SIX WEEKS TRAINING ON THE VINDICATRIX (By Mike Hall)
by Published on 14th August 2016 05:57 AM
SIX WEEKS TRAINING ON THE VINDICATRIX
The reason I wanted to go to sea, I am unsure about, it was just something I wanted to do.
First I had to apply for an application form from the Merchant Navy Training Board, for my pre-sea training course. This would consist of a Six week course, which would culminate in being allocated a first ship.
Once the form was filled in and returned, I was required to have a medical, this took place at the old training school at Gravesend. My dad took me there in the family car. I was also handed a list of what clothes, wash gear, bath towels and pocket money that I must take to the sea school. Included was a list of the very strict rules I would have to abide by.
It was not long afterwards that I heard I was successful in passing the medical, and instructions were sent to me to join the training establishment T. S. Vindicatrix at Sharpness, Gloucester. I was destined to be at the sharpness camp on Monday June 23rd 1958.
I left home for the railway station with a rail warrant for the full journey. As follows
Maidstone to London
Across London by underground
London to Gloucester
Gloucester to Berkeley
Berkeley to Sharpness
I was met off the train at Sharpness by one of the camp Instructors, then along with other trainees I was lined up for the three mile walk to the camp. The camp was a collection of Nisson type huts, all of which accommodated 36 trainees. Other huts included a Quartermasters store, offices, recreation hut, guardroom, classrooms. Sick-bay, games room, reading room, washrooms, and a smart bungalow for the Captain Superintendent.
Once at the camp I was allocated a hut and a bunk, and we were all escorted to the ship for our first meal.
The hut I was allocated to was B 4, and the bunk was 4 lower.
The ship Vindicatrix was a large ex sailing ship built in 1893 as the Aranmore. She looked enormous. As a hulk, she now had her masts removed, and her former cargo holds had been reconstructed to provide Messroom and classroom facilities, along with the galley and the stores.
Once on board we were taken to the mess deck and seated at long wooden trestle tables, where the catering cadets served us our first meal. What this consisted of I can not remember.
The next day we the new recruits were taken to the Quartermasters store to be kitted out.
The induction papers had stated that the uniform would cost £4 15s 6d, and that this amount would be deducted from my cash account after our uniform was issued.
The Quartermasters store was a large Nisson hut with a linoleum topped counter running the length of the building. Behind the counter were large wooden bins of clothing, footwear, headwear, bedding, and miscellaneous items, cap badges, belts, socks, all marked in their various sizes. Everything a Vindi boy would need. The Quartermaster stood behind the counter with a clip board ready to issue the kit. We the boys gathered at the counter to await our turn for the uniform issue. As we were each measured and served we then signed for everything and made our way back to the hut to try the uniform on.
It was whilst trying on the uniform we found we had to sew our “Merchant Navy” flashes on to the uniform jacket.
The kit consisted of the following
1 kit bag
2 pair’s shoes
1 pair plimsolls
Gym shorts vest
2 pairs of dungaree trousers
1 pair of blue serge trousers
1 alpaca jacket
4 striped tops
3 white jackets
3 pair’s pants
3 shirts
4 pair’s socks
2 towels
2 pairs of pyjamas
Tooth brush & comb
Note book
Beret and school badge
Daily timetable.
06.30 get up
07.00 clean hut and make bed
08.00 breakfast
09.00 training
12.00 dinner
13.30 training
16.00 tea
20.00 supper
21.00 roll call
21.30 lights out
At 06:30 every morning come rain or shine there would be physical exercises on the camps parade ground after being awoken by the sound of a bugle. The exercises consisted of push ups, sit ups, knees bends and running the camp perimeter.
One rule that was strictly enforced was “No Fighting”. If any one was caught fighting, then they were sent home immediately. Which would then their career in the Merchant Navy.
My training consisted of the following
Laying and waiting on tables
How to make a bed
How to prepare food
How to serve wine
Learn the points on the compass
How to launch and row a lifeboat
How to clean properly
The actual food at the camp was poor, it’s a wonder we survived, consisting of stale bread and sea pie (fish & mashed potato) and other unsavoury concoctions. Frequently you would find a cockroach within the food. There was no point in complaining because no one listened.
Each evening all the boys were given a large mug of cocoa, this was mixed in large steel vats by the duty galley boys.
The only item that was fresh was the milk and that came from the farm next to the camp.
If anyone was unfortunate enough to become Ill then you were sent to the sick-bay. There you would come under the care of the nurse Mimi Grey, her nickname was Codeine Annie. She was too fond of dishing out Codeine tablets for any illness. Unfortunately any time spent in the sick-bay was added on to your training period.
Sometimes I would receive a food parcel from home consisting of a fruit cake and various Chocolate bars. We also had a weekly allowance of five shillings per week (twenty five pence), which I would spend on extra food in the local café or sweet Shop, sometimes I would walk to Berkeley, and go to the cinema.
Also a visit to the seaman’s mission institute, Which was local where I could get a decent meal and a game of snooker and darts etc.
Another of the boys in our hut and I, Were out in the village of sharpness when we met a couple of girls. One of them clung to my arm and said to her mate he’s mine you can have the other one. We spent quite some time together walking the lanes and the canal towpath. On one occasion my girlfriend made a visit to her dad at work, he was the local signalman and we were all invited into his signal box, where he made us all a cup of tea. After a while, later in the week, I was told that my girlfriend could not see me anymore, so I went to her dad to find out why. It seems that his daughter had gone off with another boy whilst seeing me, and he had assaulted her. This put a damper on the camp, and the person concerned for the assault was expelled. I did however see her again before I left the camp for my life at sea. She told me she was sorry.
On one occasion during my period of training, one of the boys could not take the regimental routine anymore and went over the fence in the middle of the night; he only had a few weeks to go before he made it as a seaman and a chance to see the world for free.
Washing our clothes was done in a galvanised bucket of water and a large block of soap. And hung out to dry outside, hoping no one pinched it. Ironing was done on the table or on the floor.
There were regular inspections on our clothing to see if we were keeping them clean and ironed.
Every Saturday morning was hut inspection. Our huts had 36 bunk beds with 36 steel lockers. the flooring was red painted linoleum, and at one end of each hut were the toilets. All this had to be cleaned and the floors buffed until you could see your face in them. All your clothing had to be laid out correctly on your bunk square to the edges of the bed. Your uniform had to have sharp creases and your belt buckle and cap badge had to be shiny. If any of the inspection staff found just one thing incorrect, then the whole hut was denied shore leave. We even tied cloths to our feet to buff the floors as we walked around.
Nearby was a bridge spanning the river Severn, which had 22 arches, when the time came and I only had 22 days left at the camp I was known as a bridge boy, one day left for each span.
For the last week of my training we slept on the ship. The idea was to give us ship experience, one draw back of sleeping on board the ship, was the lack of toilet facilities, the nearest being a toilet block alongside the ship on the canal side , this was very daunting in the dark in the middle of the night.
When the last week was here I was known as a pool boy, which meant I was about to leave and go to the shipping pool, for my first ship, which was known as the shipping federation office in the London docks, there were also other offices in various other docks around the country.
Once my training was finished I was given a rail warrant for home, the day I left the camp was Friday august 1st 1958.Before we left the camp we were given a pep talk by one of the senior instructors. We were then brought to attention and began to march out of the gates towards the railway station.
We were expected to go home in full uniform, but as soon as most of us were on the first train we changed into our civilian clothes. Then once I was on the train to London I went to the buffet car to have a beer.
I received some good training whilst I was there, which has kept me in good stead over the following years.
When I left I was given my seaman’s discharge book which I still have
Also a certificate of proficiency which has gone missing
My discharge number is R693816.
I was only home for a few weeks before I was away to sea.
The uniform I was given only lasted a short time because it soon worn out and I grew out of it.
I have nothing left from those days, only my discharge book and very fond memories of my life at sea.
Please read my accounts of my voyages on the following pages
CONSTRUCTION NOTES
BUILT-----------------------Russell & co, Glasgow
YARD NO------------------338
ENGINES BY--------------N/A
YEAR BUILT--------------1893
PROPOLSION-------------Sails
LAUNCHED---------------1893
TYPE------------------------Sailing ship
TONNES-------------------1946
LENGTH-------------------297
BREADTH-----------------39
REGISTERED AT--------London
SPEED----------------------N/A
OFFICIAL NO------------N/A
CREW----------------------37
SHIP HISTORY
1893 built as the Aranmore
1909 Sold to Germany renamed Waltrude
1939 Sold to the National Sea Training School renamed Vindicatrix
1966 Sold to Thomas Ward, Newport. Wales and scrapped,
The camp also closed at this time. In 1982 the camp was demolished.
On a recent visit to the area, it was found the some of the hut bases are still there.
However much of the camp has gone.
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