HMS RALEIGH OPEN DAY – THURSDAY 23 JULY – 2.00 to 7.30 PM [Archive]

ceylon220

17-06-2009, 09:12

Tell you what Scyll,your photo taken at RALEIGH of a PTI, they did`nt have those (women I mean)as PTIs when I was there in 1953 only aggresive,hard knot, ugly,cruel most of the time blokes(if that is what you could call them),
my experience with those guys was at the swimming baths where I was classed as a non swimmer and ordered into the deep end and told to splash out away from the side urged on with a long pole, I made a grab for a rope lying on side of the baths but found out too late that it was`nt attached to anything ,under the water I went, surfaced and grabbed the sides, then I was hit on the head with the pole and ordered out to the middle again, no sympathy or nothing ,those guys loved lording it over young new entrants, a sadistic lot those PTIs not as nice looking as the one in the picture, she could have hit me with the pole anytime and I would`nt have cared!!!!!:D

It was wooden huts in my day,not the comforts as the todays recruits have at RALEIGH---navy must be getting soft, I .bet they don`t get the odd lad making a break for freedom over the fence with the Provests chasing him,
quite a few tried it in my days there.

CYLLA

17-06-2009, 13:27

ceylon 220

Yep it was wooden huts in my time as well,as you can see in my piccy .
There was a time we were at the baths ,and they inflated a life raft ,and we had to swim to it ,in the shortest time possible ,get every one aboard,...we were in the arctic the P.T.I,s told us ,and we aint got long before we would have drowned,cheerful bunch.

Who was at "navy days 2008 " this year ,just look what was on show then ,i felt quite out of breath watching um.

cylla

ceylon220

18-06-2009, 09:32

CYLLA, the PTIs in your pic seem to be just young boys or is it me feeling my age. I like the one of the aerial view of RALEIGH I`ve uploaded it to my album for my use only I hope you don`t mind--here`s one that you will remember, main gate HMS RALEIGH showing the guardhouse as it was in the 50s.

Regards.
Dave.(ceylon220)

CYLLA

18-06-2009, 13:58

Hi ceylon220, no i don't mind at all ,you down loading the piccy ,of RALEIGH.

The post card , i have the very same one ,it,s one of the very first i sent home ,while i was in training.
Many more from all over the world followed.... i.e going on a "post card "run .:)

cylla

BuntingBob

13-07-2009, 23:20

Hi Jim. I too, have downloaded that aerial shot of Raleigh. I know you don't mind. If you do, we'll sort it out, in September, over a bottle of my home brew.
I am gutted at seeing that advert for Raleigh Open Day. I haven't been inside the base since I left in 68 (I know you were two years earlier). I drove past it sometime in the '90's but it looked shut; must have been a Sunday.
If I had permission off 'er indoors, I'd be down there like a shot. Can you get time off? Long way to go though.
Good photo thread. Most of us can relate to Raleigh (Forget those Ganges kids; just boys. Couldn't row for toffee.).

Dave Hutson

14-07-2009, 11:19

Hi BuntingBob,

I should duck now is I were you cos' the flak is just about to start flying after the Ganges reference.;)

If I remember rightly having spent 4 years at Raleigh [74-77] - the Boating section was run by Communicators - that is all boat training - and they was all ex Ganges boys.

Look out for the first salvo = up 200, down 150, 5 Brasso tins fire for effect.:eek:

Dave H [Ganges Boy]

harry.gibbon

14-07-2009, 12:39

Incoming!!!!!! one spitkid for starters BuntingBob; followed by... reload ....two rollocks... reload... three spare yardarms(from a proper mast) ... and 50 bugles (excess from a proper 'boys' bugle band)!!!

Right then Ganges lads ammunition ship !!!

Little h

CYLLA

14-07-2009, 13:12

Hi Bob,.... no i can't get a make and mend that day ,but there must be one of our members on here , who could get there with a camcorder.
No probes Bob with the piccy ,i am one to share our all memoirs.

cylla

qprdave

14-07-2009, 13:56

Incomming.....Three stone slabs from Faith, Hope and Charity. Laundry room ghost!!!!! Raleigh Tallied Cap hit for six by the Ganges Cricket Team. (got to get back to Shotley Gate for more amunition)

The young and the cream went to Ganges. Old men went to Raleigh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fairlead

14-07-2009, 14:05

Bob, You were still in nappies when 'Boys' were trained at GANGES - And trained properly to be a Naval Citizen, A part of a team, and A Tel, Sig or Seaman.
1968 - were you not one of those RO(u) (useless) types?

Fairlead

Dave Hutson

14-07-2009, 14:06

Stop tin crushing lads ...... take a fag break and load a CMG broadside with BuntingBob's name on it ..... empty Beans and Arrigonni's will probably be best.

Dave H

harry.gibbon

14-07-2009, 14:24

Ganges lads .. re Thread Title:-

Have you noticed the times allocated for a Raleigh open DAY...1400 to 1930 ....D A Y :rolleyes:

Well if that was adult training Hmmmmm

What will emerge when the St. Vincent types break out ???

Take Cover!!!

Little h

Dave Hutson

14-07-2009, 14:35

You're rite Harry - even the St Vincent Boys [Wash your mouth out Dave] could deliver a good broadside against the Riff Raff from Raleigh - Both Ganges and Vincent boys had been twice round the buoy before the come lately's from Raleigh emerged to meet the real Sailors.

Dave H

alanbenn

14-07-2009, 14:59

Oh dear ex-Raleigh boys trying to outdo 'ganges' they obviously didn't train them that good.

My Dad an ex-GI was a St.Vincent boy, me a Ganges boy. My dad told me before I joined that I would spend longer on ONE wave than the raleigh boys spent training, (his words not mine):p:p

Regards
Alan

qprdave

14-07-2009, 15:03

Right, I'm back fully loaded.

Look out Bob. You can run but cannot hide from the Ganges Boys that you insulted!!!!!!!

A piece of parquet floor that I scrubbed and polished every Friday night from Duncan 11 Mess

6 Blocks from the Seamanship School

Soaking wet overalls from the swimming pool

Have I got time to go back and get some more?????? YESsssss BuntingBob deserves everything that is thrown at him!!!!!!!!

qprdave

14-07-2009, 15:12

Re Raleigh Pic

Looks more like a Butlins Holiday camp than a Naval Training Establishment

Did I say Butlins..... Probably a lot easier that Butlins

Disgruntled ex-Ganges Boy

alanbenn

14-07-2009, 15:15

Dave, I'm sure you'll agree but the Butlin's redcoats were a lot smarter dressed than these Raleigh boys, not enough time to learn how to use an iron.

Regards
Alan;)

qprdave

14-07-2009, 15:34

You're right Alan

CYLLA

14-07-2009, 16:09

OMG .. This thread has come alive,.......i would just like to say ,unknowing to me at the time Buntingbob was on the ARGONAUT,and i was on the Scylla ,
From that time onwards , we have got to know each other very well , and meet each other a good few times...

cylla

Dave Hutson

15-07-2009, 11:13

Hi BuntingBob,

You are taking a pounding from we Ganges boys aren't you - but only to be expected.:(:D

Were you on Argo with Kit Layman as skipper - if so, you have gained a grain of sympathy from a Ganges lad, but not forgiveness:)

Load, aim, fire - duck - incoming 2 polished spitkids, deck bumper and a dirty mophead.

Dave H

astraltrader

15-07-2009, 12:48

Well I think I had better stay out of this....:rolleyes:

qprdave

15-07-2009, 16:45

Very Wise Terry!!!!!!

ceylon220

16-07-2009, 08:47

Whats this--GANGES boys allowed into RALEIGH, the only ones us Stokers let thro` the gate in 53 were the yobs from FISGUARD and that was only to the cinema---the place was never the same when they opened it to "riff raff"------------------take cover, incoming brasso tins,pussers soap!!!!!

CYLLA

16-07-2009, 13:51

Between the "brasso tins, spitkids and dirty mopheads,....here is a view from the skipper,s perch.
I am on it some where.....in the guard

cylla

qprdave

16-07-2009, 16:54

Thanks Cylla
I notice that it was Dull, overcast and wet there

At Ganges the sun was always shining and it was always warm

Dave Hutson

16-07-2009, 17:05

Rain Check - It is chucking it down in Guzz today - nothing unusual there?

That parade ground shot looks like a shower. I'm glad that when I was Benbow Div Chief [74/75][yes, in the old wooden huts] we managed to instill some GANGES standards on those luvvies joining the Navy.

Then the crunch came - they all moved into new brick purpose built blocks with all mod cons. Still their mums thought we had done a pretty good job when they passed out.

CYLLA

16-07-2009, 17:10

yep may have been dull DAVE , but we weren't there that long ,before dafty had sent us to our first ship ,hopefully out to the far flung ,.....unfortunately ain't much chance of that these day,s .....i think we who had six official numbers ,had the best time in the mob..........

.........Even if you were from the east coast .L.O.L

cylla

Dave Hutson

16-07-2009, 17:26

You're right Cylla - we all ended up the same eventually so the means by which justified the end.

A new one perhaps for you - there are a few guys supplementing the Instructors at Raleigh now who are ex RN Senior Rates - it started with a couple of guys having a "down memory lane" visit - this was extended to an invite to the Guzz RNA to talk to recruits about "our" navy - this has now grown to them being attached to Classes and going through it with them. My oppo aged 71, ex Raleigh Chief Jack Dusty 74/77, spends half his life over there and today with it's inclement weather is at Pier Cellars with his class until about 1900.

My memories of Raleigh were - across on the 0730 ferry - back at 1630 and don't go again unless you had to. Althought I was Bar Manager for three years in the old Wooden Mess and then the new Brick Built Mess.

Happy Days ..... some yes some no

Dave h

CYLLA

16-07-2009, 17:44

Dave ..you mentioned.{Pier Cellars }....i can just remember that place [what place]we were there over a weekend ......then we had to leg it back to RALEIGH....at lest it was not throwing it down..

cylla

Dave Hutson

16-07-2009, 19:18

Pier Cellars,

Back in 74 after the lads had experienced a few weeks of part one training a Div Chief and a couple of Instructors would take about 100 recruits for a weekend of R&R to an old sea level enclosed harbour on an old estate round Cawsand Bay.

There they would learn how to sling a hammock, spend two nights in it, during the day as assault course followed by general relaxation and letting off steam.

Here they also learnt that their Chuffs and Puffs were human after all.

We drew rations for the weekend and it was canteen messing, breakfast - full english, Lunch - Bread Cheese Spam and Fruit, Dinner - the preverable Potmess. Supper - what's left. [Ever had to cook for 100 hungry animals?]

If we were feeling generous a few bottles of beer.

Usually depending on the weather - they enjoyed it and all came back knackered.

We used to think that the object of the exercise was achieved. On a personal note - my 10 year old thought it was great.

harry.gibbon

16-07-2009, 23:04

yoi yoi yoi wotz all dis den? I'm out o loop fer a min or free n yer all gorn nearlee mushie on the Rally instrukterin!!! kim on now boys them outward bound jaunts was like a regular a'noon in ganges, 7 mile x-country back inta the shower and on to the in comms block for dog watch lessons... thats how we learnt the trade....

must go now still some more repairin to do on the recoverin n backin up front(thats an oxymoron fingie innit)

see yaz

Little h

PS its now sixteen n half hours since crash bang wallop on the computing front and still doin a tiffs job repairin etc etc

Dave Hutson

17-07-2009, 08:53

Ah but Arry, most of us instructors over the Tamar were ex Ganges boys and having to adapt to toning down our approach, must have been the prelude to today's 'uman rites' culture. Sadly today it must be Rally teachin Rally, sad sad ... met some of the recruits last year at Merchant Navy Day in Plymouth .... nice crowd but - uniforms today - wow - the silk comes ready pleated and stitched, the ribbons are ready made and velcrowed on - how on earth will they ever become sailors. Evidently, once in now they can virtually walk out any time they choose so they don't give them a full kit, just enough to get by until they decide they are staying. Can you imagine what that would have gone down like with our Instructors - don't bear thinking about does it.

Anyway good luck wiv your repairs :mad:-- shud have paid more attention to theory ..... kno wot I mean 'arry;)

BuntingBob

26-07-2009, 14:05

I've not been hiding from the 'flowers' you Ganges and Vincents have been throwing. Been away on hush hush business.

At Raleigh we were always told that Ganges was stuffed full of youngsters who couldn't wait to get out of school and the schools couldn't wait to get rid of them. Didn't the Magistrates often say to miscreants, brought before them, that they had a choice of a long stay in Borstal or a life on the ocean waves, beginning at Ganges.
We were also advised to keep an eye our nutty when a Ganges kid was about; sweet toothed they were.:D

alanbenn

26-07-2009, 15:03

Buntingbob, your Raleigh weakness shows....in the face of such adversity you should bow to the superiority shown by us Ganges boys, however if you wish to take so much flak perhaps you should change your name to 'spongebob'

It will be flying thick and fast once again...........Lots of Raleigh boys became 'tossers'........ooops missed out the word 'bunting':p:p:p

Regards
Alan

harry.gibbon

26-07-2009, 15:16

ah ha my understanding is that the magistrates gave an option of Borstal or Ganges and the word generally having got back meant the Borstals were full...

Mars bar and wagon wheel incoming:D:D

BuntingBob

26-07-2009, 15:37

Probably full of lads who found the regime at Ganges a bit too laid back and decided to find a bit of excitment in Civvie Street.:rolleyes:

CYLLA

26-07-2009, 15:43

OMG , what have i started here , i just love a bit of salty humor, Hi Bob, i bet you have a smashing arangment of "flower,s" around your puto. :)
You will have to shift your book case to one side .

{{{Ganges was stuffed full of youngsters who couldn't wait to get out of }}}school ,
They were all good at geography lessons , so they wanted to see the world , nowt much in civve st .

cylla

BuntingBob

26-07-2009, 15:55

A quick word to the enemy...during any ceasefire, could we ask around if anyone did actually get to the Open Day at the STILL, only operating New Entry training establishment in the UK, and maybe took some photos.

I wonder why Ganges closed and Raleigh went on to become the obvious success it is today. I was looking at some recent photos of Ganges. The kids sure made a mess of the place. The climbing frame is still in one piece though.:rolleyes:

tonclass

26-07-2009, 16:01

Aah. Pier Cellars. I remember in '81 we had to walk there as a navigation exercise. Also if you were 18 you could go to the local pub with the instructors.

Anyone take any photo's of the Open Day ???????

CYLLA

26-07-2009, 16:54

Tonclass,

here is a very interesting site , TO any RALEIGH ratings... Pier Cellars

http://www.submerged.co.uk/brennan.php

cylla

oldsalt

26-07-2009, 18:23

Tonclass,

here is a very interesting site , TO any RALEIGH ratings... Pier Cellars

http://www.submerged.co.uk/brennan.php

cylla

During my time as a Divisional Officer at Raleigh one of our tasks was to take classes of trainees to Pier Cellars for the weekend. We allowed them to buy beer & have a get together . The lads were given a task to write answers to several questions about the area from Pier Cellrs , round Whitsands bay, Ramehead & back to Cawsands. The lads slept in hammocks in a sort of cave, the solitary Officer slept in splendid isolation in the house above the harbour. We had a rope slide which the lads called a "death slide", it was nothing compared to Ganges mast. The Petty Officers i/c the classes did the cooking in a small building in the harbour. Just one funny , one of the PO's making custard, boiled the milk & then chucked in a packet full of custard powder, which immediately solidified. The result of that cooking disaster was thrown into the sea, some of it stuck to the rocks, it was so solid two tides a day over 12 months could'nt remove it.:eek::):)

Powers

26-07-2009, 19:56

My wife and I attended HMS Raleigh for the Open Day and found it to be a very interesting and enjoyable event. It was good to see the young people engaged in the various activities including the physical training exercises on the sports field, where the young ladies performed excellently alongside their male counterparts.

The demonstrations in the Drill Shed, adjacent to the Parade Square, were all very well presented especially the Cookery event which provided both of us with some of the tastiest samples we've ever had.

The displays on the Parade Square itself were very good and the Field Gun event between HMS Raleigh and BRNC Dartmouth was a reminder of bygone Earls Court Days, with Dartmouth eventually winning the Trophy. The Royal Marine Band were superb as usual and the young Sea Cadets performed their rifle drill routine with precision and much skill.

We also found the Submarine School with its splendid models, historical exhibits and many other displays well worth a visit.

Throughout the day everyone connected with the event, whether uniformed or otherwise, were perfect hosts and dealt with the hundreds of visitors in a very friendly and helpful way. They were a credit to their individual organisations.

All in all a very nice day! (and the weather stayed fine too!)

CYLLA

27-07-2009, 16:44

Hi Powers,

Now that,s first for me ........ Submarine School

So they have a mini DOLPHIN.

Was there any "mushroomer,s there ?

cylla

Powers

27-07-2009, 22:00

Re: Submarine School

In response to above, The Submarine School has been at Raleigh since it closed at Dolphin just under ten years ago. As previously mentioned it's well worth a visit.

harry.gibbon

27-07-2009, 22:38

and the link:-
http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/operations-and-support/establishments/training-establishments/hms-raleigh/rn-submarine-school/

and the apointment for the boss made in Jan 2009 was:-

http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/news/Cheltenham-officer-takes-charge-submarine-school/article-589615-detail/article.html

Little h

mickslap

20-11-2009, 11:06

i had forgotten what fun we used to have slinging s... at each other.God help any pongo crab or god forbid a civvy that tried to join in.
they used to say the reason that ganges was so long was that they had to learn to wash and dry behind their ears.

Dave Hutson

20-11-2009, 17:26

Hey up 'arry, qpr.

Looks like someone has been let out of the little boy's room and wants to play with the real sailors.:p:p:D;)

Dave H

harry.gibbon

20-11-2009, 22:12

Now lookee ere Mickslap we know this is the Raleigh ffred but you see we KNOW also why the Raleigh 'training' :eek::rolleyes::D was SO short....

witness your unfinished attendance here on the forum.... NO profile completed;):D:D ... add another week to your course sir ... read the docs and consult with an ex-ganges instructor as to method of completion:D:D

Little h

ceylon220

21-11-2009, 00:17

Just read all the happy mud slinging between GANGES (ex boys) and the RALEIGH (sailors),the reason the training in GANGES was longer was it takes longer to knock some sense into boys than it does to real men,RALEIGH men,hence the 30 weeks training,where would you have been without the Stokers in my day 53 into the 70s, you would never have seen the world unless you all opted to row your way round, in them days you drilled for 6 weeks with a rifle and then you got down to the stuff that mattered, learning how to get a ships engines moving so as to get you GANGES wallers a cruise or two and to get some sea experience in--which is a change from climbing ropes attached to a wooden mast and standing on what you call a button, no buttons on warships masts matey !!!!!!!!!:D

Those were the days of cold washes in the morning, coke fires in the mess, and creaky wooden huts to live and learn in,and POs who had you running around the parade ground at the double before breakfast,you entered RALEIGH as a young man and left as one of HMs fully trained sailors--Hearts of Oak,ready to tackle anything that is thrown at you on the outside world----even brasso tins, wet mops etc---the Stoker of the day took them all on------I rest my case!!!!!!!!!!!:cool::)

Oh, I nearly forgot, All the very best on RALEIGHs open day, hope the weather is more friendly down there that what we have experienced up here in Cumbria.

Dave Hutson

21-11-2009, 16:29

Yeah, but come on, the Klankies wouldn't have known where to go or how to get there were it not for the Communicators and Seaman - you would have spent your lives with nowhere to go just making smoke and smelling of FFO or Diesel.:(

We didn't need open days at Ganges - we just got on with the job of producing the cream of the fleet -In later years even Klankies were allowed in.

I take it the geezer at the Gate with the Big Gun and Gaiters was to keep the Klankies in.:o

Dave H

harry.gibbon

21-11-2009, 20:40

Yep geezer stood with all gates wide open, in 'nowhere land', at attention, rifle at the slope, in the rain, and an empty sentry hut there for the taking = lack of inititive:rolleyes::D

Aparently no bricks over that side of the river for buildings:eek: even Ganges had brick buildings:)

Even the street lights don't look like a matching set... what a miss mash:eek::D

and the dinky mast well ... some of the modellers could put that on their models:D:D

Little h

ceylon220

21-11-2009, 23:59

well the young boys,still wet behind the ears could not survive the cold winter night in wooden huts so that is why the young ones at GANGES had brick living quarters so that they would`nt miss the home comforts, I suppose the duty PO had to tuck them in and give them a good night kiss.:)
Don`t you fret Dave H on one ship that I served in we Stokers took over the the duties of steering the ship by what you call the compass and we were given praise by the 1st Lt, the seamen who took a turn in the Boiler room were only too pleased to get back to their part of ship--could`nt stand the pace---but of course they were GANGES trained.:D

The guard on the gate was to keep undesirables from getting in, and who needed street lights, were you never taught to make your way through a darkened ship, 26 weeks in RALEIGH you got to know every pot hole in the place and as grown up men we were not scared of the dark like some young A/Bs that I came across in the P Gulf. :rolleyes::D

We used our mast for the reason it was put up for in the first place, to fly the flag that all good RN sailors serve, the ensign-----could never under stand why they had young boys climb up masts at GANGES, we did`nt have any sailing ships in the 50s---oh! sorry I forgot that the VICTORY is still in naval service.

Ever wonder why they closed GANGES in the first place----surplus to requirements so who would want to look around an old broken down shore base, even the old mast still stands or has the scrap dealer taken that as well.

I reckon that RALEIGH should get the old motto "SECOND TO NONE"
as she now turns out the true British sailors---Rule Brittania!!!!!!!!!!!:D

harry.gibbon

22-11-2009, 00:17

In 1942 Raleigh training took 6 weeks....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/40/a6198140.shtml

wonder why for GROWN MEN it took 6 months some years later:confused::D:D

Oh yes I see now spelling and reading town names:D:D

Little h

alanbenn

22-11-2009, 11:33

Looking closer at the photo of the guard, what a 'sloppy' present arms, all holding the rifle at different heights, would have been marched off the parade ground at 'ganges' and given extra drill, but what can you expect with only a couple of weeks training?

Ganges Rules!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Regards
Alan

CYLLA

22-11-2009, 12:44

Dave Hutson

22-11-2009, 12:57

CYLLA

22-11-2009, 13:24

Hi Dave ,

I can remember the time our class ,walked along to Jupiter Point .

It was our first time in a whaler, and being taught how to pull one , YEAR1966 .....no chance of being in a cutter.
We rowed among all the ships that were laid up ,learning how to ship oars when coming along side....... and one {MATAPAN } had a ladder down , so we all wanded on board for a rest , and a look around.
Our instructor had been in the Korean war,as a young seaman , and told us a few sea stories to enlighten us .i can't say if he was from "Ganges"...

cylla

ceylon220

22-11-2009, 15:22

Look out Alan, Cylla's about - think he may be siding with the Klankies.:eek:

I seem to remember when I were at Raleigh [1974 to 1977] most of the Instructors were Ganges trained. Particularly at Jupiter Point where 80% of the staff were Communicators. We could single handed drive a 32 foot cutter with kitchener gear and NO KLANKIE required because you could kick it and out of gear and operate the throttle by foot.

Dave H

Now that says it all, I often wondered where GANGES trained boys had their brains(in their shoes), took you long enough to know how to control the 32foot cutters engine, 20+ years, have you got to know how to control the Kitchener gear yet, can count on my 2 hands the times the Cox`n A/bs have run us aground on the tail end of a sub or smashed into the jetty , did`t know their rights and lefts.:rolleyes:

harry gibbon, that article was for 1942,wartime and 6 weeks were for square bashing ie:rifle drilling etc not for the trade that took a further 6 months which us KLANKIES(where did that come from!) had to do to get you lot on your cruises to learn some seamanship.

alanben. Tallest to the ends,shortest to the centre, did`nt you learn that at GANGES or were you asleep at the time, how the h--- do you get all the rifles at the same height if you have short people in the ranks, never mind matey I think the photo of that guard was spot on( I was the one on the right,front row) and the inspecting Captain agreed.:p

What else can I say to you GANGES "wallers" except--- Bring it on, I`m enjoying this,surely we have more ex RALEIGH stokers on this site who can give these yougsters a run for their money. :cool:

Getting back to the opening day for RALEIGH are there any of the old wooded huts still around and will these be open to visitors, just to see how the old navy survived in those days and what about the old figure head is it still around or has that been put in storage too?

CYLLA

22-11-2009, 15:42

ceylon 220

I like your postcard .......what is the caption ??

" only touch him up " No paint ship routine on him.

cylla

ceylon220

22-11-2009, 15:48

ceylon 220

I like your postcard .......what is the caption ??

" only touch him up " No paint ship routine on him.

cylla

Postcard was sent to me by an old WRNS friend and is pictured in the photo being taught about the figurehead by the CPO at RALEIGH in1953.

Dave(ceylon220)

Dave Hutson

23-11-2009, 13:42

Hi again Dave [Ceylon220]

Like you I like the rivallry [s*** slinging] of the Senior Service. I too joined 1953 left 1977. We seem to have both gone into the same trade altho' I'm glad I'm out of it now [retired 1997 - dickey ticker]. Where the hell has Common Sense and Occupational Hazard gone in this gone mad Elf 'n Safety Madness. [No, mustn't go there it raises my blood pressure].

Back to Jupiter Point - I never touched boat handling after I left Ganges in 1954 until some wise ass thought it would be a good idea to send a Chief Sparker to teach boats. When you got there you had to teach yourself first - and it took me 20 minutes to master the 32 footer. Fair to say I didn't last long down there. [Couldn't / Wouldn't get on with the """""boss""""""]. So it was up to the Main for me - the wooden huts - as Part 1 Div Chief Benbow Division - six months at that then found out they had a Chief Tiff [Klankie type] running the MSO - ere we go again ... another round pin in square hole and he hated it .... so .... swap and I ended up in the MSO/Admin and Chiefs Mess Bar Manager.

Think all the wooden huts have gone but will check and report back .......watch this space.

There you 'as it. So with Bluebell Tins ..... load ..... standby for incoming all directions.:eek::eek:

No one is safe if they get between Ganges boys and them other training places that are not mentioned without a mouthwash to hand [I use Woods 100 - works for me];):D

Dave H

harry.gibbon

23-11-2009, 13:57

oh and pic #1 guard ... I see three geezers with feet at 'attenshun-ish' certainly not at "the general salute - present arms";)

so here are some other Raleigh geezers at passing out parade:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1-IL7CAbDs

also why do the guard ossifers always stand at 'attenshun' with right hand looking as if the is adjusting the 'lastik on their y fronts:D:D yeh I know:rolleyes:

Little h

alanbenn

23-11-2009, 23:57

Alan ,looking at your profile , not a bad choice of shore establishments, i must say. Terror ,Forest moor ,Rooke.
Were you ever caught up to do Guard duties in any of um, i.e REMEMBRANCE DAY .. with all that good training you must have had .

Cylla, great establishments all down to teleprinter specialist (blue card job too!) and yes very fortunate to have done 2 guard duties at 'Ganges' one for families day and was also 'Royal Guard' when Hms Ark Royal was given the freedom of the city in Leeds 1973 inspected by HRH The Queen Mother. (It also helped having a GI for a Dad.)

Regards
Alan

oldsalt

24-11-2009, 18:01

ceylon220

24-11-2009, 23:47

I'm not quite sure about reference to the right hand. From the clip I notice the guard officer is wearing shoes, in my time we wore boots & shiny black gaiters.

Looking at my pic of the guard even the white gaiters have change to a shorter type and our guards officer has black boots and gaiters compared to todays one on the u tube.

harry.gibbon

30-11-2009, 22:21

Aaaah didums n all that guff:rolleyes::rolleyes:;);)

because they can't stand having 24 to a mess... Raleigh geezers now get their own 8 to a mess accommodation ..."its like living in your own flat" says one of them:eek::eek:

http://www.royal-navy.org/lib/index.php?title=Trainee_sailors_impressed_with_new _accommodation

Little h

Guz rating

01-12-2009, 00:56

I believe Ganges is to be redeveloped as sheltered accommodation, to qualify you must be over fifty five which would cover most of the Ganges crew. So hurry up and get your names down, think of the fun you'll have guarding the totem pole. And driving all the other unfortunate residents to distraction with your tales of delusional fantasy.:D:D:D

harry.gibbon

05-12-2009, 00:58

Re; I believe Ganges is to be redeveloped as sheltered accommodation

Alan Guzzler... me thinks that all of the Ganges contingent on the Forum or indeed just all of the survivors world wide would be only too pleased at the suggestion :) however we would be fighting each other to get on the rota to put our very familiar totum pole back into good nick!!!

SO the bottom line is... what the non Ganges guys never had ( a proper mast ); we would like the opportunity to see restored; :rolleyes::rolleyes:

and the Raleigh geezers could come along and enjoy ... if they were ever up for it:D:eek:

Little h