Padre Weekes was always good for a fag and Jim Conroy (PTI) taught me to yodel. 11.00 to 17.00 Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays between Easter and the end of October. Welcome Guest. HMS Ganges moved moorings from Harwich to Shotley. Reaching high into the sunlit sky stood the mast; its yardarms spread wide like a giant crucifix. Aerial artist's impression of one of the green spaces earmarked for the former HMS Ganges site in Shotley Gate. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's HMS GANGES MUSEUM. Researched and compiled by A. S. Grimmer (Solent Division) who sadly crossed the bar 6th January 2007. HMS Ganges was also known as Shotley Training Establishment . If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can The greatest fear was of messing up, this meant the whole class was punished. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. HMS Ganges was a "stone frigate" or land-based institution for the Royal Navy, and between 1905 and 1976 was one of the key training bases used to prepare sailors to defend Great Britain. Read about our approach to external linking. HMS Ganges was a training ship and later stone frigate of the Royal Navy. Recruits used to climb the 143ft (44m)-high mast in formation, with the "button boy" standing on a small, circular platform at the very top, hands-free, but with his legs resting against a metal supporting bar. After initial training we were marched from the training camp. 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. Ronald Carr. Click here to remove banner ads from this forum. It used to be a training camp for the Navy until 1976, and in later years it was a police training school. 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. Didn't like it, there are better ways of teaching than violence, but it hardened me up and made me self disciplined. I heard many boys saying things like , dont bend over in front of the seamanship officer, or always face him dont turn around. She was established as a boys' training establishment in 1865, and was based aboard a number of hulks before moving ashore. Some boys were home sick, some just tried to stay out of trouble, one or two ran away. RM B54PCM - Twiggy the baby elephant was half an hour late for her appointment to 'tow of the premises', the 47 year old Captain Derek Napper Napper, skipper of HMS Ganges the naval training school at Shotley Suffolk, and found she had been replaced by a couple of horses. 2023 BBC. Royal Navy 238217 Ordinary Seaman HMS Niobe . 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. The test consisted of two lengths of the pool while wearing a boiler suit, then floating for five minutes. We were ushered in as a group of naked boys and told to wash thoroughly. Picture: CLAGUE ARCHITECTS (Image: CLAGUE ARCHITECTS). George Blake joined the Navy in 1935 and served up to 1950. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Martin Foster, 54, of Haig Road, Uxbridge, had already admitted two charges of fraud by abuse of position. The HMS Ganges training base, which opened in 1905, closed in 1976 and has remained derelict. 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. If not, you would do it repeatedly, until you dropped dead if necessary. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The association said it had about 3,000 members and at the time of the offences its income from membership fees was about 30,000 a year. It was a facade hiding unknown treasures unknown tricks for us to perform, the first of which was to mark our kit with our names. After such a long time I think it will be a welcome relief for a lot of people. Discussions between developers and Babergh District Council planning officers have been concluded five years after plans for the huge project were given outline planning permission in December 2015. Rumour had it many years ago a boy did fall, bouncing off the safety net and through the Post Office roof. A Gannett Company. The showers at Ganges were just one bare room with several shower heads, no privacy. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. It had been HO (Hostilities-only) traing during the war. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. Read about our approach to external linking. But this was Ganges, we never got away with anything. STANDING on a wooden disc about a foot in diameter, and saluting, does not sound too much of a challenge, unless it is 143feet above the ground and you only have a lightning conductor to grip between your knees. H.M.S. October, new Shore Establishment created and commissioned as Royal Navy Training Establishment, Shotley. Babergh District councillor Ganges, Derek Davis, said: From my own personal perspective I have seen how closely our officers and our planning team have worked with the owners of the site and I can imagine that once the lockdown is over and the guys get started, progress will be made very quickly. Old men on the HMS Ganges Facebook page and it helps keep alive my time spent there. During the third disastrous week, it spent so much time on the deck I thought I might as well leave it there! However, in the meantime we were still at the mercy of our instructors. One not only suffered the punishment such as doubling up and down the steps of laundry hill with a 303 rifle held high. For spite I think, because it wasn't compulsory. Well this seems a good time to see if this site works properly. Our abuse contact API returns data containing information belonging to the abuse contact of every IP address on the Internet. 1976. 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 . HP10 9TY. I was at Ganges in 1955 and went to visit Shotley in 2005 and was surprised to see police signs near the old swimming baths. He was fondling my right cheek as I tried to concentrate on pipping. NO FLOWERS FOR GEORDIE, HE'S NOT HERE TODAYTHE SEA HAS CLAIMED MY GEORDIE BOYPLEASE NO FLOWERS TODAYFIFTEEN YEARS OF LEARNING, HE'LL NOT GO DOWN THE MINESO WE TOOK HIM NEAR TO IPSWICH TOWNFAR FROM THE SEAMS OF THE TYNEIN A PLACE THEY STILL CALL 'GANGES' WITH TWO THOUSAND OTHER BOYSHE LEARNED TO SPLICE AND SAIL A BOATTALL ORDERS WERE HIS TOYSTHE 'BULLY BOYS' CAME NIGHTLY, DID THINGS A BOY COUNDN'T TELLBUT THEY MADE HIM WRITE IN HIS LETTERS HOME MAMMA YOU'R BOY'S DOIN WELLTHEN NEWS CAME OF SOME FIGHTING IN A FAR OFF DISTANT LANDWE NEED THOSE BOYS THUS SPAKE FOUR RINGSIN OUR BIG SHIPS THEY CAN RIDEIT'S WRITTEN ON HIS PAPERS, TWAS NOT THE DEED OF A MAN BUT A WAVE THAT TOOK MY GEORDIE BOYFIVE MILES OFF PLYMOUTH SOUNDSO NO FLOWERS FOR GEORDIE HE'S NOT HERE TODAY THE SEA HAS CLAIMED MY GEORDIE BOYPLEASE NO FLOWERS TODAY. It was at Shotley Point that the wooden ship HMS Ganges was berthed from 1899, and used as a cadet training ship for the Royal Navy. Early in 1940 Admiralty decided to close Ganges as a Boys Training Establishment and in April it became a Hostilities Only Training Establishment. Harry and Meghan told to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage, Explosive found in check-in luggage at US airport, Fungus case forces Jack Daniels to halt construction, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart, China and Belarus call for peace in Ukraine. the reason i remember the date is that it was my 15th birthday, We got shipped out to Suez in October 1956 cutting short our training by a couple of months. the top rung of a six foot ladder is about my limit! ', 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. 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. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can (LogOut/ . So as I have said already, we kept our heads down aiming for that final day when wed be drafted to a ship. Not to the required half-moon, but to the first platform, where, when authoritative eyes were averted, I dashed to the other side and climbed back down.. He was an Electricians Mate Class 1 and served in, 12/03/35-09/01/36 HMS Ganges. There was a seamanship officer at the boat sheds. They were both Ordinary Seamen, one aged 17 and the other aged 18. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. joined in '63 Dreadnought in the Annexe and Duncan in main camp, Went swimming at Vincent before colling-grad got its pool, and sailing if my memory is not totally shot, I sometimes considered climbing to the top of the mast a tossing myself off. they said. 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. She was established as a boys' training establishment in 1865, and was based aboard a number of hulks before moving ashore. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. She was established as a boys' training establishment in 1865, and was based aboard a number of hulks before moving ashore. It would seem those boy-sailors who were seconds ago shoving sausages into smiling faces, had all disappeared into that terrifying building, and by the cries belching from its belly were being eaten alive. Picture: CLAGUE ARCHITECTS (Image: CLAGUE ARCHITECTS). Life at Ganges was recalled recently in The Evening Star when a book about the base by Alan Peck was published. A planning application for the site was submitted and outline permission was granted in 2015. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. "A lot of the boys came from foster homes, or Barnardos. "The rest of the buildings, including Nelsons Hall and the swimming pool will be converted into flats, shops and a sports centre. Jim Gitsham, chairman of the Shotley branch of the HMS Ganges Association, said: "Members will be delighted that he's going down. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. The master at arms held a long thin bamboo cane, the instrument of the punishment. HMS Ganges closed on June 6. and for those of you who served at ganges and who have't joined the association go on..nothing to lose and you'll find a lot of old shipmates there!! He was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court. Like lots of other boys I ran away from home when I was 14 yrs old and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Seaman 2nd class. Peter Cook. Dave Walton RN retired. He had the misfortune to be placed under the care of two particularly brutal and drunken instructors whose continual bullying and abuse proved too much for this emerging free spirit . Helpful Report abuse Kindle Customer Sorting The Wheat From The Chaff Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2014 First time ever looking at any RN sights. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. The next six years passed with regular naval detentions, ( Royal Naval Detention Quarters RNDQs Portsmouth) exhausting punishments, solitary confinements, ending with a twelve month sentence in the infamous HMP Corradino, Malta. Did my intro to Pusser at HMS Raleigh in ' 52 . 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. Editors' Code of Practice. In 1907, its famous 143ft (44m)-high training . Boys normally signed up to a contract of 12 years, which would leave most of them aged in their late 20s after their tours. It began snowing on Boxing Day. Maurice was nothing to do with HMS Ganges, in fact he had been a crew member of HMS Hambledon. HMS Ganges as a training ship in the 1900s (Image: HMS Ganges Museum). Allegations of Abuse. The mast was erected in 1907 for boy entrant training purposes using the lower foremast (steel) from HMS Cordelia (1881) with other sections from the mizzen mast of HMS Agincourt (1865). Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. 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. But, because of the lockdown nothing has really moved and I think, even though construction workers havent leagally been told theyre not allowed to do anything, the owners are a bit reluctant to move. Martin Foster, 54, of Haig Road, Uxbridge, had already admitted two charges of fraud by abuse of position. She was based alternately in Falmouth, Harwich (from 1899) and Shotley (from 1905). On October 28 the White Ensign was lowered for the last time and the ships figurehead was transferred to Royal Hospital School, Holbrook. She had taken on the previous duties from the wooden ship H.M.S. The Duke of Edinburgh visiting HMS Ganges in June 1973 Picture: ARCHANT (Image: Archant). 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. They looked like what we didn't, sailors. Coronation Day of George VI. Welcome to Forces Reunited the place where you can find information and friends from HMS Ganges. It was hard, often . He was quite good too. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy, Please enter a password with 6 characters or more. HMS Ganges being broken up after training was transferred to the land base at Shotley (Image: HMS Ganges Museum). in the RN with the nickname Doc. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to The previous evening I'd arrived at HMS Ganges training annexe, with an assortment of other would-be-sailors, and was placed in the capable hands of a spotty-faced junior instructor and a bullet-proof gunnery instructor who wore crossed guns on both lapels. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. 1905 to 1976 saw 150,000 recruits pass through HMS Ganges. Learn how your comment data is processed. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 June 2021 . While the training ship was originally based in Cornwall, she was moved to Harwich, and then Shotley in the 1890s, in order to be closer to a centre of population. His early life was hard by any standards. We are the largest and fastest growing community of UK forces veterans on the web with over 500,000 members! inaccuracy or intrusion, then please I took a bowl and ate the lot. However, for most of us boys, qualifying meant we could wear the Bosuns chain with our uniform instead of a lanyard. Mast erected using the foremast of HMS Cordelia, which was broken up 1904. It closed in 1998 or something. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. I was sent to the training Ship HMS Ganges a cruel harsh 12 months lay ahead of me and thousands of other boys. later times). 1905. I told him "I don't give a flying feck!" 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. I wrote this song a long time ago. contact the editor here. Tony Hayden. "Most of what was on the site went to the naval museum in Portsmouth, but we have the honours board and figurehead from the original ship. They say you never forget the place and I agree. JavaScript is disabled. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's The culprit was brought before the Commanders table, the punishment was awarded as six or twelve cuts. She was based alternately in Falmouth, Harwich and Shotley . 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. Used to have chats with old Tick-Tock and RPO Salmon gave me my 1 postal order when the max was really ten bob. Write to Dave Kindred, Kindred Spirits, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN. Bob Roberts. Find out more about HMS Ganges at www.hmsgangesmuseum.com, or visit the museum, located at the end of King Edward VII Drive, in Shotley, IP9 1QJ. Engineer commander had been on Amethyst up the Yangtse and was quite sympathetic when he was OOD. She was based alternately in Falmouth, Harwich (from 1899) and Shotley (from 1905). Report . She was established as a boys' training establishment in 1865, and was based aboard a number of hulks before moving ashore. "We're hoping that we can get some of the money back from him, but we don't know if that's going to be possible.". Indeed, I have never met a shipmate would ever claim otherwise. The site was closed in 1976 and was used as a maaried quarter estate by the RAF. 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