Ceux qui servent en mer (1942)

Bernard Miles: Chief Petty Officer Walter Hardy

Photos 

Quotes 

• Chief Petty Officer Walter Hardy : [to Freda and Kath]  What you young flibbertigibbets don't realise is that this is a very important war indeed.

• Chief Petty Officer Walter Hardy : 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 fiber 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.

• Chief Petty Officer Walter Hardy : Look at the Huns, sir. They're jumping overboard in full marching order.

• Mrs. Kath Hardy : I don't believe that Hitler'd be so silly. What would he expect to gain by having a war?

  Chief Petty Officer Walter Hardy : World domination, that's what that little rat's after. You mark my words.

  Mrs. Kath Hardy : They haven't got enough to eat in Germany as it is. Mrs Blacket's nephew, you know the one that travels in underwear, came back from Berlin two months ago. He said they was all half-starved.

  Chief Petty Officer Walter Hardy : Well, I can't help what Mrs Blacket's nephew says. I think we're for it.

• Mrs. Kath Hardy : If we have another war, I give up, see, after all we went through last time.

  Chief Petty Officer Walter Hardy : After all you went through? How do you like that. You was too young and innocent to know about anything.

  Mrs. Kath Hardy : Don't talk so silly. You know perfectly well how old I am and it's no use pretending you don't.

  Chief Petty Officer Walter Hardy : Well, you'll always be young and innocent to me.

  Mrs. Kath Hardy : Will I indeed, now? If you ask me, you've got a hangover from all that beer you put away last night.

• Chief Petty Officer Walter Hardy : You won't forget to put those bulbs in when the right time comes, will you?

  Mrs. Kath Hardy : You and your bulbs!

• Chief Petty Officer Walter Hardy : 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.

  Mrs. Kath Hardy : Walter, how can you? You know I don't like you using that word.

  Chief Petty Officer Walter Hardy : Be that as it may, Kath, that's a highly expressive word. What's more, it's been bound up with naval tradition since times immemorial.