Sailor 11 of 12 Eight Years On

[@bilko529]

A brilliant series . I was young when it was first shown but I remember my Dad who was a stern policeman laughing loudly at the banter and scrapes and I think it made me appreciate the services greatly hence why I went on to serve in the RAF. The best job I've ever had.

[@billparry7058]

I watched it as a schoolboy. After the series all I wanted was to join the Navy which I did in 1979. Served 34 years, that series charged my life.

[@lukedogwalker]

34 years! You must have liked it, then. What did you do? Which branch?

[@billparry7058]

@@lukedogwalker loved most of it😉 I was a Sonar operator but moved out of branch late in my career when I was promoted to WO1 and went into more exec roles. Loved that programme and watched it again recently.

[@lukedogwalker]

@@billparry7058 were you mostly in frigates, then? Or did they move you around? I've been watching Sailor because it's like a window into history. The pre-internet age! Fixed wing carriers and blokes with side burns 😉

[@chriscbr7018]

Twinkle powel was my great uncle....... Lived in pool.....I met him when I was a small boy

[@donnie8917]

Is he still alive?

[@jonathanlegg4308]

How is he, still with us?

[@chriscbr7018]

@@donnie8917 I really don't know...I live in Asia now over 30 yr

[@chriscbr7018]

@@jonathanlegg4308 I really don't know I live in Asia now over 30 yr

[@jonathanlegg4308]

@chriscbr7018 He would surely be in his 80s now, thats if he left the RN with full time done joining at 16-20 years old. I just find it really intriguing. He reminds me of one or two lads when I was in.

[@catcherintheair]

That puppet scares the shit out of me 😅😅😅

[@polyphonics557]

So as a 9 year old at the time I couldn't recall this series but I suspect my Mother probably wouldn't have let me watch it; and back then you either saw the program when it aired or you didn't. So having watched the whole series now my thoughts are what a marvellous record of life in the mid to end 70's. The reason I found the series now was because of a Greek F4 Phantom at the RIAT 2023 and remembering my Dinky Toys Royal Navy blue (not grey) F4 Phantom toy and thinking "Did we really operate Phantom's from a UK carrier?". I really wonder how our present day carriers compare in terms of crew and characters. My thanks to all who made this series possible and all the men and women who serve and have served in the Royal Navy.

[@paulkennedy88]

I'm a former RAF Regiment, thanks to this series

[@Stanly-Stud]

RAF Regiment 😂😂😂

[@Trek001]

Something interesting to note about the ship being scrapped... When _Ark Royal_ arrived for scrapping, her sister ship _Eagle_ had not yet been completely broken up. There is, somewhere in my office, a photograph of the ships side by side for the final time. And another thing - when she was towed out for the yard up in Scotland, some of her final crew were there as part of the towing party and burnt oily rags and some fuel to make it look as if she was steaming out one last time under her own power even if it was a dead tow with only the emergency genny going for limited power for the pumps

[@Highland_Moo]

I didn’t know about the crew burning oily rags etc…..what a lovely way to say goodbye. Seeing Mr Wilkinson so upset made me choke up. That puppet though….fuck me, that’s a creepy wee thing! Nice seeing the old Coastguard landie though. I joined in 1995 as soon as I got my driving licence at 17 and we had a crappy LDV Sherpa that couldn’t pull the skin off a rice pudding, which was fun to drive over the Bealach Na Ba to Applecross. 1st gear up and over a mountain up here on the MW coast of Scotland. It had the same livery as the land rover in this episode.

[@nicknicholson2062]

used to see them in cairnran when we went on leave larne to Stranrear 78!

[@adrianclinch9553]

Great download the Ark Royal was a great ship with a great crew

[@chrissheppard5068]

Diamond Lills had many a runashore there as a bootneck. That aircrew officer became a Vice Admiral.

[@normanhall324]

Ronnie Potter from Diamond Lil's there's a blast from the past

[@spongatejunction]

We have now got Big Lizzie and she is even bigger than the Ark Royal

[@kevincollins1060]

I remember watching this series, thank goodness the class structure has disappeared from the officer ranks 👍🏻

[@mikejones-tf6zo]

the officers nickname was pig

[@paulrailton2221]

Its a piece of metal.

[@donnie8917]

The officers were so long winded and boring in these interviews.