I was born at a time when it was required that I should register for National Service in 1948. As I lived in a small village called Anstey in Leicestershire I had to go to the City of Leicester to register. There they said that I would have to join the army. As I had always wanted to join the navy they said that I would have to sign on as a regular for seven years with the fleet and five years in the reserve fleet. I fell for it and that is how I came to join the Supply and Secretariat Branch of the Royal Navy as a Probationary Writer on 21 September 1948 at HMS Royal Arthur at Corsham in Wiltshire.
After six weeks of 'work ship' and 'square bashing', I was drafted to HMS Ceres at Wetherby in Yorkshire for about six months training in the secretarial work I was to perform during my stay in the Royal Navy. In March 1949, after completion of my training, I was drafted to the Royal Naval Barracks Portsmouth to await my fate from the Drafting Office.
Then, in May 1952 - six months after I was advanced to Leading Writer it arrived - a draft to HMS Vanguard. I still remember the day I climbed into the back of the lorry in the courtyard of HMS Dryad and the drive down to the Dockyard and the South Railway Jetty. I spent two happy years aboard HMS Vanguard employed in the Ship's Office and in May 1954 I was drafted to the Royal Naval Air Service Drafting Office at HMS Daedalus, Lee-on-Solent where I was advanced to Petty Officer Writer and remained until I was demobbed in September 1955.