Lynne's Story
By Lynne Blythe
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The time came for a career and I chose going to sea as a ship's officer. It seemed the natural thing to do as many of my male family members were in that profession. At first I had 2 years as an RNR cadet on a Royal Naval Training ship. There was so much to do and learn that I found my fears and confusions lessened to a degree.
Perhaps they did not lessen, they were just pushed into the background by the need to concentrate on learning new things! Many years later, I was in correspondence with one of my old term on the training ship and in a telephone conversation when we were reminiscing about our training years, he commented that I had been known as "a goodie-two-shoes". This must have been my inner feelings manifesting themselves even in that male establishment!
After those 2 years I commenced as a Cadet officer on merchant ships and travelled the world extensively. I took up a career which was essentially masculine. Perhaps I was trying to submerge my then fearful feminine feelings? In any case, for many years I worked very hard at my career and spent years in this masculine environment, fearful sometimes that my feminine side would be discovered but often laughing within myself at dealing with very macho men who accepted me as one of them and had no idea that there was a woman inside the man they were dealing with! I can look back over those years and see a successful career despite being feminine!
A couple of things stick in my mind from those early years. On returning to England between voyages, there were a number of Army Shows in various theatres in various cities and I went (on my own) to a few of these. I was amazed to find that in the show there were men dressed (convincingly) as women. I had never heard of these neither had I realised that men actually dressed that way. They excited me as I realised that men actually DID dress in skirts.
In Bombay on one early voyage, a group of four of us were befriended by two middle aged ladies. I don't know how I was among the group as I was only about 17 and the others were more senior members of the crew. However, the ladies wanted to organise a party but that would have meant two ladies and four men, a group out of balance! They suggested that I as the youngest should attend the party as a girl to balance the figures!
The following day, I had the afternoon "off" and they asked me to go to their flat and try on some clothes. Of course I jumped at the chance as I had never, even then, worn a dress or any feminine clothes. I went there and they tried a number of dresses on me and I remember looking good and seeing the right "me" at last.
It was a wondeful first experience and the two ladies seemed to delight in having me dress in various types of pretty clothes.I remember wishing that the afternoon could go on forever! In the event, however, the party never materialised but I can still remember the few hours I spent, for the very first time in my life, as a girl!
On one later voyage, as a young 3rd Officer, I found a bar in Antwerp where all the "girls" were actually boys. It was a complete eye-opener for me. In retrospect it was probably a male brothel but I was very naive then and did not realise. I had a few drinks and spoke to one of the "girls" who told me that the owner was looking for other "girls" and wouldn't I like to join them? I became excited as this seemed what I would wish for but, however, we were scheduled to sail during that night so I never had the opportunity to attempt to change my life! With the wisdom of hindsight it was probably that Providence was looking after me!
Much later in my life, when I was a Group Chief Executive and was travelling worldwide quite often, I visited San Francisco and during the evening went to "Finochio"s" which is an internationally known club giving regular shows containg very beautiful "girls". I was astounded at how glamorous they all were and my eyes were opened even wider than they had been previously. I discovered that many, if not all of them lived their lives as girls and I was very envious!
One time in Paris I was on a business visit but had my wife with me. I took her to the Crazy Horse Saloon and saw the wonderful show there. Afterwards we went to Montparnasse and had dinner then visited a nightclub, "Elle et Lui" ("she and he").
The whole show comprised beautiful "girls" and after the show, one of them came to our table and had a drink with us. My wife, who by then knew all about me, was bursting with mirth because this beautiful "girl" was flirting outrageously with me. A waste of time for her of course!
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