Experiences in the Royal Navy

From 1954 to 1956 I spent 2 years in the Royal Navy as a National Serviceman, and for a number of subsequent years was a member of the RNV(S)R, the supplementary reserve, which was a less serious version of the RNVR.

I started as an Ordinary Seaman at Victoria Barracks in Portsmouth where 4 weeks was spent on basic training such as drill and boat work and undertaking tests for officer suitability. I passed these and was drafted to HMS Indefatigable as a National Service Upper Yardsman, a sort of lower deck officer cadet, for four months training.

HMS Indefatigable

Our group of about 20 were housed with some 500 other trainees in the converted 600 foot long upper aircraft hanger.

As part of the training here and during the subsequent period as a Midshipman, we had to complete about 3 foolscap pages a week of a Journal describing doings of the week and other nautical matters usually with some sort of sketch or drawing. I have been encouraged to scan my journal and post details on the web due to a lack of available history of RN ships on the net.

Most of the training was class work covering navigation, flag and morse communication, weapons, regulations and so on as well as practical boatwork and visits to other ships and shore establishments.

The ship was based in Portland Harbour and the summer cruise covering Scotland and Denmark made a pleasant change. The highlight was being invited one weekend by a Danish acquaintance to the opening of a new pub in Aarhus.

You can view or download the part of my journal covering this period. It is about 4Mb in size and is in DJVU format. Those unfamiliar with this format can download a free viewer from the DJVU web site.

HMS Triumph

On completion of the training course, now a Midshipman, I spent nearly three months aboard HMS "Triumph", the training ship for RN officer cadets. She did have three trainer aircraft so some flying was undertaken. It was a pleasant change moving from living in a hanger in Indefatigable to Triumph's gunroom for sleep and messing in the wardroom. Most of the time was spent on an interesting Mediterranean cruise where the highlight was a visit to Venice, mooring opposite St Marks Square from where I was able to sketch the palace, which can be seen in my journal. I left Triumph before Xmas for a month's leave before flying out to join HMS Flamingo in Bahrein.

You can view or download my journal covering this period. It is about 5Mb in size.

HMS Flamingo

A further year was spent in the Black Swan class frigate, HMS "Flamingo" the flagship of the Persian Gulf squadron based in Bahrein. This was an interesting area at this time with virtually no Western influence apart from the the oil industry in Bahrein and the north of the gulf. Apart from winter, it was a hot and humid region though we were able to spent a few weeks on a visit to India and Ceylon, where dry-docking took place.

You can view or download my journal covering this period. It is rather larger than the others, about 12Mb in size.

A shipmate on this commission, Douglas Carr, also has a website that includes a number of photos.

My remaining few months in the navy were spent on a Torpedo and Anti-Submarine (TAS) course at HMS Vernon in Portsmouth as a Sub-Lieutenant.This went well though I wasn't much good as an Asdic operator since my hearing wasn't sufficiently good musically to interpret the doppler shifts in the return echoes used to determine the direction a submarine was moving.

Reserve training - RNV(S)R

Following completion of National Service I spent a number of years in the supplementary reserve. This involved evening lectures aboard the RNVR drill ship HMS President on the Thames in London together with interesting sea trips of about two weeks each around Europe.

Most sea training was as a supernumerary aboard merchant ships as the training officer had very good business contacts with shipping lines. On board one usually stood the morning watch with the mate and had a relaxed time with plenty of time ashore at ports. Trips included a Scandinavian voyage to Denmark and Sweden with Ellerman Wilson, a short run to Holland with General Steam, a coastal to Antwerp with P & O cargo and a part ocean leg from Genoa to Sunderland with Port Line. 2nd SBG

One year was different, when two weeks were spent with the German Bundesmarine aboard the Seeadler class S-Boot "Bussard" (illustrated) of the 2nd Schnellboot geschwader, based in Willemshaven. The boat exercised daily with two side trips, one overnight to Heligoland, by this time turned from a WWII fortress into a holiday resort, and the other via the Kiel Canal to Eckernforde in the Baltic Sea. She had four MAN diesels giving a maximum speed of 42 knots and was unable to keep within the canal's 6 knot speed limit even with one engine at minimum revolutions! The canal authorities turned a blind eye to this as they had no wish to provide a free towing service.

Top
Home