Training Ship Vindicatrix

[Peter Dobson]

This is AMAZING thank you so much gentlemen. I so much like the photograph I remember the boat so well however I don't remember the building having so many floors but of course it must have done.

Thank you so very much and I will contact NA Kew.

Kind regards Peter

[Peter Dobson]

I was at the old Gravesend sea school in 1958, as i understand it, now demolished, and a new one was built somewhere along the prom. I do not know how to get your discharge book details, but keep looking in, someone may be able to help. You can probably remember the same instructors as myself. The commandant was Captain Mckellar, kt

Thank you, you have got a good memory remembering the Captains name I can just about remember my own. I wonder if you were one of the lads I pulverized in the ring? [joking of course], great time I had just loved it especially the Dripping Butties for supper served in the hall or a large room if my memory is not letting me down, it was probably the broom cupboard.

Thanks for the memory... Peter

PS I do have my discharge detail now thank you.

[happy daze john in oz]

Captain Duguid was his name according to my records.

The mess hall, exactly that, was not too big but bigger than you may recall.
Food, that most wonderful absent item, had we had some times may well have appeared better.

[Keith Tindell]

I think the post has slipped from the Vindi to Gravesend John, the Captains name was definitely McKellar, its in the front of my discharge book, that photo is exactly as i remember it, and the drills we had swinging that life boat out. I also taking another lifeboat out into the Thames and getting us to all row in unison (not easy) against the tide. One way to knacker a lot of 16-17 year olds i suppose. I also remember being on duty at the side door at night to let the lads back in from shore leave, kt

[cappy]

###the captains name at the vindi was duguid .......his wife and her mother lived with him for many years must say after looking at some of the so called ####officers### there he always looked well turned out .....whether he was ever a ships master i dont know .....but a fair man .......but there was some dunderheads there ....and just not amongst the trainees......a place to scarper to in life was my opinion......but to each his own........cappy

[Captain Kong]

I heard that Captain Duguid died the same day as the Vindi was towed away for scrapping./

I found Mr Strange`s grave in Berkeley Churchyard,
he always told us he would never have any words on his grave stone, just blank, then people would sayd "That's Strange"

He had lots of words on it when I found it.
He told us he hated Stewards because when he was in a lifeboat in the Arctic and had frost bite in his toes, he asked a steward to chop his toes off with the axe, the steward refused and he had to do it himself.


His wife later said , he lost his toes in a motor cycle accident.

[cappy]

My Dad was on her in 1943, at 16, and though he didn't talk about that chapter of his merchant career much, he did tell me it was a tough regime. He didn't mention licking his lips at seeing swans as potential dinner but did comment on the extra vitamins they used to get from weevils in the bread! How lucky subsequent generations are!

##still getting weevils and maggots in porrage and cereals in 58 on a old hains boat ...and the most interesting thing was beasties swimming round in a jar of pickled onions even the old man came down to see it after the mate said it was impossible ...for anything to live in vinegar......later proved by rob ........havnt heard from rob for a while how you doing rob ...regards cappy

[happy daze john in oz]

Cappy, all that additional protein in them jars, some would kill for such extras.

[simon gilbert]

The former sailing ship Vindicatrix

was moored in the Old Arm at Sharpness from 1939 to 1966 to provide a base for training boys as deck hands and stewards for the merchant navy. The courses lasted two or three months, and around 70,000 boys received their basic training here.

Read more here

https://www.gloucesterdocks.me.uk/sh...indicatrix.htm

Vernon,

I think my now deceased FAther may have been at Vindi in the 1940's. Is there any infomration i.e. a list of names, of those who were at Vindi available either on the web or elsehwere?

Regards
Simon

[John Bache]

The former sailing ship Vindicatrix

was moored in the Old Arm at Sharpness from 1939 to 1966 to provide a base for training boys as deck hands and stewards for the merchant navy. The courses lasted two or three months, and around 70,000 boys received their basic training here.

Read more here

https://www.gloucesterdocks.me.uk/sh...indicatrix.htm

hi,did my training on vindi sep 63 to nov 63, remember being taken to the albert hall on remembrance day to represent the merchant navy,anybody recall that.still remember the food or lack of.