Congratulations, you earned it!

"... dans ce pays-ci il est bon de tuer de temps en temps un amiral pour encourager les autres"

In this country [Britain], it is good, from time to time, to kill an admiral, to encourage the others.

-- Voltaire, Candide, 1759.

Image courtesy MOD, via the London Telegraph.

T&C readers will be pleased to know that on July 28th, 2008, the Royal Navy removed Commander Jeremy Woods, ex-Cornwall, from his post.  Cdr. Woods previously achieved notoriety when 15 of his sailors and Royal Marines were kidnapped by Iranian gunboats while conducting MIO inspections.  According to the Ministry, the commander will keep his rank but has been moved "to a post where his talents and experience can be used to best effect".  Regrettably not at the end of a yardarm, though.

In a brief London Times blurb, the MOD seems to be at pains to deny that this is related to the kidnapping incident, but let's face facts.  The general public is under the mistaken impression that a navy exists to oh, I don't know, enforce the will of Her Majesty's Government upon the high seas.  By soft power or kinetic power, as the situation demands.  If a ship's master can't offer battle on behalf of 15 of his own, Her Majesty's subjects (and various hostile powers) might reasonably wonder whether he has any inner fortitude to do so on behalf of 60 million Britons.