Vindicatrix Toilets

[Jim Brady]

This is written by a guy by the name of Charlie Boyd.On the riverbank alongside the vessel there was a toilet block-a trench dug in the ground,the length of the shed,with about 12 toilet slots.One punishment would be to clean these out.Lads would only have a loin cloth on..and if the tide had not been in to clean the channel out,they would have to get right down and push the stuff out..
Another Vindi boy Bill Sheridan wrote this.They used to come around at five o'clock in the morning with a cane,and you'd get hit,unbelievable,no pyjamas or anything,just an old gry blanket,and they'd whack you on the bare bottom to get up.
Do any Vindi boys on here remember those conditions.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[cappy]

jim the rise and fall of the tide took most of the crap away .....there was along row of bogs iit stunk pretty bad that was in november ...must have stunk in summer ....if any one had hit me with anything i would have hit him back .....only hitting was in boxing were a guy from liver pool gave me a good seeing to ......but nohard feelings there .......the bad thing on the vindi in nov was the nissan or tin hut no heating and i think just one blanket......the food was crap ....of course somebody will say it was ok .....but we wouldnt no what they ate at home......in our hut we would draw lots in sharing a sliced loaf to get the crust ....more bread on the crust.......probably better food than hm prison adelaide in 59 ....but it wasnt cold in oz.......only time i remember ever being hungary was at the vindi in novemberdidnt really bother me as i would do anything to get my discharge book .......went to a vindi do about 10 years ago in sharpness ....aguy running round with a tee shirt with .......i survived the vindi .he looked a proper r sole...regards cappy

[Jim Brady]

Cappy talking of boxing.This Bill Sheridan opens his story by saying he was a bit of a mothers boy and the Vindi was a shock to the system.About the boxing "on a thursday night,for the captains entertainment they'd get a boxing match going.If you committed a misdemeanour,say you did'nt do your bunk as it should be,any mortal excuse you had to fight for the Captain.Gloves and all,no bantam or featherweight or anything,I was a weakling.I was about 6 stone and they put me in with an Irish lad,who must've been about 12 stone.The skipper was there,and all the instructers ,watching for blood-mine.It was me who got tired running around,and eventually I got caught with a blow that near took my head off.I went down, I dont think I heard the count.After I came to,I was informed that the skipper said I took a dive,and for that,I'd be on again next thursday,"!!!
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Captain Kong]

I cleaned the toilets on the Quay at Sharpness alongside the Vindi many times. in 1952. March to June..
The bogs were inside a stone building on the Quayside, a long concrete trough, with wood on top with about 10/12 holes to sit on, water ran down the length of it. and then through a pipe and then it fell down several feet to the banks of the River Severn. on the otherside of the wall.
When the tides came in it was washed away.
Sometime the lad in the first hole dropped paper that he set on fire and this would float down and burn the bums and goolies of the lads further down.
The Stone hut is still there and is now used a a store room,.
It was not as Charlie describes. I know Charlie.
I never heard of anyone being hit on the bare bum with a cane at 5 am.
We usually got revellie at 6am, first job after ablutions was to scrub out the hut or if on the ship scrub out the Bed deck then get changed for breakfast. Lessons would start after that.
I loved the place, didnt want to leave, Had a very pretty girl in the village who even today, 62 years later, get an occaisional birthday card from.
I was Bosun on the ship and got a Bosuns Discharge in my Discharge Book.
The boxing was usually a grudge fight. If two lads were caught fighting then they were made to fight in the Ring with gloves on, under supervision. that way no lad would have been badly injured.
Me thinks some guys slightly exagerate.
Cheers
Brian.

[cappy]

true no wieght difference saw some smaller kids against some big kids ......all tried but some didnt have a clue and some fights had to be stopped.....a big irish lad in a bunk next to mine sobbing like a baby crying inever thought it would be likethis .....not sure what he did expect.....he skinned out after a week or so......there was one or two runners ...better they did it then they couldnt get of a tramp.....always kidded the ist trippers out of shields if they were sick or didnt like it as you got of the lizard the captain would send for the helicopter to take you off then up he would go to see the old man ...and us huddled at the bottom of the stairs listening to the old mans comments.......not much sympathy for whingers ever regards cappy

[Kenneth Kenny]

Hi Brian,I was at the Vindi August /September (1955) Every morning a big mouth Instrucker,would come in Camp Hut with a big Cane banging on your bunk shouting hand's off Cock's and on with sock's,about 5-6am,even the last few week's on the Ship.(Vindi)Never had a fight in the Ring,but had a few in Camp Site.Two of my Bootle friend's John Griffin,and Marty Marr he was from Marsh Lane,two good lads went in the Ring they won.Charle's Boyd passed away about 5-10years ago( R.I.P.He was boss man at the Liverpool Vindicatrix Branch,Great Man.

[Jim Brady]

Hi Ken,how are you doing?you must be about half way through your three months of not being mobile now,you will be OK in a few more weeks just in time for the better weather.Ken did you get that book from Radio Merseyside a few years ago compiled by Ev Draper called All at Sea?I bought it and I've just come across it again and started reading it thats where I got those two stories from,I've got no reason not to believe them thats why I put them on here.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Kenneth Kenny]

Thank's Jim,go to the Hospital,next Wednesday 1-40 pm,hope to get some good New's,I broke my Tiba and Fibula,a few year's ago Four Operation's,got to keep my Left Leg Up,so I have a leg up every day,and looking out of the Window same time.Jim I have got that book, in book shelf some were have not looked at it for many year's.Thank's Again Jim.Ken.R634898.

[Captain Kong]

Hi Ken,
Must have been a different set of Instructors than 1952. Three of us Deck were put into a stewards hut as the Deck hut was full. Thye Instructer in the Hut was a Mr Brown. he was very easy going no probs with him.
I was never challenged so never went into the ring. I did box for the Lads Club for four years before I went to the Vindi and won the Boxing at Butlins in 1951 at 16.
I still cant think why Charlie would have to wear a loin cloth to clean out the quayside bogs. We wore dungarees and seaboots. when hosing it down. I did it regularly when I was on the ship for four weeks. the tide had nothing to do with the operation of the bogs, only to wash it from the banks of the Severn where it fell out of the soil pipe.
I used to have a drink and a chat with Charlie at the Vindi re-unions, I knew he was quite ill but sad to hear that he had died.
I found the Vindi experience very easy, I had been on gunnery courses at HMS EXCELLENT, Whale Island. and that really was tough.
My first trip to sea was the toughest experience, battered and beaten every day by a crowd of bullying bastards from Liverpool and Southampton.. I was going over the side in the Indian Ocean just to end it all. Then I realised that I had nothing to lose so I beat the crap out of the biggest bully and things changed for the better. I survived.
Cheers
Brian.
.
Hi Ken
Didnt know you had been bad on your leg. Hope it gets better soon. All the best,
Brian.

[happy daze john in oz]

Remember the cane on the bunk at some unearthly hour and worse if you were on galley duty, about 0400 hours for that. But one night at about 1 in the morning some officer came in put the lights on and told us all to stand to attention, maybe did not have his galsses on at the time or he may not have said that, gave ma a rollocking because I was not wearing pyjamas, had to send home for some as it was an item of clothing I never wore and still do not, prefer to sleep in the buff.