| Synopsis: |
Sea and Sky is an autographical account, not of memoirs as such, but of interesting, exciting and historical facets of a naval life. It starts from the hopelessness of a young boy's home situation and his escape from it. He signs on as a boy seaman in the Royal Navy, the lowest rung. Now free from that unhappy home, responsible for his own destiny although too young to foresee his future, the boy takes on the new life on offer: hard at times, but fair, settling into his newly won independence. There is no going back - and he never looks back. He spends eight years on the lower deck. As a Petty Officer he gains a commission and starts a long and distinguished jet flying career, albeit after a shaky start - too long with an 'us and them' attitude (sailors v officers). He serves in several aircraft carriers flying a variety of operational aircraft as well as, in all the training aircraft of the time, becoming a flying instructor of some repute. In a non-flying appointment he is selected to march alongside his captain at the front of the gun carriage crew for Winston Churchill's state funeral.In a shrinking navy he is lucky enough to be given command of two successive Buccaneer squadrons during which he leads the bombing operation against the grounded oil tanker, the Torrey Canyon. Promoted commander, to his surprise and delight he is appointed to command the frigate, HMS Lincoln, a ship command always having been a dream for him rather than a possibility. His ship is the pinnacle of his naval career. He establishes himself as a capable ship handler thus repudiating a too common belief in the Fleet that aviators can't cope with the demands of ship handling. His reputation is enhanced when his ship is assigned to Ice patrols during Cod War 2. His initiatives and spirited ship handling defending British trawlers, against Icelandic gunboats attempting to cut their warps, gain much world media attention. His 'team' - his ship's company - all consider him a 'barking mad' aviator - a sobriquet he regards as a compliment. They've been through many tough adventures together and he is as proud of them as. his second in command tells him, they are of him. Their 'barking mad' captain's ship handling also gives them great kudos in the eyes of the Fleet.David is thrice married, the first time ending in divorce, the second in widowerhood. He has a son and daughter by each marriage. He remarried for the third time aged 70 - and is blissfully happy. David never forgets the 'buzz' his flying gave him and he devotes a forceful epilogue to it. |