In Which We Serve Page #3

Please stand by.

(Bells chime)

CHAMBERLAIN:
I am speaking to you

from the Cabinet Room at 10 Downing Street.

This morning, the British Ambassador in Berlin

handed the German government a final note

stating that unless we heard from them

by 11 o'clock

that they were prepared at once

to withdraw their troops from Poland,

a state of war would exist between us.

I have to tell you now

that no such undertaking has been received

and that consequently

this country is at war with Germany.

You can imagine what a bitter blow it is to me...

It ain't exactly a bank holiday for us.

She's still afloat.

Yes, sir.

ALIX KINROSS:
God bless this ship

and all who sail in her.

God bless this ship and all who sail in her.

(Distant) # O hear us when we cry to thee

# For those in peril on the sea

# O Trinity of love and power

# Our brethren shield in danger's hour

# From rock and tempest, fire and foe

# Protect them wheresoe'er they go

# Thus evermore shall rise to thee

# Glad hymns of praise from land and sea

# Amen

Let us pray.

Eternal Lord God, who spreadest out

the heavens and rulest the raging of the sea,

who has compassed the waters with bounds

until day and night end,

be pleased to receive

into thy most gracious protection

the persons of us, thy servants,

and the fleet in which we serve.

Preserve us from the dangers of the sea

and the violence of the enemy,

that we may be a safeguard unto

our most gracious sovereign lord, King George,

and a security for such as pass on the seas

upon their lawful occasions.

That the inhabitants of our island may

in peace and quietness serve thee, our God,

and that we may return to enjoy the blessings

of the land with the fruits of our labours,

with the thankful remembrance of thy mercies

to praise and glorify thy holy name.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord...

Amen.

We will now sing the carol

on the back of the hymn card.

(Coughing)

# Good King Wenceslas looked out

# On the feast of Stephen

# When the snow lay round about

# Deep and crisp and even

# Brightly shone the moon that night

# Though the frost was cruel

# When a poor man came in sight

# Gathering winter fuel

# Hither, page, come stand by me

# If thou...

(Whistle)

(Laughter)

Them kids have been at it all day.

Beats me why their mothers let'em do it.

Oh, it's the Christmas spirit, Mum.

I'll give'em Christmas spirit, coming home

with their feet sopping, getting colds.

This is the time for goodwill towards all men.

Can't have you grumbling

as if it was an ordinary day.

Me grumble? Well, I like that, I must say.

I remember in the last war

spending Christmas in the Red Sea.

We was coming home from Aden.

Hot? You could have fried an egg on the deck.

The Red Sea is hot, all right.

So's the Persian Gulf.

I was out there two years ago.

The fridge went wonky and everything went bad,

including the language.

You certainly see life in the big ships.

We don't do so badly in the small ones.

Oh they're off again. Stop'em somebody.

I'm not starting anything.

It's a darned sight more lively in a big cruiser.

It stands to reason.

It don't do no such thing.

You're a Marine.

You don't know nothing about destroyers.

What's the matter with the Marines?

Well, Bert, I'm afraid I'll have to tell you.

- Where would the Navy be without us?

- Without a Navy, there wouldn't be no Marines.

Oh, shut up, you two. Who cares anyway?

That's a nice way to talk, and no mistake!

You, the mother of a sailor.

- And the mother-in -law of a Marine.

- Pass the port wine and don't talk so silly.

- I'm as dry as a bone.

- Mum's right. What's the sense in arguing?

We was only having a friendly discussion.

You'll be saying next it was a friendly discussion

last night in the Green Man.

Why, you had the whole place in an uproar!

Bert, I give you a toast.

The Royal Marines - God bless'em and

a happy Christmas to every man jack of'em.

The Royal Marines.

Thanks, Shorty, old man.

I respond to your toast in a fitting manner.

On behalf of my corps,

of which I am justly proud...

Hear, hear.

...I give you destroyers,

and the Torrin in particular.

- May her shadow never grow less.

- It never will.

Destroyers and HMS Torrin.

I should like to take the opportunity

of this festive occasion

to drink the healths of one and all present,

and to thank a kindly fate for so arranging

that my ship should have to come home

for boiler cleaning two days before Christmas -

a bit of luck which any sailor would tell you

is little short of a bloody miracle.

Walter, how can you?

You know I don't like you using that word.

Be that as it may, Kath,

that's a highly expressive word.

It's been bound up with naval tradition

since times immemorial.

I have heard it whispered in the RAF.

Well, be that as it may, I would like to add

that I consider we're all...

...very lucky...

...to be together on this happy day,

taking into account there's a war on

and civilisation happens to be trembling

on the edge of an abyss.

- There, now.

- What did you say, Kath?

I only said, "There, now."

Well, don't say it again.

You know it only puts me off.

What are you giggling about, Freda,

if I may make so bold?

Nothing, really. It's just the way you talk.

What you young flibbertigibbets don't realise

is that this is a very important war indeed.

War or no war, you certainly like listening

to the sound of your own voice.

Oh, let him get on with his speech, Kath.

Try and stop him.

I will treat these paltry interruptions

with the contempt they deserve,

and go on to propose the health

of one who is very dear to me.

She's a creature of many moods

and fads and fancies.

She is, to coin a phrase, very often uncertain

and coy and hard to please.

But I'm devoted to her

with every fibre in my being,

and I hereby swear to be true to her

in word and deed, so help me God.

Ladies and gentlemen, HMS Torrin.

ALL:
HMS Torrin.

(Tapping on table)

Ladies and gentlemen, the King.

ALL:
The King.

- We can smoke now, can't we?

- Yes, of course.

You promised to pull the first one with me.

Come on. Take a strong grip and pull.

Come on, old girl.

- Enjoying yourself?

- Very, very much.

That cap's absolutely wizard.

You ought to have a hat made like it.

Doesn't the tree look sweet?

Alix and I spent hours fixing it.

This is the best Christmas I've ever had.

- Is it?

- Stop whispering, you two.

You really oughtn't

to have put them next to each other.

We ought to drink to them.

Come on, everybody.

To the newly betrothed.

ALL:
The newly betrothed.

- What's betrothed, Daddy?

- The beginning of the end, my boy.

On behalf of my fiance and myself,

thank you very kindly.

As Flags and Maureen are so bashful,

I think that you should make a speech, Alix.

- Oh, no, honestly, I couldn't.

- Come on, Alix. I'll support you.

Oh, Teddy, I shall never forgive you for this.

Oh, dear!

- What am I to say? Just you wait.

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