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The playing fields of Eton.... or Row Row Row your boat... all welcome unless you are Erikki

 
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The playing fields of Eton.... or Row Row Row your boat... - 10/15/2012 10:26:28 AM   
Roger Neilson 3


Posts: 246
Joined: 4/12/2012
Status: offline 		The Blue Lotus 02:00 8th December 1941

Captain Broderick Flashman, second son of Baronet Harold Flashman sat in the smoky shadows of the dive off Kowloon Street. He was in ‘mufti’ and a bit perplexed. Where were his fellow drinkers? Normally, certainly for the last month they had been regular companions and very willing to ‘stand their rounds’ - even to the point of forgetting ‘Roddy’’s’ round never seemed to come.

It was early morning and being on duty in a few hours Roddy really should have been asleep ready for his stint at HMNB Singapore - another tedious day of filling in endless chits, forms and signing meaningless flimsies. What a boring, and more importantly, unrewarding existence. The pay of a Captain really was little enough to settle the bar bills, and any more adventurous developments of his career - in whatever sphere - was hampered by this impecunious existence.

Such was his current life that he was in serious danger of being asked to settle his mess bill - without the money to do so - and the Barnonet ahd made it plain after his last little ‘scrape’ that he was on his own from now on - tight skinflint - must be the Scottish blood. So, his perturbation at the non appearance of his oriental friends.

Tom and Dick , as he called them for he had no way of making sense of their names, were rich chinese businessmen who were keen to tender for any work that might come from the need to develop the resevoir at Singapore, or to strengthen any bridges and landing points bewteen the island and the mainland. They had found Roddy’s knowledge very helpful as his discussion and sketches were most appreciated, often with brown enveleopes with some ready cash in them. Tonight had been a meeting for a large ‘thank you’ envelope, but they had not shown.

He had asked Pearl, one of the ‘ladies’ of the establishment if she had seen the Chinese, and her reply - oh you mean your Japanese friends - had puzzled him further - he was sure they had said they were Chinese. He was also puzzled at the white man sitting alone by the bar who occasionally glanced in his direction. He had been carefully sipping his drink for, it seemed, all night. Roddy wondered if he was a ‘matelot’ - that might explain his surreptitious looks. Well ‘matey’ just you try anything thought Roddy - I don’t swing that way at all, no, no no… well not since boarding school anyway and that was just boyish exhuberance that time…….

What the hell, he thought, another snifter and maybe things will feel better, he wondered what rate Pearl was offering as the business was slow and maybe it was a ‘cut price’ night….

He called her over for a chat……






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RE: The playing fields of Eton.... or Row Row Row your ... - 10/15/2012 2:07:59 PM   
witpqs

 

Posts: 12400
Joined: 10/4/2004
From: Argleton
Status: offline
quote:

Tom and Dick , as he called them for he had no way of making sense of their names, were rich chinese businessmen who were keen to tender for any work that might come from the need to develop the resevoir at Singapore, or to strengthen any bridges and landing points bewteen the island and the mainland. They had found Roddy’s knowledge very helpful as his discussion and sketches were most appreciated, often with brown enveleopes with some ready cash in them. Tonight had been a meeting for a large ‘thank you’ envelope, but they had not shown.

Great Scot!

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Intel Monkey: https://sites.google.com/site/staffmonkeys/

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RE: The playing fields of Eton.... or Row Row Row your ... - 10/16/2012 7:01:34 PM   
Bill Durrant


Posts: 930
Joined: 9/16/2003
From: Oxfordshire
Status: offline 		What on earth may his "Chinese" friends have been after?

Subscribed

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Sunk by 35cm/45 1YT Gun - Near Singapore

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RE: The playing fields of Eton.... or Row Row Row your ... - 10/18/2012 9:36:57 AM   
Roger Neilson 3


Posts: 246
Joined: 4/12/2012
Status: offline 		In which our hero discovers things

HMNB Singapore 09:00 Hours

Flashman had walked through the streets that seemed to have much greater bustle than normal everywhere - in some ways he wished he knew what all these ‘johnny foreigners’ were shouting about. He had elbowed his way through crowds and as he neared HQ those signs of troops marching to and fro gave definite sense that things were moving around. He recalled nothing seemed to be brewing last night.


On arrival at HQ he settled himself down as was his normal manner at his desk he pulled a buff manila folder towards him, opened it and pretended to read it. This was his usual dummy work folder, used to convince passers by that he was engaged in serious efforts. Frantic activity continued around him, grim faced staff moved to and fro, distant orders were shouted. He sat and waited., wondering which ‘top brass’ were expected for some ‘junket’.

The activities of the night began to take over Flashman’s eyes, they glazed over slowly no matter the noise around.


He was woken suddenly by slammed folders on his desk and a loud exclamation ‘Flashman wherever you been? We sent for you at your billet last night and you were nowhere to be seen? What do you think about the situation? There’s so much to do… ‘ Captain Freddie Smithers-Bell stopped and looked at Flashman….. ‘ Flash, you don’t know do you? What were you up to last night?

Behind the bluff exterior Flashmans mind – flashed. ‘Freddie, okay tell me what's been going on, I was on a special mission last night and not at home - need to know, eyes only old boy….’

‘You know nothing nothing?’

Flashman waited,,,,,

‘ Well the yellow peril appear to have gone crazy and attacked us.’

‘The Japs, never….’

‘Yes, they have landed soem troops up country in Malaya and are surrounded and being sorted by our brave lads. They also sneakily attacked Manila - which has really really upset our colonial cousins. Reports are of some damage to the port and airfield but of many of their ships on fire and sinking…..’

Flashman tried to filter all of this, of old he knew Freddie tended to be an eternal optimist and beleived any old yarn…..

‘I say, its great isn’t it? Get us a campaign medal, all be over by Christmas, what ho….’ Freddie beamed in anticipation.

Flashman nodded slowly, but said nothing……






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< Message edited by Roger Neilson 3 -- 10/18/2012 2:12:25 PM >

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RE: The playing fields of Eton.... or Row Row Row your ... - 10/18/2012 4:19:22 PM   
BBfanboy


Posts: 1679
Joined: 8/4/2010
From: Winnipeg, MB
Status: offline 		How refreshing - a storyline with an idiot for a hero! Can't wait to see the cock-ups he will be involved in!

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I have not yet begun to fight! OTOH I have not yet begun to flee. Hmmmmm - choices, choices -always with the choices.

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RE: The playing fields of Eton.... or Row Row Row your ... - 10/22/2012 9:24:54 AM   
Ddog

 

Posts: 183
Joined: 2/17/2005
From: Cincinnati, OH
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Roger Neilson 3

I don’t swing that way at all, no, no no… well not since boarding school anyway and that was just boyish exhuberance that time…….





Thanks Roger!! I was reading, took a drink of soda, and it promptly came out my nose!

Can't wait to read more!

PS you can build a thousand bridges, and they will never call you a bridge builder. One moment of boyish exhuberance, and you're a matelot for life!

< Message edited by Ddog -- 10/22/2012 9:27:17 AM >

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"If you can't take a joke, don't start a war."
Tail gunner, Enola Gay


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Post #: 6
RE: The playing fields of Eton.... or Row Row Row your ... - 10/22/2012 6:41:38 PM   
Roger Neilson 3


Posts: 246
Joined: 4/12/2012
Status: offline 		The Blue Lotus 02:00 9th December 1941

In which Flashman reflects upon his fencing days…….

The nightclub was very empty indeed, though the blue haze lingered from earlier. Everyone was in a confused state of mind. The city was different, but Flashman could not quite describe how different. Things had changed that was for sure….

Flashman was sure he had spied that strange matelot cove a while back, but he had faded into the shadows.

It had been 24 hours where things had become less foggy, but still pretty much a pea souper….. What was pretty obvious was that far from the Japanese fleet in flames and sinking they had hardly been scratched. Somewhere off to the East of the Philippines their carriers were lurking and hunting - or else off on some new mischief. To the west of Manila their sleek crusiers and destroyers were sinking anythign that was not flying their flag… it was indiscriminate and hardly war as might have been expected. The reports had come in, radio messages suggesting a sighting of a hostile warship, then nothing further… ships and crew presumed lost. Flashman was glad he had no money in Lloyds - a lot of city gentlemen would be poorer by the time this was over.

Monseiur Grauballe - lots of fun with that name at school - Flashman’s fencing maitre had said often….
‘When facing ze new adversaree, take your time, fall back, study their moves, learn and then strike to deadly effect’ Flashman had his own approach - stab them before they turn round and draw their sword….. Suffice it to say he had never been selected for the fencing team at the school.

Anyway, Singapore had seemed an ideal place to wait out the war, none of the cold and rationing at home, and the nazis thousands of miles away…. a safe billet with possibility for fun. It all looked a bit different now, though it was hard yet to see how it was all going to play out. The yellow men had not landed anywhere significant, and surely they could not be simply staging a warning atatck and then expecting peace? The only land action of any significance was at Khota Bahru, up country…. strangely the brave troops had not been in contact for a while, HQ was guessing that they were too busy mopping up….

Ah well another drink then some sleep, lets see what the morrow brings……




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< Message edited by Roger Neilson 3 -- 10/22/2012 6:45:49 PM >

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RE: The playing fields of Eton.... or Row Row Row your ... - 10/25/2012 9:38:19 AM   
GreyJoy


Posts: 4953
Joined: 3/18/2011
Status: offline 		subscribed!!!

(in reply to Roger Neilson 3)
Post #: 8
RE: The playing fields of Eton.... or Row Row Row your ... - 10/27/2012 1:43:18 PM   
Roger Neilson 3


Posts: 246
Joined: 4/12/2012
Status: offline 		Officer's Mess HMNB Singapore 21:00 hours 11th Dec 1941


In which our hero expounds upon Indian temple carvings....

Orders is orders. Given the situation in Singapore Officers have been forbidden from frequenting civilian establishments except by express agreement with their superiors, in triplicate....so Roddy Flashman is forced to endure the bores and 'experts' amongst his brother officers.



He had enjoyed 'holding forth' for a while on one of his favourite subjects - the temple carvings in India, and offering the most graphic examples to all who would listen.... however gradually the audience had left, or fallen asleep, or turned with an element of embarrassment to reading some book or other.



Flashman has discovered some books in his Grandfather's library during 'hols' from Eton and had enjoyed the variety and scope of the carvings -some of which he'd personally tried out in later life.



Every now and then a voice is raised, an opinion is uttered, as news is added to the rumours in the mess.



Some of the initial optimism has tarnished. Far from slaughtering the Japs at Kota Bahru one of the native forces has surrendered and the rest of the defenders were in headlong retreat....The port of Georgetown had been mercilessly attacked by enemy planes and many ships sunk. The Japs had landed on many locations on Luzon.



Further south Jap carrier based aircraft were now in the Sulu Sea, continuing to sink shipping at an alarming rate.




Most importantly 'intel' had discovered a raid on Singkawang and a joint Dutch Royal Navy force had been sent to give it a bloody nose. The resulting engagement in the pitch black and storm conditions saw the raiding force being most of the Imperial Navy and our ships being lucky to get away without all being sunk. There were claims that the Mogami and Kumano had both been battered, along with three destroyers on fire, but hits on our light cruisers were significant and the TF is limping back to port. Informed naval officers were saying it had been a setback, and hoping that there was not a follow up invasion force behind the Jap heavy units.... The large map board in HQ showed a great deal of red enemy shipping throughout the whole of the seas area between Malaya and Sarawak.



So far, Flashman thought, if this was a boxing match - the Japs were well ahead on points and proving a wily hitter.





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RE: The playing fields of Eton.... or Row Row Row your ... - 11/2/2012 10:09:08 AM   
Roger Neilson 3


Posts: 246
Joined: 4/12/2012
Status: offline 		Flashman's desk, HMNB Suingapore 19:00 hours 13th Dec 1941

Flashman was deeply preoccupied, not for him the drinks and dinner that was normal at this time, he sat at his desk pondering. Ever since the 7th HQ had been a hive of activity 24 hours a day... it was no exception now. However Roddy was able to block out the hustle and bustle and concentrate upon the pressing military issue in his mind.

How was he to get out of this 'rat trap'?

Since the yellow men had landed and secured Singakapwan or whatever it was called (bloody stupid name anyway) there was a no exit sign to the seas to the south of Singers. The Malacca Straits was a shooting gallery for these sleek torpedo carrying Jap bombers flying unheard of distances from bases in Indo China. Landwaise the Yellow peril had blocked off an exit to Burma...... and who knew where else the little blighters were prowling?

It seemed that everyone was trying to kill him.... and there were no air raids on Singapore as well.

Somewhere was over the globe the Yanks had been exceedingly careless and let one of the carriers get ambushed while on some pleasure cruise in the Pacific - a place near Wake Island..... Flashy had cracked a joke about them not being very 'awake' - but he'd been told it was in 'dashed bad taste old boy'. HQ had doen some maths and were wondering how the Japs moved so fast from their murderous attack on Manila? Mutterings were being heard of a change of strategy....... or a change of commanders.

Submarine, he wondered? Or flying boat? Either still seemed to be possible, but how would he avail himself of a personal flight or cruise?







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RE: The playing fields of Eton.... or Row Row Row your ... - 11/2/2012 6:08:20 PM   
BBfanboy


Posts: 1679
Joined: 8/4/2010
From: Winnipeg, MB
Status: offline 		I think our protagonist had better start lashing together some oil drums and planks if he wants a ride out of there!
Small detail - on that side of the International Date Line, the Japanese attacks started Dec. 8th, but we all know the game converts everything to equate to PH time [although Zulu (Greenwich Mean) Time used by the military would make more sense].

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I have not yet begun to fight! OTOH I have not yet begun to flee. Hmmmmm - choices, choices -always with the choices.

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Post #: 11
RE: The playing fields of Eton.... or Row Row Row your ... - 11/2/2012 6:20:07 PM   
geofflambert


Posts: 2138
Joined: 12/23/2010
From: St. Louis
Status: online 		I hope Flashman finds some way of escaping without ending up in a prison camp or worse. But I thought you might introduce some other characters to carry the narrative elsewhere. Here are some ideas:

A holdout from the species of Homo called "Flores Man" wondering about the giant canoes he sees coming to his island.

A Great White named Brutus who from time to time comments on the quality of the victuals off the Great Barrier Reef. For instance he would think about the exotic foreign tasting seal-like animals he was finding floating about. They taste so different from the local seal-like creatures, who he had always found to be rather gamey.

A Melanesian fisherman who found one of the paleface's PT boats cut in half, and later found the rather wretched survivors.

An Aleut who finds the antics of the Americans and Japanese out of their element hilarious.

The possibilities are endless.

(in reply to Roger Neilson 3)
Post #: 12
RE: The playing fields of Eton.... or Row Row Row your ... - 11/10/2012 9:31:41 AM   
Roger Neilson 3


Posts: 246
Joined: 4/12/2012
Status: offline 		Apologies folks but this game is stopped and will not restart.

Maybe a future game will see Flashman return.

Roger

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RE: The playing fields of Eton.... or Row Row Row your ... - 11/10/2012 5:49:40 PM   
bradfordkay

 

Posts: 8183
Joined: 3/24/2002
From: Olympia, WA
Status: offline 		That's too bad, Roger.

Like you, I have long been a fan of the Flashman series. I appreciate the way that you have captured the essence of George MacDonald Frasier's antihero in your AARs.

I hope that you can find another game soon.

_____________________________

fair winds,
Brad

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RE: The playing fields of Eton.... or Row Row Row your ... - 11/10/2012 6:20:31 PM   
Bill Durrant


Posts: 930
Joined: 9/16/2003
From: Oxfordshire
Status: offline 		Shame you're not a JFB, Roger. Then you could take me on and write about Flashman-San. Personally I'm too bloody scared of the Japanese economy and all that R&D

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Sunk by 35cm/45 1YT Gun - Near Singapore

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RE: The playing fields of Eton.... or Row Row Row your ... - 11/11/2012 7:05:48 AM   
Roger Neilson 3


Posts: 246
Joined: 4/12/2012
Status: offline 		Thanks guys, thats the second time a Flashman AAR didn't last.....

Next game I begin I'll try again.

Roger

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RE: The playing fields of Eton.... or Row Row Row your ... - 11/11/2012 11:14:36 AM   
MAurelius


Posts: 158
Joined: 6/28/2012
Status: offline 		may we ask why this game has stopped so suddenly?


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formerly known as SoliInvictus202

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