T.S. Indefatigable

[mark chatham]

Thanks Graham. Have found the OBA and sadly it looks like I have missed the last reunion by a couple of weeks. My wife and I are moving to Fiji to retire this year but will try and get to the gathering next year.

Hi Lee, pity you could not make this years reunion, a good time was had by all, my wife and i have attended the reunions for the past several years, really great bunch of lads and totally supported by a very enthusiastic committee. The Merchant Navy day in liverpool is also well worth a visit followed by a curry at the old eldonian, may see you there.

Regards


Mark Chatham Rodney Div, 65/66

[Wagga]

A number of things happened whilst I was at the Indefatigable in 1968-69 as you can imagine. After lights out, many a boy would quietly leave their bunks and join a party of risk taking climbers. The roof's of the "Inde" were, as I recall, steep and made of Welsh Slate. The Indefatigable was originally the Marquis of Anglesey's Mansion but was taken over in 1941 I think, by the Indefatigable up until 1995. The roof climbing continued uabated for several week without casualties which still amazes me.

One night however, the Officers had got to know what was going on. Some of the more trusted boys were asked to help to rig up a series of lights all around the building. That night will stick in my mind for the rest of my life. At the given signal all the lights went on. The spectacle that confronted us was hilarious and at the same time served to highlight the danger that these boys had put themselves in. In the glare of the lights there swarmed dozens of boys, mostly in pyjamas over all parts of the roof structures, even on the turrets. Like cockroaches they fled but their escape was blocked. I don't remember what the punishment would have been but no doubt it was severe.

[david miller]

Miller 37 Raleigh 65 to 66. I visited the school in 68 and stayed in Bangor for while Mr Bond ( Dick ) kept a room at the Railway. Bumped into him a few times he was a ladies man and still tried to be a bully. One of my most vivid memories was Benny Brown and Tez Penny having a belt fight on one of the landings.

[Anthony Atkinson]

I was their during 62-63 and never did manage the roof walk. Not many of us in those days did. We were too frightened of the punishment, which would have been 6 to a dozen of the cane, and all this witnessed by the ships company in the recreation hall by the swimming pool. The punishment was administered by Mr Wade c/o, and oh!!! my, did he lay it on. Funny thing, I was scared of heights but I soon had that knocked out of me, when on my first trip to sea the bosun, God bless him, decided I should work on deck, after I finished all my pegging duties. The job was oiling all the stays on the masts, main and upper. The gunk used was tallow and stockhome tar, yes the same tar which is used to tarmac the roads, even now. No such thing as health and safety then. Up I went in the bosuns chair and nearly pooped my self. Of course I got used to heights and from then was perfectly happy up in the clouds. My poor little hands took over a month to shed the awful stain from the tar. I can still smell the tar to this day. He!!! I lived. May this New Year bring you fair winds and weather. Anthony Atkinson Raleigh Division no: 70

[Anthony Atkinson]

May I wish you and yours a good and happy New Year. Anthony Atkinson R796905

[Wagga]

Hi David, I was number 37 also. Raleigh 68 - 69. Dick Bond was handy with a cricket bat during meal times. If he caught you talking there was a good chance that you would cop it.

[Graham Payne]

May I wish you and yours a good and happy New Year. Anthony Atkinson R796905

Hi Anthony
I wish you and your family the very same. Belated unfortunatly.
Also all you ex Indefatigable boys, after doing a 12 month or 18 month stint there you deserve all the luck you get, big time.

[Mike Weller]

Iwas there from1948 to Sept.1949. it was tough but a good grounding for life at sea.I was L.Hand second Divisiopn. Mr French was D/O Mr Strong ,Bandmaster andthe captain wasCaptain Balmbra I was Don Coates (still am)No 48. There is an Old Boys Ass. Iam a member but unfortunately have'nt been able to get to thereunions Don

Hello Don.
I remember you, I was a L/H in the 4th Division. Someone used to make model boats, was that you?
Remember Tony (Legg) Devereaux? I saw him a couple of years after leaving, it was in London at Sir John Cass, he was a cadet with P&O.
Did we have numbers in those days? If so I can't remember mine.
Best wishes,
Mike Weller

[Wagga]

Wish I could get to the reunions too but haven't so far been able. Went back to the school in 1992 but all the boys were on holiday so wondered around the old place on my own. The seamstress was still at work though and she said she thought she still remembered me even though it was at the time, over 20 years since I had been there. I have to admit, it was nostalgic wandering the empty corridors and dormitories even if memories of the place were a bit harsh.

[Wagga]

After I had left the Indefatigable in 1969, I heard that in 1970, that the Britannia Bridge built by Robert Stephenson had been set fire to and so severely damaged that it had to be rebuilt. This caused major disruption to the Island of Anglesey because it was the only railway bridge that spanned the Menei Straits. I feared at the time that it was an Inde boy that set fire to it because I know for a fact that at night some lads would sneak out of the school and make their way along the nearby railway line and enter the bridge tunnels. I say tunnels because this is exactly what the bridge consisted of; two enormous cast iron tunnels that spanned the bridge.

On the night of the disaster, the fire spread rapidly and was so fierce that it began to melt the tunnels. Fire fighters found it almost impossible to fight the fire as access was very limited. After an investigation it was found that the fire had been started from the mainland side of the bridge and it was eventually concluded that it was two local boys NOT from the Indefatigable that were responsible. Major rebuilding took time and in the meantime, buses had to be laid on.

Since then a road bridge has been built on top of the rail bridge completely changing it's profile but trains still run through the original though renewed cast iron tunnels. See these superb images of the bridge and imagine how dangerous it must have been for the Inde boys that ran through them. britannia railway bridge - Google Search