[Bellman]

Reeming in todays Mans Navy ?

Nuke Sub Captain used Nelson's navy style verbal flogging. (Morphed from an article in todays Times)

'The courts martial commenced yesterday at Portsmouths HMS Nelson of The commander of the UK nuclear sub
HMS Talent. It is alledged, that Captain Tarrant delivered red-faced tirades of abuse to his young officers,
reducing one to tears, during a secret operational patrol.

The victims of the Captains ''aggessive and humiliating'' style of leadership on board the hunter-killer
submarine, were said to to have felt scared and intimidated. One Officer Lt. ramsey, was so frightened
that he used to vomit before going on watch.'

Lt. Ramsey would dissolve into tears at the end of each watch. The tirades in front of everyone in the control
room became known as ''reemings''. (Reeming is the act of opening the seams between the planks of a vessel
with a caulking-iron, in order to admit the oakum)

It remains to be seen whether the full facts will be made public as to why, and what caused, these incidents to occur.
The sub was engaged in an operation that concerned national security. The CO has the right to administer
strict discipline during missions that required ''forceful and immediate action that leaves no room for tact.''

It was also reported that the sub had had to make several unscheduled returns to port on previous
occasions. So whilst ones sympathies must lie with the recipients of apparent crass bullying behaviour, what
were the antecedents ?