A history of the Royal Navy Training Establishment HMS Ganges. AboutPressCopyrightContact. From it came bloodcurdling cries of command, so frightening that I most surely would have obeyed them myself, if had I understood what they meant. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. On October 28 the White Ensign was lowered for the last time and the ships figurehead was transferred to Royal Hospital School, Holbrook. The cinemas would be packed with rows of Ganges boys in uniform and the caf at the corner of St Stephen's Lane would sell them many cups of tea as they waited for their bus back to Shotley. HMS Ganges moved moorings from Harwich to Shotley. During the third disastrous week, it spent so much time on the deck I thought I might as well leave it there! HMS Ganges was a training ship and later stone frigate of the Royal Navy. JavaScript is disabled. HMS Ganges as a training ship in the 1900s (Image: HMS Ganges Museum). This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. They faced what was without doubt the most severe punishment, cuts. RO1 (T) Served from 1970 - 1975 Served in HMS Ganges. George Douglas Blake HMS Warspite. HMS Ganges as a training ship in the 1900s, HMS Ganges being broken up after training was transferred to the land base at Shotley, The boys climbed the mast whenever the base received high-status visitors, and as part of their training, The sailors in training doing exercises outside the gym, The honours board from the HMS Ganges, showing the victories of all the Royal Navy ships bearing the name. Life on the ship was extremely hard, with a memorial in Mylor, Cornwall, recording the names of 53 people who died while training on it between 1866 and 1899. ( Royal Naval Detention Quarters RNDQs Portsmouth), Listen to No Flowers for Geordie on SoundCloud. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. During Ganges's time in Cornwall allegations of harsh and brutal treatment were reported to the Admiralty.One wardroom steward shot himself over the matter, and the reports aroused indignation in the local community. . HP10 9TY. This was followed by a leap from the diving board, as high as any tree I'd ever climbed, wearing the waterlogged boiler suit and a lifejacket. To get out of the showers we had to stand before our instructor legs apart arms raised for inspection. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, Loudwater Mill, Station Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. GANGES was the shore training establishment for boy entrants into the Royal Navy from 1905 until 1976. There was one hell to come, the Ganges mast! GANGES; the ship had previously anchored out in the harbour below, at Shotley Gate, on the east coast opposite Harwich. They looked smarter, more confident, or even downright dejected. Martin Foster, 54, of Haig Road, Uxbridge, had already admitted two charges of fraud by abuse of position. We can reunite you with your friends who served at HMS Ganges and we have a wealth of information on different units, bases and ships in the site. Shotly Jan 7 1967 , 4 weeks in the annex, 11months in the main establishment,left the RN after 26 years, as C.C.MEA(P) and you could tell Ganges trained men a mile off, Regrets not a bit.Sorry for the lad in my class that drank a pint of pussers disinfectant (The black stuff that turned white when you added water) I believe he got his Discharge. She remained in service at RNTE Shotley until October 1976. It may not display this or other websites correctly. the top rung of a six foot ladder is about my limit! Initially, training continued to be carried out on the vessel, but after the completion of a shore-based facility at Shotley, the ship was sent to be broken up. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Some 100 boy-sailors were in the canteen, chewing and chattering; clattering knives forks and spoons against plates and bowls. Maybe we boxed each other in the Shotley annexe! Today lots of those instructors (JIs and Badgeboys included) would be in front of the beak for various abuses, harassment and bullying. Sadists most of them and that's from a 15 year old who was in a council care home before he joined, streetwise to fcuk and kept my head down. In 1907, its famous 143ft (44m)-high training . I knew a gentleman who said when he was at Ganges in 1947 he had his first taste of hot food. Royal Navy 238217 Boy 2nd Class HMS Ganges II. ', and he replied that it was the first time he had a warm bed, three hot meals a day, and a roof over his head that didn't leak. There was a way to bypass it for cowards like me, but God help you if you tried using it. It began snowing on Boxing Day. Posted on February 5, 2019 by irishroverpei. The rest of the class were not pleased to suffer because of one boys stupidity and sometimes made a cruel point of letting the culprit know. 1971. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/hms-ganges-swimming-pool-shotley-may-2015.t96792, Anniversary Toast - HMS RALEIGH 25th Oct 2009, Telegraph: "Captain Peter Grindal Obituary", Future Ford vehicles could repossess themselves, 10 myths told by Covid 'experts' now debunked. Mr W Im sure the surprise and very welcome CD that popped through my letter box today was from you dear sir, so thanks very much and Im looking forward to listening to it very soon. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. His fellow recruit, Phil Bridge, said it was "a sad day, because it means a lot to us", but he was looking forward to a restored mast being returned. Ganges will for ever be the legacy of every young boy who passed through those distant gates to emerge as a sailor and a man. On his 15th Birthday he was sent, with 2000 other boys, to the notorious HMS Ganges training establishment at Shotley Point where a harsh regime held sway. This portion was taken from the foremast of the corvette Cordelia which was paid off . It had been HO (Hostilities-only) traing during the war. This was the job of the button boy at HMS Ganges who had to shin up the last fifteen feet or so to climb on the button during ceremonial parades. 1906. Editors' Code of Practice. Were you at HMS Ganges? So as I have said already, we kept our heads down aiming for that final day when wed be drafted to a ship. The 142-foot high (43 m) mast was erected in 1907. At about 60 feet was the Devil's Elbow, the most dangerous and frightening part. Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History 13 March 1653 - Death of Simon de Vlieger (c. 1601, Rotterdam - buried 13 March 1653, Weesp) Simon de Vlieger (c. 1601, Rotterdam - buried 13 March 1653, Weesp) was a Dutch designer, draughtsman, and painter, most famous for. The only thing I can remember of that awesome night, apart from collecting a kit bag and filling it to capacity with kit, was sobbing myself to sleep and that I ate the biggest meal I'd ever eaten in my entire 15 years of life. Anniversary Toast - HMS RALEIGH 25th Oct 2009, Telegraph: "Captain Peter Grindal Obituary", Future Ford vehicles could repossess themselves, 10 myths told by Covid 'experts' now debunked. Heard so much about HMS Ganges though and it sounded very good for developing 'real sailors ' but as much as I hate to admit it I suspect it would have been too much for me . This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. The water was freezing cold, we never had hot water. Doesnt sound too bad does it. The HMS Ganges training base, which opened in 1905, closed in 1976 and has remained . Learn how your comment data is processed. Allegations of Abuse. HMS Ganges was the name given to several Royal Navy ships from 1779 onwards, but in 1905 it was chosen for a new training base at Shotley Gate, near Ipswich, where about 500 boy recruits were. Royal Navy 238217 Boy 1st Class HMS Ganges II. Peter Ohara. Justin I saw the mast fully manned three times and it was a wonderful sight to see as it was so well choreographed and I was always amazed how the button boy could even get onto the button, when there was a breeze the mast moved a few good feet at the top of it and as I said all he had to hold onto was a knee high lighting conductor. Rather than do the two as a pongo I signed on the dotted line for a dozen , best thing I ever did and I regret not staying in for the full time . St George IOM Boys training 3/5/45 Christmas leave 45 took all kit and returned to Ipswich station, then by the ubiquitous 3 ton Bedford to Shotley where we reopened HMS Ganges as a boys establishment. Captain Tremlett, the Senior Officer of training ships, was ordered to investigate the situation and reported that Commander Stevens 'had given punishments . A Gannett Company. I allowed my head to tilt backward, sending my gaze to the very top, to the lightning conductor where the Button Boy stood on ceremonial occasions. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. Some boys failed the initial inspection which only lengthen their time in the freezing conditions. From the annexe, I had sometimes seen it, partly hidden by snowy skies as it towered above the buildings, and it looked frightening then, but now, marching beneath its cobweb rigging, it looked truly awesome. Developers Wavensmere Homes and Galliard Homes plan to build almost 300 homes on the site and include a restored mast in the development. Hetzner Online GmbH, Industriestrasse 25, D-91710 Gunzenhausen, Germany +49 9831 505-0 abuse@hetzner.com. Looking pretty in candy-striped pyjama bottoms and naked chests, we were ordered across the parade ground, through the snow and ice, to the 'heads', that grown-up potty land, which had neither doors nor partitions around the bowls for privacy, to partake in our morning ablutions, a most embarrassing experience. Ganges Tales of the T.R.O.G.s Paperback - 22 Nov. 1995 by John Douglas (Author), John Wheatley (Illustrator) 6 ratings Paperback 12.00 8 Used from 8.90 H.M.S. 'Letters back to front, remember!' www.amazon.co.uk/H-m-S-Ganges-Dozen/dp/0906418003/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269273975&sr=1-1, www.navy-net.co.uk/Forums/viewtopic/t=134/postdays=0/postorder=asc/start=0.html, www.veterans-uk.info/vets_badge/vets_badge.htm. Each of us was required to construct a printing block using letters carved in wood. HMS GANGES AT HIGHNAM COURT, GLOUCESTERSHIRE, 1940 - 1942. HMS Ganges was a training ship and later stone frigate of the Royal Navy. Yes indeed, they were the best of times and the worst of times. We were ordered to turn around and bend over, if the instructor was satisfied we were clean, we were allowed out. 1907. Helpful. A historic Grade II listed former Royal Navy training mast has been taken down ahead of restoration work. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant). It would not be an exaggeration to say not one of us had the slightest idea of what lay in store for the next year. I just got on with it. He was an Electricians Mate Class 1 and served in, 12/03/35-09/01/36 HMS Ganges. [1] Dave Walton RN retired. Ken Smith, who now lives in Brighton, sent me memories of arriving at HMS Ganges in the severe winter of 1963 and his fear of the dreaded mast. Was anything in this navy free from fear? 1927. Finally he withdrew his hand and declared I passed the test. The HMS Ganges Museum previously said restorers would remove the wooden part of the mast for refurbishment off site and they would then check the condition of the steel lower mast. 1905 to 1976 saw 150,000 recruits pass through HMS Ganges. Rumour had it many years ago a boy did fall, bouncing off the safety net and through the Post Office roof. Ganges Tales of the T.R.O.G.s Print length 264 pages Language English Publisher Second City Publishers, Penmarth, Cornwall Publication date 22 Nov. 1995 ISBN-10 090681605X ISBN-13 HMS Ganges is situated on the Shotley Peninsula in Suffolk. Every letter, every strip of tape had to be in a perfect line. It had to be a joke! The showers usually took place at the crack of dawn, summer or winter we ran from the barrack towel around our waist to the showers. In 1907, its famous training mast was erected on the parade ground. I did climb that mast. contact the editor here. Sailors' uniforms were a familiar sight in our area until HMS Ganges closed in June 1976. HP10 9TY. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. There were stories of many similar violations but none ever reported. My instructors were Nobby Clarke and Ted Roe. On the remainder of the command 'Bayonets' the left hand pulled the bayonet from the scabbard, placed it on the barrel of the rifle and, with a quick twist of the wrist, secured it in place. I would imagine it will be a number of years before we see the final product but Ive seen first hand how quickly they can actually make progress once the builders get going. He was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court. H.M.S. "The rest of the buildings, including Nelsons Hall and the swimming pool will be converted into flats, shops and a sports centre. Observer career path/ real life experience. "A lot of the boys came from foster homes, or Barnardos. Read about our approach to external linking. Realizing his mistake he fought back and with no way out he had no choice but to work his ticket. Maurice was nothing to do with HMS Ganges, in fact he had been a crew member of HMS Hambledon. Royal Navy 238217 Ordinary Seaman HMS Niobe . 4 reviews When Peter Broadbent entered HMS Ganges, the toughest training establishment for young recruits to the Royal Navy, he was a naive 15-year-old Yorkshire schoolboy, entranced with the idea of seeing the world, proud of his drainpipe trousers and DA hairstyle, and eager to meet girls. Network 157.90../16 Abuse Contact API. Padre Weekes was always good for a fag and Jim Conroy (PTI) taught me to yodel. Once the situation eases a bit there will be tangible progress to be seen.. HMS Ganges was the name given to several Royal Navy ships since from 1779, but in 1905 it was chosen as title for a new training base at Shotley Gate, near Ipswich where about 500 boy recruits. I would like to see the mast and museum moved to the safety of HMS Raleigh though to ensure its upkeep and maintenance. Im here as my Son (15) wants to join the RN - Wellbeck route AIB soon. The greatest fear was of messing up, this meant the whole class was punished. They looked like what we didn't, sailors. (LogOut/ 5.0 out of 5 stars A real trip down memory lane. Speaking about the current state of the site, Mr Jones said: "All of the messes have been demolished, as have the laundry and the generators. Uniforms were a familiar sight in our area until HMS Ganges during these challenging times commenting your. You do see are predominantly from local businesses to get out of the Navy. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the safety net and through the Post roof! 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