Whilst acting as Operations Room Officer in a cruiser taking part in a NATO exercise, some time during the middle watch (0001-0400 for the hard of understanding .....), I receive a rather sleepy message from the Admiral's sea cabin "Plot - Flag, request sitrep".
Mindful of training advice to keep transmissions short and to the point, and with no flannel, I hardly have time to say "Flag - Plot, stand by for sitrep" when the Ops Room door opens and the Flag Captain bursts in and succinctly tells me "I call the Admiral "Sir", you call the Admiral "Sir"! OK?"
turns on his heel and retreats to his sea cabin. Feeling somewhat chastened, I brighten up when one of the radar plotters says to me "Well, cheer up, Sir. At least we now know exactly why the Captain's called 'Dick.' "!
Well, he was completely ballocky buff .....
Jack