Different service, same crock.
Two of us drafted to Collingwood for six months of courses. Unwilling to live in we arranged to move into a flat in Gosport on the Saturday and joined on the Monday. Completed joining routine on the Monday afternoon. Tuesday morning saw me starting the leaving routine having been given a pier head jump to report to Brize Norton on the Friday and depart for Australia on the Saturday. Two days to get there, nine months to get back (steerage class).
Hey-ho. Life in a blue suit.