Somewhere at sea, not far from but out of sight of Singapore, on a balmy evening shortly after sunset but not yet dark.
The ship is steaming quietly along, flying for the day completed and no night flying on daily orders so, like several others, I'm taking a quiet stroll on the flightdeck for a bit of fresh air and a cool down when a fairly large bird looking a bit like an overweight grey barn owl landed on number three arrestor wire.
An acting sub lieutenant also noticed the bird and said "I wonder what sort of a bird that is?"
I replied "Maybe it's a carrier pigeon sir"
"Oh no!" says he, "It's much too big"
So I said again with some stress... "A Carrier pigeon?"
He looked at me as though I were stupid... As officers tend to do when talking to junior rates.
It took a moment or two then his face changed into a big smile, as he caught my meaning...
"Oh! Oh... I say... Oh... Bravo!" he says...
Typical !!