I think that I was immensely privileged in my Naval training. The RN paid for me to go to university. It gave me training in workshop techniques and leadership. It provided training in how to be a Naval Officer at Dartmouth and on board the Dartmouth Training Ship, and then specialist Air Engineering Application Courses at RNEC Manadon (in Plymouth and HMS Daedalus in Gosport. I had 6 months Fleet Training, where all I had to do was learn all about the ship to which I’d been appointed (HMS Bristol). I was even taught to fly – when I opted to become an Air Engineer Officer, I was required to undergo Flying Grading (learning to fly a Chipmunk aircraft)and I had 6 months working ‘additionally’ on a Naval Air Squadron (737 NAS) before being let loose as a qualified Air Engineer Officer. I had more training at Greenwich (the Lieutenant’s Greenwich Course), and pre-joining training before I took up two specialist appointments. I was taught about working as a ‘Boarding Officer’ so that I could take up a ‘dual appointment’ – my normal job wouldn’t have been needed during any war, so I also had a wartime-only role) I was also five a couple of months of software programming training to that I had some appropriate expertise before joining the Armament Divion at A&AEE Boscombe Down as leader of its Software Validation section. Phew – that’s a very significant investment, isn’t it?