Which Sea School ??

[DeepSea]

Received this picture via the National MNA circular from someone searching for information on a relative who served at sea. The attached picture is believed to be of a Sea School the individual spent time at. Does anyone recognise the place

Rgds Billy

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Billy,
Could it possibly have been an old Pic of "Watts Naval Training School",

North Elmham,

Nr Dereham,

Norfolk.

Opened March 1903 as a county school for boys 11 years and over for naval and general training. Closed as a sea school in 1949. In January 1950 took family groups from three to 15 years.

Closed December 1953.??

Cheers

[john sutton]

the picture loos more like russelcotes school which became parkstone sea training school.I was at both watts naval school and parkstone as they shut watts down while i was there.(not my fault).looking at the picture the buildings in the background look too small to be watts.the second picture is definately watts.
there is a website called county school also a dr barnardoes site.over the past three years i have been in touch with old schoolmate through the website.if more info is required contact me
john sutton

[Doc Vernon]

Hi John S,
You most probably are correct,as i didnt know about the Schools,was just taking a guess.
Here is a Link to the one you mention,do you think the Pics here are similar!
Cheers

To ADD

Yes after looking closer the second link here the first Pic of old Dr Barnados does look like it!

http://www.goldonian.org/parkstone/

http://images.google.com.au/imgres?i...%3Den%26sa%3DG

http://images.google.com.au/imgres?i...%3Den%26sa%3DG

[olddog96]

Hi Vernon 1 how are you ,
I did my training on H.M.S.Worster ,we had to do 6 months course longer than most of the other places.I liked it it was a good place to start if you had never been away from home before. She was achored on the thames at Greehythe next to Fred Everards ,pub and couple of other places between. Vernon 2
.

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Vernon 2
I am well thanks mate,hope the same goes for you!
As you are a bit new here you wouldnt know that i never did any Sea School Training!
I was recruited in Cape Town with the UCL after serving 12 Months Catering Training with SASSAR (Suid Afrikaans Spoorwee_South African Railways) at a place called Wingfield,an old Aerodrome just outside Cape Town.Then also serving on the Trains!
To cut it short we were trained in all Silver Service Methods for using on the Trains,between Cape Town,Durban,Salisbury,Johannesburg on trains such as the old Bullett Double Headers ,the Orange Express,and the famous Blue Train.
During that 6 Months we were not allowed out of the Camp,and after work we used to just either go for a Swim in the Pool that they had,or read Cowboy Books etc! Every week they would put a Movie on for us!( Mind you one or two of us sometimes jumped the Fence to get out for a while and those that did me included haha! were alawys well covered by our mates!) Thats where my Comaraderie started!
Food was good though,but other than that it was like a little Prison Camp haha!
As said earlier here after all that i was at last able to secure a position on the old Dunnottar Castle (thanks to someone not turning up) going on her last Voyage to London KG5.
A very memorable trip for me then of course! Well the rest is as you know from your own experiences!
Cheers
Vernon 1

[alf corbyn]

Hi Vernon 2
I am well thanks mate,hope the same goes for you!
A very memorable trip for me then of course! Well the rest is as you know from your own experiences!
Cheers
Vernon 1

hi vernon. i went out with a girl in capetown whose father was the caretaker of an old airfield outside capetown.they lived in a converted nissan hut which was as roomy as a three bedroom house. would this have been your wingfield?. cheers. alf

[Doc Vernon]

Hello Alf,
Well seeing as there was only one old Airport them days (not counting the main Airport) it must have been one and the same.
They closed the actual Airports facilities down then started that SASSAR Training Camp there!
All the Members Of Parliment used to come there for their meetings and we had to wait on them hand and foot mate!
A very large place indeed.
Cannot actually remember who was in charge at that time,but i do know that the Caretaker had a big place very near the large Building that we used for all these big meets!
The Swimmimg Pool was actually the Caretakers,and we used to be so naughty at nights jumping in all hours haha! Gave him a hard time!
The entire Area was very well fenced off from the outside ,with very high wire but we somehow also managed to scale that at times haha!
Wish i could recall his name! But i do distinctly remeber that there was a Daughter but we were kept well off limits with her haha! So no worries mate you were safe with her! Small World isnt it Alf!
Cheers

[alf corbyn]

hi vernon.i was trawling through the site and came across this reply from you to me, and don't remember answering it.its dated december!!. the girl at the airfield i went out with was named vinnie acron or akron dont remember much about the area as it was night when i was there. cheers. alf

[Doc Vernon]

Amazing what you find when you just trawl! haha!
Now not too sure on this Alf,but are you sure that her name was vinnie?
Somehow recall that the Girl there was called Winnie (Winifred) to be exact,but the Surname eludes me!
I could be wrong,but also remember her Friend that used to hang out with her on the Campus called Patricia,all just of course called her Dish! haha!
And i do recall that the old Man as we called him was a bit of a stickler with his Daughter!
Cheers