Originally Posted by HTB
From the ramp immediately above the stairs, we would a couple of times a week have "flashing" session; sounds sort of navy... But it was actually reading morse code from a flashing lamp atop the mainmast/flagpole. This could be problematic early in the morning during the first 3 months of the year, when the sun was low and rising (yes, I think you were right about the 0630 wake up call): retinal damage, anyone?
Ahh, those early morning signalling exercises. I remember them well, and they were bloody cold too!!
To my surprise I became quite competent at Morse, and could manage something intelligible at around 8wpm on both send and receive. Up in Temeraire Block, we had keys and lamps in a couple of the passageways, so we could practice in our own time. Not sure it would work there days ... can you imagine say to a colleague "Fancy coming up to the rear gallery so I can practice my flashing with you?"