The Tradition and Importance of The Tot To the RN Lower-deck that I knew, the withdrawal of the daily Rum Ration, The Tot, must have been like the death of a lover. How, in 1970, a do-gooder managed to engineer the withdrawal without murder is astounding, as you will realise if you read The Chief’s… Continue reading Naval Rum, Part 1 of 3
Author: jp
Royal Navy, A 6,000 volt shock
To put this occurrence in context I have to write some technical information. I have discovered that any mention of physics, people’s eyes start to glaze, so I will be brief and as simple as possible. Voltage is what gives electricity impetus to move along wires, across the ether, or, as in my case through… Continue reading Royal Navy, A 6,000 volt shock
Life on a small ship
In my time in the Navy, the people most respected as groups, were the Submariners and the Divers. Not totally because of the risk, but because the conditions of their training and work were the toughest. Subs were merely lethal weapons first and last, and the comfort of the men was well down the list… Continue reading Life on a small ship
The Change of the Watch
For four days the stunted little warship had writhed and hammered her way through the green bowels of the storm until the most hardened member found himself praying. In their selfish agony a few prayed for death, little caring its cause or how many would die in its accomplishment. Men of sterner stuff prayed for… Continue reading The Change of the Watch
That first day afloat
Travelling since early morning, provided with food vouchers, eating on the run was difficult. The trains were full, and one spent the journey uncomfortably seated on a suitcase, while guarding a small case and kit bag, with a hammock in the guard’s van, At big junctions there were barrows selling sandwiches and tea and there… Continue reading That first day afloat
Tha Conmam
I suspect my parents had always had made sure I was well fed. When working in Westminster lunch out was probably a useful supplement, but naval life was a different thing altogether. However, my hunger started immediately I joined, and as we were badly paid, ten shillings a fortnight to start with, I had to… Continue reading Tha Conmam
Leydene on the first occasion
>From the IOM we were sent to Petersfield, in Hampshire, to the Naval Signal School called Leydene. We were only to be in Leydene for about ten days and in that time we had to learn the workings of some ten transmitters and receivers together with all the ancillary equipment, so it is unsurprising that… Continue reading Leydene on the first occasion
Three weeks on the Isle of Mam
At the end of three months at Newcastle we were dispatched to the Isle of man where we were billeted in boarding houses on the front at Douglas and further along, similarly housed but behind barbed wire, were the Italian internees, mostly harmless waiters and restaurateurs who would probably have been a greater asset to… Continue reading Three weeks on the Isle of Mam
You’re no use to me
As Part of the Newcastle training we had to learn lathe work, forging and bench work at the Metalwork classes, a re-run of my Matriculation syllabus. This was an opportunity for me to relax. One day I was working on a lathe when I found a note complaining that the machine had been left dirty.… Continue reading You’re no use to me
The injustice of being billited in a brothel
What follows is a clear indication of the innocence of teenagers in the 40s, compared with the knowledge and experience of those to day, possibly fostered by TV. It must be understood that about 1940/41 the whole of Briton was going through an incredible time of change, at home and in the forces. There was… Continue reading The injustice of being billited in a brothel