To repeat: the march was written in the 18th century, so yes, it probably doesn’t reflect today’s navy. But if it’s evocative of the history of the navy, then that is not a bad thing.

she deserted to join the navy and fought in India at Pondicherry. Mr Kirby said it is not clear how she managed to keep her identity a secret, but it was later all revealed in an 18th-Century best ...