IN THE NAVY

I picked up a copy of Alec Guinness's autobiography, "Blessings in Disguise", this morning and found myself in the chapter about his time in the navy during the second world war. Like many such books, this one seems to rest on a series of short (occasionally pithy) stories and the one about Guinness's movement towards the RN is, I believe worth retelling here.

The chapter is headed, 'Damage to the Allied Cause' and begins as follows:

"The Colonel stood with his back to the sitting-room fire, warming his shoulders and his behind. He was very small. He wore a hairy tweed suit and, although he was trying to be helpful, he only managed to look rather cross. He was a revered 'uncle', but no relation, of my dear friend Peggy Ashcroft, who had kindly arranged for me to be interviewed by him. This was in 1940.

"'Drive a car?' asked the Colonel.
'I'm afraid not,' I said. The Colonel looked crosser, so I added, 'Sir,' which mollified him slightly.
'Motor bicycle?'
'No, I am afraid I don't do anything like that.'
'Sport? Rugger? Cricket?'
'Absolutely no. Sir.'
'My niece says you act.'
'Yes.'
'Well, that's that. I suggest you offer your services to the Royal Navy. Good afternoon.'"