Liked your story LadyJean,

Reminds me of one about a guy called Ian Fraser RN, ex-midget submarine commander. He and his diver were both awarded VC's for a successful attack on a Japanese warship in 1945.

A few years after the war Fraser was in command of an inshore minesweeper. He was up in Scapa Flow at the end of a big exercise and the Flag Officer and his dog were using Fraser's sweeper as a mail boat and general delivery service round the fleet. While doing this he passed a ship, a cruiser, shortly after colours and failed to salute it. The Captain of this ship, or his First Lieutenant, spotted the error and summoned Fraser onboard "Sword and Medals" for a formal dressing down.

Fraser, got changed into his best uniform, while the officer of the watch brought the sweeper alongside the accommodation ladder of the cruiser. Fraser jumped onto the ladder and started to climb up, only to find the top of the ladder roped off. So drawing his sword he hacked his way through, only to discover the reason for the rope - they'd just painted the deck.

Not wishing to be late, he marched across the deck which had been painted in the usual Brunswick green. He came off the paint onto an immaculately scrubbed wooden deck, and leaving a trail of steaming boot footprints he stormed off to the Captain's cabin. On arriving he glared at the marine sentry and went inside, now leaving a trail of footprints on the Captain's carpet. Noticing this the Captain thundered at Fraser, "What the bloody hell do you think your are playing at" to which Fraser replied, at equivalent decibel level "Where's my f*****g Guard and Band?" The Captain did the gold-fish bit and Fraser continued, "You ordered me here stipulating sword and medals - now where is my f*****g Guard and Band?" The Captain eagle-eyed as ever caught the drift apologised and sent Fraser back to his ship.

As a holder of the VC, the Captain should have saluted him, on boarding the cruiser Fraser was entitled to be saluted on the brow by the Officer of the Day, a Royal Marine Guard and a Band. Nothing more was ever said.