TS Vindicatrix

[John F Collier]

Hi All, The Vindi started her life as ship 338 in the Kingston Yard Port Glasgow, May 1893 made of steel she took five and a half months to build, was 1,946 gross tons 207ft X 39ft with three mast, launched 03 Oct 1893 as the Arranmore. she had many mishaps and was to survive for 73 years. She was sold to a German Company called Folshe for £4,000 in 1909 and renamed Waltraute. She
served Folshe until 1914 when damaged beyond repair in a storm she was sold as a store ship to Hamburg Harbour Authority. A few months later WW1 had started and she was commandeered by the German navy. she had another deck added from bow to stern and her sides enclosed, so she started to resemble the ship that we all knew, she was completely redesigned inside transforming the original ship into a parent ship used for accommodation and submarine training. After the war in 1922 The Shipping Federation was shown as her owners and she was now called Vindicatrix, in 1923 she was towed to Gravesend and fitted out as a MN training school where she stayed until being towed to the safer mooring at Sheerness in 1939, she was fitted with two Lewis guns manned by the Army for anti aircraft protection. On the12 Jan 1967 Vindi was towed to Newport to be Broken up. 70,000 young men had been trained on the Vindi for their life at sea, with so many of them not making it through the war. RIP. These Vindi songs were going strong in 1956, who knows when they began or how long they went on for? I'm hoping some of you might remember them.
We are some of the Vindi Boys we are some of the boys, we know our manners we flog our fags for tanners we are respected wherever we go, and as we go walking down the street, doors and windows open wide open wide, al the lads and lassies cry the Vindi boys are passing by, we are some of the boys. : They say that on the Vindi the food is mighty fine, a roll jumped off the table and killed a pal of mine, Oh I don't want no more of Vindi life, GEE MA I wanna go home. They say that on the Vindi the beds are mighty fine, but how the hell do they know, they've never slept on mine. Oh I don't want no more of Vindi life, GEE MA I wanna go, but they won't let me go, GEE MA I wanna go home.: Bless them all bless them all, as back to the Vindi they crawl, bless all the Bosuns and their Bosuns mates, bless all the Stewards and their empty plates, cos we're saying goodbye to them all as back to the Vindi they crawl, they won't go to Heaven, they'll stay by the Severn, so cheer up my lads bless them all. : On your first trip, if you were in catering and headed for the Panama Canal you were told by the wags to save cabbage leaves etc for the Panama Mules, and then the Golden Rivet. Then there was the crossing the line ceremony, when you were left with very little dignity after having all sorts of foul smelling concoctions poured over you, and a pretend haircut then finished off with a hosing down. This was the day that I discovered that Neptune was really a Scouser. Happy days with great mates, from all around the UK. PS, does anyone remember that Officer who got great pleasure out of banging on the door to wake us up and shouting, hands off c**k's put on your socks. And being told to report under the clock for any wrongdoings. Hope this rings a bell for some of you. All the best, John.

[Stan Carter]

can remember becoming a bridge boy, counting of the uprights of the severn bridge.
and singing,
good bye vindi I must leave you
though it breaks my heart to go.....like f...
regards, stan.

[Captain Kong]

The Reunion this week end , unfortunately I cant go this time,. maybe next year

[John F Collier]

I'm with you both of those Stan, do you remember the PT and square bashing.
Cheers, John.

[Stan Carter]

John F, some things are best forgotten, don't remember too much of that crap. but do remember starting my sea going life as a peggy before ever leaving the gulag. one night, cold as hell, Jan or Feb, fairly late at night, we were all in our pits, when the resident officer/ instructor came stamping in clad in his motor cycle outfit, saying "Christ it's cold out there tonight". Me not keeping my mouth shut said something like," more fool you for going out in it". of course had to own up to it next morning or have sanctions laid on us all. So finished up cleaning his room, making his tea, running errands and such. turned out he wasn't that bad and I got a few worth while concessions out of the deal.
stan.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi John.
I was there in April to June 49, could't wait to get there and couldn't wait to leave, but fondly remembered. I discovered last year that my brother was there the same months as me in 44, he survived the war but his mate there with him didn't; like many from the Vindi. They will always be remembered on the Vindi Memorial in Sharpness.
Cheers Des

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[happy daze john in oz]

can remember becoming a bridge boy, counting of the uprights of the severn bridge.
and singing,
good bye vindi I must leave you
though it breaks my heart to go.....like f...
regards, stan.

Then a ship ran into the bridge and one upright fell down, hard to count down then.

[John F Collier]

Hi Des, When you were on the Vindi suffering in 49 I was aged 10 and still in the Juniors at school innocent and having fun.
When I was on the Vindi suffering you were at sea not so innocent and having more fun,
Yeah it was a great feeling to walk out of those gates for the last time, All the best, John.

[Captain Kong]

I enjoyed every day at the Vindi.
Sure it was tough at times but after going through WW2, Rationing and the Blitz, life was good there in 1952.
I was Bosun of the ship. Its in my discharge book, I had been in the Sea Cadets for four years before going there and had done many training Courses on RN Ships and at the toughest place on earth, Whale Island, HMS Excellent, Gunnery Course.
I got a good girl friend there in the first week and we were together for over three years after, I used to stay at her home in Sharpness with her family when I was on leave between ships, He dad was a Chief Engineer at sea.
Then she married a local lad when I was on a long trip.
Happy Day
Brian.

[John F Collier]

This is a bit different but still about the Vindi but when she was the German Submariners training ship Waltraute in 1914. The cruiser
HMS Hermes was the first experimental seaplane carrier in 1913 and was torpedoed and sunk in the in the Dover Straights in 1914,
my Great Uncle was a aircraft mechanic 1st class and was killed. In photo's on Google you can see the wrecked canvas hangar and a upended plane on the stern, it looks as if the torpedo went in under the hangar, 44 men died. I've often wondered if some of the submarines crew was trained on the Waltraute, who knows ? Cheers, John.