So when the problem of Christmas Day SDO cropped up one year, the Stn Cdr announced that he would do Christmas Day SDO and was sure that his Execs would volunteer for Christmas Eve and Boxing Day.
That reminds me of a quite embarrassing incident on my first ever Orderly Sergeant: I had volunteered for a Christmas Day OS at St Mawgan as a 21 year old single guy (yes, I can hear the city fathers groaning about the weight of the plastic Sergeant's wallet), when at 2200 the OO failed to turn up for the key register inspection and defaulters parade, of which there were unsurprisingly none. So after calling the OO, expecting some young JO or wizened WO, I was somewhat confused when the person answering the phone said “SDO” (STM had an OS, OO, and SDO in the 80s).It really didn’t register, so I impolitely asked whether their watch was serviceable, because both mine and the guardroom clock was reading 2215.“Will be right there Sarge” came the answer, and I hung up feeling chuffed that I had one up on them.Imagine how shocked I was when the Staish (who I knew reasonably well when he graced our flight deck) entered the guardroom.I immediately stood up apologizing profusely, only to be handed a can of Kestrel from the OM chough’s bar, and be told that although I was correct in my assessment of the situation, I should consider how better to present it. Lesson learned.