhood?

Where did you grow up in London?

And can you share with us a story that defined who you were as a child?

I grew up in a council house in Hounslow.

My parents lived in Hounslow, but their house was bombed by the German doodle bugs.

So the council re-housed us where I lived from birth, right through until I joined the Navy at age 15, 1961.

So I spent all my years in Hounslow, walking my dog and climbing trees and doing the things that young kids don't do today.

We used to go to the crows' nests, birds nesting.

And so we would get eggs from birds' nests, blow the yolk, and then exchange them for a different...

So it's a hobby.

And so the crows' nest was a large tree, and I was the only one brave enough to climb the tree.

So my friends dared me to climb the tree to get these eggs out.

And when I got to the top, the crow attacked me viciously twice, like a spitfire.

And then my friend got his pea shooter out, and I catapult to move away the bird.

And then I fell halfway down the tree, which I still had the scars, but still retrieved the eggs.

So that's an adventure.

And what did your parents do, and what was your relationship with them like?

My mother was an abandoned child in Liverpool from birth.

My father was in the King's Troop horse artiller in the army.

How they met in London, I don't know, but they did.

Then they got married in 1920s or something, rather.

And then they lived in Hounslow.

My mother worked in the ammunition factory for the war, and my father served in the army.

So how would you describe your relationship with them?

Oh, it was quite tough because after the war years, parents were struggling for money.

My father was always ill with bronchitis because the weather in London was full of smog and fog.

So he used to drink quite heavily only to clear his lungs.

My mother was extremely talented.

She was a seamstress, a shorthand typist.

She did a lot of secret work for the Ministry of Defense, and she did a seamstress in Savile Row in London.

And she was involved with the Royal Ballet, altering the dresses in the Royal Ballet in London, and also the Omen of the Guard.

So she was very talented, but she had four jobs in any one day, three or four jobs, just to keep food on the table.

And how about your siblings?

Do you have any siblings?

Yeah, I have an elder sister, but she was a war baby, it was called a war baby.

She was taken out of London to Yorkshire, 1941, I think, where she stayed, because she had an easier life there.

A brother who was in the Merchant Navy, very talented, but unfortunately no longer with me.

Merchant Navies, they were civilians, and they supplied all the Arctic convoys in the war with all the ammunition and guns and things for America.

And I didn't really get on with them because the age difference was vast.

So I didn't have very many true friends as a six-year-old.

So I kept myself, myself and my dog.

Got you.

I know you had two dogs.

Can you tell us about them?

Two dogs, your ideas, absolutely.

The first dog was a Spanish.

He used to come, wherever I went, he would come with me.

And he would wait for me outside school.

And then unfortunately, he got run over by a car.

So my father then got another one, which is a Labrador, which again was a very close friend of mine.

And we used to go everywhere together on walks and things.

And then I joined the Navy and he passed away old age.

So that is the story of my life, my two closest friends.

And do you still remember how they look like?

Yes, the cockspan, you had long puffy ears, liver and brown coat, called him Spot, because he had a spotted coat.

And then the Labrador was Prince, that's Prince, that's right, correct, yeah.

Called him Prince because he looked like a prince.

So I know that your older sister was part of the Operation Pied Piper, so what was that?

Well, Operation Pied Piper was when they took all the youngsters from London, and they re-housed them in country houses right through England, because of the dual bugs and the German bombs bombing London.

So my sister went to, she was finished in Lockwood, Huddersfield.

It was a very posh part of Huddersfield.

And she was with foster parents, who were very successful, very wealthy.

She had good education.

She ended up as a singer with the Huddersfield Choral Society.

And that's where she stayed the rest of her life.

And she's still alive somewhere.

Well, I don't know, but she is.

You know, we talk about you grew up in the council.

Can you tell the audience, what was the council council as they like at the time?

Where would you spend most of your time?

The house of council is the same as the house of council today, same as all councils today.

And when my mother and father were both taken to hospital, I stayed with my neighbours.

And then when I went to school, the school teacher told the social workers that I was living at home of my own, said my brother.

And so the social workers took us out, put us into council care, which they do today, with horrible foster parents, where we spent four years.

And then we went into Dr.

Bernardo's home, who couldn't cope with me.

So they got a reputation of being kicked out of Dr.

Bernardo's home as well.

I finished up back in Hounsdon when I was 13.

I remember you mentioned in your biography, you and your brother actually tried to escape once.

Several times.

Can you tell us how did you escape?

Well, we were in Willsdon, a horrible house, horrible foster parents.

We got locked in our room every night.

So we decided to tie the sheets together, and we lowered them down like prisoners of war camp.

And we climbed out the window.

And absconded for a couple of hours.

Fine, we climbed down the sheets.

And when it had some fun, throwing stones at the windows like boys did in those days.

And then we decided to come back early, because the police probably would try and find us.

But then we couldn't get back up to the bedroom again.

So we had to knock on the back door.

And there was our foster parents waiting for us.

Horrible people.

They moved us from Barnardo's Homes in Willsone to Barrowgate Road, which is a leafy road, still there now.

Leafy Avenue, where a lot of film stars now live.

It's a council care accommodation, six bedrooms, but very, very nice foster parents.

And the husband was an ex-Royal Navy Submariner.

So he would tell me stories every night, which enthused me so much that I wanted to join the Royal Navy.

So that's where it all started off.

When did you move back with your parents then?

I moved back when I was 11, just before the 11-plus examinations.

What would you say was your most memorable historical event when you were a child?

I know that when you were 8, Queen Elizabeth II had her coronation.

Do you remember where were you at that time?

We were at a street party in our state.

They probably brought cakes and things like that, you know, and that was hilarious.

That was a wonderful time.

Was there TV back then?

I think they had television, but we didn't have a television set or radio.

So we weren't interested in watching on television, just interested in the party and lots of good food.

Now, so I understand you only have formal education once you were 11.

Did you like school?

What was the most adventurous thing you've ever done?

Well, first we went to the junior school, and that was before they were taking 11 plus.

So that's when I befriended a couple of nice boys, same age, who helped me, but I didn't pass the exam.

So then I went to Woodfield Secondary and Modern School, which is still there now, called Cranford School.

And I started off school there where I excelled in sport.

Education wasn't on my list.

Hated education.

I just enjoyed sport every day, all day.

I know you did so many different sports.

What were they?

What did you do?

My three main sports, breaststroke as a swimmer, I was spelled being a diver, springboard diving, cross-country runner, which I was the English school's under 15 champion, and then gymnastics, which was a major sport at the time as well.

So I need to ask you a tough question.

What was your favorite?

And which one were you at the best?

I was most successful at my running, because I got the Thames Valley Harriers, which is a famous running club.

They took me on board and coached me.

Hessens Swimming Club, which had a couple of Olympic swimmers.

So I used to go to Olympic training sessions every Tuesday and Sunday with them.

Gymnastics faded out really, because we didn't have gymnastics clubs at the time.

So it was down into running and swimming.

But I still did the gymnastics.

I enjoyed it very much.

There is an inter-class running that you did with one of the boys in school.

Can you tell us that story?

Yes, when we joined the school, everybody had to run up for a mile and a half course.

Every boy had to run the course, come back.

And I was determined to win, but one boy, I always remember his name, Billy Smith, finished up playing football for Brentford.

And his son was a world triathlon champion.

But Billy, long legs, good runner, and he beat me the first couple of times, but I was determined I was going to beat him, and eventually I did.

Then Bill turned to football, I turned to running.

But he passed away, unfortunately, of cancer.

But his son lives in America, I think, coaching triathlon.

Wow, you have exceptional memory.

I can remember every single moment of the day.

In addition to sport, I know that back in that time, because of unemployment, recession, you had to find a job, and there were lots of hand-on things that you worked from, getting from family or friends.

What did you do?

Well, yes, I mean, we couldn't work.

Well, the government at the time introduced a limit or minimum age to work, which was 14.

But we used to work at 11.

So I used to go on the farm and work, help on the farm.

And then I'd have a milk round in the morning and a paper round, living newspapers.

And then when I got to 14, I had three paper rounds and two milk rounds, and then Saturday morning job on the farm.

And we did that right up until I was 15.

Well, how early do you have to wake up to do all of that?

Half past five in the morning, probably morning.

I remember you said that you even looked into the bike, how to build it, make it faster.

Well, yes, eventually I was given the job of delivering Sunday newspapers, and by then the news of the world, really thick papers, and two rounds in one morning, and they're too heavy for me to carry.

And I noticed that the local butcher had a butcher's bike with a carrier on the front.

So my dad said, look, why don't put a carrier on the front of your bike, and we'll build a bike so you can put newspapers on this, which we did.

And the idea caught on with my friends, and I asked my dad to make the same bike.

It was a similar bike, so that's what we did, yeah.

Wow, that is so clever.

Very simple, but clever, yeah.

I know that you really enjoy sport when you were in school, and how did you join the Sea Scout?

The boy older than me, John Chapman, he was in the Sea Scouts, and his father was the caretaker in school.

So he showed me around the school and said, look, if you want to join the Sea Scouts, we'd like to see you.

And the Sea Scouts met at the school every Friday, so I joined.

I didn't get a uniform first of all, but then eventually I got a uniform with sailor's cap and blue outfit, and then I became a patrol leader and got qualified.

And that's what inspired me to join the Navy.

Ah, so what was Sea Scout like?

Like, what do you have to do?

Well, Sea Scouts were like Scouts, normal Scouts, but Sea Scouts, they were centered more on rowing and water activities.

They had a disused Admiralty motor torpedo boat in Hampton, given to them by the Royal Navy.

So if you go down there at weekends, they had to train to take other boys rowing and sailing.

And that's how I learned all my craftsmanship, water craftsmanship.

And how do you connect the Sea Scout with the Navy?

Was it one of the main reasons you decided to join the Navy?

Sea Scouts were sponsored by the Admiralty.

So the Royal Navy, Admiralty, provided them with funds and money, training courses.

So that was quite exciting.

My father was in the King's Troop Horse Artillery.

And because of his rank and the regiment, one boy, one son was allowed to go to the Royal Duke of York School in Dover.

Duke of York Royal Military School in Sandhurst in Kent is one of the highest performing schools in the UK.

A lot of army and royalty went there.

So my father asked my brother, of which my brother refused, I said, my father asked me, which I refused as well, and then my brother joined the Merchant Navy, came back from the Merchant Navy with all these trinkets and things, so I said, right, that's it, I'm going to join the Royal Navy.

And I really joined the Royal Navy because of the Sea Scouts, but because I wanted to rebel against my father's wishes.

The Royal Navy will be fighting the submarines and the active service, which we have called the veterans.

And now on to the big question.

So what was the application process in joining the Navy?

Very difficult.

I had to go and fill in lots of forms and mathematics, English, but I couldn't understand half of it.

But I passed the flying colors because one of the main exams was logical thinking.

Well, you had to put boxes and things and all that sort of stuff.

You had to square the box and make the...

I came out on top of the recruits, and that's how I came to join the Royal Navy.

At that time, you could join at 15 straight from school.

And at the same time, they introduced apprenticeships for boys that weren't qualified, or they could join the services.

So I chose to join the Royal Navy at 15, 18 months training, and then that's where my career took off.

So you joined the Navy at the age of 15 in 1961, and I understand you were at the HMS St.

Vincent.

So can you tell us what was that year like, and what was on the story in that year?

Well, there were two boys training establishments.

One was HMS Ganges, which is in Ipswich in Suffolk, that was formed in the 1800s, and they had approximately 2,000 boys.

At the HMS St.

Vincent, we had 700 boys, and primarily the role there was to train us up to become officers, more specialized communications and such like.

So we had a lot of freedom compared to HMS Ganges, but it was still disciplined, a lot of marching, a lot of military work and things, sailing, sea training.

It was actually wonderful.

HMS Vincent is a main training establishment in the Navy.

It was a battleship launched in 1908.

It was steeped in naval history and tradition going back as early as the 18th century, when boys as young as 8 years old had served on ship of the Royal Navy as Powder Monkey, which means they were required to run between guns with supplies of gunpowder, food and even traditional navy rum in order to keep the fighting spirit and morale at its peaks.

It became a boy training ship after the end of the war until 1968 when it was closed.

With my sporting background, the moment I joined, I excelled and I was becoming a bit of a star.

I run most of the competitions.

I ran with the Navy Juniors.

I swam for the HM St.

Vincent, a gymnastics class, display teams.

So I was a shining light in the St.

Vincent, and that paved the way for my future career.

But you were still quite young, 15.

How does it feel like to be away from home?

I enjoyed every minute of it.

I enjoyed the discipline.

I enjoyed people shouting at me, because most of the staff were retired from the Second World War.

And I used to laugh at them, because they were quite funny people.

And it was like Shakespeare saying that the world is part of stage, and all of us are actors upon the stage.

So I used to interpret that as all these people at St.

Vincent were all actors.

Which I was one.

And did you get any holiday or how was it like on this month?

Yes, I leave three times a year, for three weeks, three times a year, when we had to wear our best suits.

Then march down through Gosport with a roaring band playing, and all the local people used to be waving goodbye, and then go home and leave and come back again.

And that was three times a year, quite memorable.

And how long were you at HMX St.

Vincent?

Well, the training was actually 14 months, but at the end of the training, I was then promoted to a junior school, a junior instructor, which is like head boy of a private school.

So my job there was to teach the recruits coming in, while I had been taught 18 months ago.

And that gave me six months promotional head of my colleagues.

So then after St.

Vincent, I know that in 62 to 64, you had your first commission as a junior seamen.

So can you tell us about that?

Well, after St.

Vincent, I still wanted to become a PT instructor.

I wanted to join the field guns crews, which I had every year in the Royal Tournament.

So after St.

Vincent, I joined Atomos Vernon, which is across the water, and they specialized in torpedo training, anti-submarine.

And so I had to qualify at first of all.

So that was another eight weeks.

And then once I qualified as an underwater weapons specialist, torpedoes and mortars and such like, I then thinking I might end up in the Far East, some semi-location, I finished up in the Arctic Circle.

Atomos Duncan, chasing Russian submarines and protecting our fishing fleets.

How did they decide where to send you?

Or do you get a say in that?

Well, yes, four months before you're due to leave training, you get what's called a draft preference card.

And on the card, there'll be three boxes, and you fill in each box where you want to go.

So I filled in the first box was the Far East, second box was South Africa, and the third box was the West Indies.

But I never got any of them.

So I finished on the Arctic Circle.

Horrible place, but there's another challenge.

I enjoyed it again, took it on board.

I have never been to the Arctic Circle.

What is it like in the Arctic Circle?

Well, as of today, because all our nuclear submarines are based up in Northern Scotland, the Russian fleet used to always monitor our fleets up in the Arctic Circle.

The Arctic Circle goes from Canada right across to Northern Russia.

So in the Second World War, we used to supply the Russians with cargo, the guns and ammunition, from Canada, the Arctic Ocean, and then the Bering Straits to Archangel, which is one of the ports in Russia.

But the Russians used to, the submarines would monitor everything that was going on.

So we used to monitor the Russians, monitoring us.

To kind of monitor each other?

Oh yeah, cat and mouse.

So do you see them, or how do you monitor?

Well, because we had, even today, surveillance aeroplanes, sonar, which detects Russian submarines underwater.

And then the Russians also had fishing trawlers, disguised as fishing trawlers.

And they would then be in the centre of our fishing fleets, because then you had a large fishing fleet.

We had a large fishing fleet.

And amongst them, there would be this peculiar looking fishing trawler with all these radar wires and things, but we knew it was Russian.

So our job was to monitor them as well.

So what was your main duty at that particular mission?

Well, I was a junior seamen, so I was responsible for that responsibility.

But started the lookout.

I was operating the Mortar Mark anti-submarine Mortar Mark 10s.

But then I qualified, when I was 16, coming 17, as a Navy diver, which is one of the youngest in the Navy at the time, because they needed divers desperately.

So I was in as a junior seaman and a Navy diver at the same time.

If you are like me, didn't know too much about the Royal Navy, this will be helpful for you to know about the different ranking in the Royal Navy.

Seaman.

Seaman is a military.

You step in many navies around the world.

It is considered a junior enlisted rank.

Diver.

As a Navy diver, your job will take you to the depths of the sea to perform underwater welding on ships, search harbors for impediments, retrieve sunken ship wreckage, and even pull astrolone from space capsules when they land in the sea.

Petty officer.

Are usually sailors that have served at least several years in their respective navies.

Petty officer represent the junior and mid-grade non-commissioned officer rank of many navy service, and are generally responsible for the day-to-day supervision of ranks junior to them.

And a navy diver is you have to dive in the sea?

Well, every time a ship goes into anchors of foreign port, the threat from the terrorists putting limpet mines under the ship, part of the role was to always go under the ship and just check for limpet mines.

You have to clear the outlets.

And then several occasions trawlers, English trawlers, got their nets snagged around their screws, so we had to go and clear that.

Hit icebergs like the Titanic, and in the Far East, the Navy diver cleared the harbours of coral.

So it was a multi-function.

Wow, so how did you learn how to dive?

Well, I did.

I had to apply.

Because a lot of the Navy divers at the time were leaving the Navy to work on the oil rigs in the North Sea, and every ship had to have a diving team.

So they sent out a signal requesting the youngsters to join or go for training.

So I did the eight weeks training in Plymouth, first of all.

Came back and then did my probationary period, and then another eight weeks in Scotland, diving again in Scotland.

And then I went operational as a 17-year-old.

Wow, is it always cold under the sea?

What was it like?

Well, yeah, you're under the sea, under the arctic conditions.

And how long will you be in the water for when you carry out the...

Well, we did a couple of special ops, but we can only do 30-20 minutes at a time, then come up and then leave and go down again, because it's so cold, 30 degrees below.

You know, it's too cold to stay down any longer than that.

And then is it like a teamwork or you go by yourself?

Well, yeah, well, you'd have one person on the surface with what's called a buddy line, and then the diver go down, and then they keep in contact with this line.

And so signals are two pull, come up and three pulls, go down, so on.

That's how you signal.

And then after this commission, where do you go?

Well, I finished, I think I did another course with driving.

This is a course, what's called a rib boat, rubber boat, that Royal Marine Commando has used.

So we did the training for that.

And I was the coxswain of the boat.

So we did special ops with the Royal Marine Commandos in Norway.

And I came back.

And then I volunteered for the field guns cruise at the Royal Tournament, which is quite fun, throwing these guns around, which most people will remember.

The Royal Tournament was the world's largest military show, held by the British Armed Forces annually between 1880 till 1999.

This event comprised a combination and selection of military displays from all three services, including the famous Royal Navy's inter-commanded field gun competition, an annual event where teams have to carry this huge gun over purpose-built wall across a gap in the centre, then back to the start again.

And then from there, I finished that.

And then I did a leading seamen's course at 18 years of age, which is like a corporal in the army, very young indeed, passed that course.

And then I was drafted to HMS Londonderry frigate, which was going on the Far East.

HMS Londonderry was a Type 12 class anti-submarine frigate of the British Royal Navy in service from 1960 to 1984.

Because I was short of leading seamen, I was promoted to leading seamen at 18.

Wow.

Yeah, it was a very young age indeed.

So I've only been in the Navy two years.

And so there was a leading seamen.

Well, you were basically just become an adult, like proper 18 years old.

And I know that then you went to the operation off in Indonesia, Malaysia.

So what was it like to be in the Far East now?

Well, yeah, we went out to the Far East, and we were chasing the pirates in the Indian Ocean.

And then the communists were trying to invade Malaysia.

They were in Borneo and Indonesia.

So we were there providing support against communists, chasing the terrorists there, and providing the helicopter crews and a diver as well.

So that was one of my roles as a diver.

And then South China Sea, chasing the pirates there as well, which we're still having today.

It's from Hong Kong, we're based in Hong Kong.

So that was a member, and I got a medal from the Malaysian government for that.

So that was a memorable commission, really good.

So pirates, I have never seen any pirates.

Do you have to catch them?

And then what do you do?

Pirates even today, I mean you see a day in Aden, where they're trying to fire missiles at merchant ships.

So when we say pirates, these are terrorists, but we call them pirates.

And they'll be gun running drugs, and they'll try and put bombs under our ships.

So we're always on high alert.

So pirates, is it what we imagine they look like, like in the movie, or it's totally different?

No, no, no, pirates, like you see in Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, like you see every day in the Middle East, exactly the same as those.

So do you ever have to use gun to deal with them?

Guns, yeah, always all the time, yeah.

How was that experience?

You were just 18, so you'd properly just become an adult.

Yeah, well, you just took it on your stride.

You know, I might have to start with the Olykin gun, which is, when we saw a Chinese junk, we knew they were doing something they shouldn't be doing.

So we gave them warning, said to stop, they wouldn't stop, so we fire over their bowels.

And then go alongside and pick them up and then tie them up, interrogate them.

And take them back to Hong Kong or Singapore.

What was interrogation like?

It wasn't me doing that.

It was the Master of Arms of the Coxhamers interrogate them.

We were qualified in interrogation techniques, just to find out where they're coming from and where their base was and all that.

So what was Hong Kong like in that time?

Fantastic.

It was the best run of shore in the whole of the Far East.

And it was a colony of England, of Great Britain.

And we used to go to the Wen Chai district over to Kowloon.

I met a lot of friends.

We had a Chinese, all chefs on board were Chinese.

Cobbler, Taylor on board Chinese.

The ship was maintained by the Chinese in Hong Kong.

So we went on shore leave.

So we had a good relationship with the people in Hong Kong.

Now that you share with us, you've been to the Arctic.

You have been to the Far East.

And then what happened after this Far East Commission?

Where did you go?

I came back and then I went in the Philgun cruiser game, which is the Royal Tournament in London.

That was for nine months.

And then from there, they gave me the task of training up the Royal Navy display team.

Which was climbing the masts and swinging cutlasses.

And that was the Festival of Remembrance Royal Albert Hall.

So I did that twice.

And then I went to do the Royal Tournament.

Then we went on tour.

And the idea was to show the flag, to try and drum up recruits.

But that was the first time.

That had been done for 1700 years.

So I had learned all about the Arsonean cutlass drills, which they practiced in the Nelsons day.

So that was a challenge.

Let's go back a little bit more to dive into the Royal Tournament.

Because I know a lot of audience might not know what Royal Tournament and the field gun competition is.

Can you share with us what they are and what you have to do?

Well, yes.

It started off in the Siege of Ladysmith, when the British had regiments in South Africa.

And the Siege of Ladysmith is when the Dutch Boars, they surrounded this town, Ladysmith.

And so a Navy destroyer from Cape Town came up, took a shawl of his big large guns, 3.8 caliber guns.

And then we obviously beat the Dutch of the Boars, and we freed the English regiments.

When we came back, Queen Victoria was so impressed that she said, well, we should demonstrate how you did it.

In the late 1800s, they had displayed the Royal Albert.

It was an event in London where all the armed military would do horse riding and tank, and a display of this gun going over ramps and things.

And then they decided in 1991 to have a competition between all the naval bases in England, Chatham, Portsmouth, Scotland and Plymouth.

The Royal Tournament then was an event every year in Earls Court where the RAF, the Navy and the Army all took turns in organizing the event.

I think 1979 was expanded.

But it was very popular with the public on television worldwide.

And the Guns Cruise was always a big event where you had to go over the ramps and swing and such like.

And you were timed in the fastest team or crew, as we called it, presented with the cup, the fastest crew.

So that means the Field Gun Competition was part of the Royal Tournament.

Yes.

And then what is the Festival of Remembrance?

Well, that's organized by the Royal British Legion every year in the Royal Albert Hall.

And that's the same weekend as the Senatoff Parade, which is in the Horse Guards Parade in London, where the King takes, or the Queen previously, but the King takes a salute, 10,000 veterans, all ex-veterans, and serving guards, marines, and that's on the first weekend November.

And then on the Saturday is the Festival of Remembrance ceremony in Royal Albert Hall.

So which one was your favorite?

Both.

You were also rated as a Patti Officer Physical Trainer Instructor.

Can you tell us when was this, and then what was the experience like?

Well, first of all, I was a leading seaman in physical training too, second class.

Then I spent four years doing that on all ships, and then I did the course for physical training first class, which meant I had more responsibilities.

So from there, I went on to taking on other major roles, coaching sports teams, and then I took on Eagle, which was an aircraft carrier.

So there were six of us on board there, responsible for operations and fitness training and everything else.

So that was the next major step.

How does it work in the Royal Navy when you are from one rank moving to the other rank?

Do you have to take exam or how does it work?

Yeah, you do a nine-month intensive course, which is anatomy, physiology, fitness training, leadership skills, mountaineering, all that stuff.

First aid, firefighting.

When you want to move to the next level, is it yourself promote or someone have to nominate you?

You have to get recommended, yes.

You can recommend past performances.

Is this the time that you were at HMS Eagle as well?

Yes, that's correct.

HMS Eagle, Navy's largest aircraft carrier at the time, was a fearless aircraft carrier of the World Navy in service 1951 to 1972, until the arrival of the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier in the 21st century.

She and her sister, Ark Royal, were the two largest Royal Navy aircraft carriers ever built.

What commission did you do on HMS Eagle?

Well, that was 1969, at the time I was a special duties officer candidate, but also I was in the Great Britain One-Pin Dathan squad.

So I was drafted to Eagle to do my qualifications for an officer, which is two and a half, three years, as a Petty Officer First Class.

And then I had to make a decision whether to pursue, become an officer, or pursue my modern pentathlon career.

Will Mickey stay in the Royal Navy, or will he choose the modern pentathlon career?

What is the dramatic thing that happened to Mickey once he's into his elderhood?

And what will be his biggest advice and legacy to the next generation?

Want to find out more?

Wait for our part two.

Thank you.

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