Balme, who'd been in the Navy for seven years, could not believe the Germans "would have just abandoned this submarine" and was convinced U110 was either booby-trapped, or armed crewman were still on board, lying in wait.
What?????
What is your what about?
Men were men back then.
Is it the fact that he was 20 and had been in the Navy seven years?
Not that uncommon for Royal Navy officers in those days. They typically joined as ‘Boy Midshipman’ at the age of 13.
I myself joined the Royal Australian Navy at fifteen under a similar scheme (the age had been raised somewhat by then).
You basically went to what was a combination boarding school/naval training facility but you were in the Navy.
Non-officers could also be taken in for training as junior recruits in their mid teens.