Some boys failed the initial inspection which only lengthen their time in the freezing conditions. A Gannett Company. 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. interesting .. photos of the old pool. Yes indeed, they were the best of times and the worst of times. 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, . HMS Ganges organisation of meals - covering the galley in the Long Covered Way/messdeck dining, and the introduction of the CMG block /communal dining - dated 1952. c. Punishment of Juniors (U) at HMS Ganges dated 1970. d. Restrictions on the caning of boys as a punishment dated 1929-1931. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Crowned on June 2, 1953, at the age of 25, Elizabeth II went on to have the longest reign for a British queen. Download Citation | On Feb 1, 2023, Olivier Champagne and others published Future change in amplitude and timing of high-flow events in a Canadian subarctic watershed | Find, read and cite all the . GANGES was the shore training establishment for boy entrants into the Royal Navy from 1905 until 1976. HMS Ganges - part of front gate Having completed the New Entry training over at the Annex (I think it took six weeks), we then marched over to Drake 39 mess over in the Main Establishment. 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. Even by naval training standards life there was controlled by a very strict regime. 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. Helpful. Each of us was required to construct a printing block using letters carved in wood. Discipline was severe, routine constant and fear of punishment loomed at every turn. At the tip of the Shotley peninsular sits a cluster of abandoned buildings that were once home to hundreds of young lads right at the start of their lives at sea. CPO (OPS) (EW) Served from 1966 - 1991 Served in HMS Ganges. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can Was anything in this navy free from fear? 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. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. Maybe we were unlucky with Instructors as one was Court Marshalled, discharged and sent to prison for so called abuse. Attempts have been made to contact developers Haylink Ltd but have been unsucessfull. I shuddered to the bone, as I'm sure did other boys. Several tales about bullying and the harsh regime generally, not so much about the famous and frequent official canings. So as I have said already, we kept our heads down aiming for that final day when wed be drafted to a ship. She was based alternately in Falmouth, Harwich (from 1899) and Shotley (from 1905). 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. Well this seems a good time to see if this site works properly. Contents 1 Foundation and early history 1.1 Allegations of abuse 2 Ganges at Harwich 3 Ganges at Shotley 3.1 1906 changes 3.2 Later developments 3.3 First World War 3.4 Post war developments 3.5 Ganges in the Second World War 3.6 Postwar and closure 4 References 5 External links 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. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant). Independent Babergh District councillor for Ganges, Derek Davis. 1914. I wondered, sewing, perhaps! Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. In the first week of January it was snowed even harder and it snowed until March. George Douglas Blake HMS Warspite. I knew only when it was over would I then be able to call myself a true Ganges Boy and, some years later, a real sailor. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. In attendance was a senior officer, medical officer and the master at arms. 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. 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. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Artist's impression showing the view across a residential street at the redeveloped HMS Ganges site in Shotley Gate. "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. BBC Blue Peter presenter John Noakes attempted to climb to the top of the mast. 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. July 5 The old HMS Ganges sails out of Harwich Harbour. The training was tough, brutal at times, yet many of those who came through remember HMS Ganges, at Shotley Gate, with a certain fondness. CHARGE CHIEF PETTY OFFICER (WEA) Served from 1974 - 1997 Served in HMS Ganges. Royal Navy 238217 Boy 2nd Class HMS Ganges II. David Colwill. For spite I think, because it wasn't compulsory. But this was Ganges, we never got away with anything. Life at Ganges was recalled recently in The Evening Star when a book about the base by Alan Peck was published. Our abuse contact API returns data containing information belonging to the abuse contact of every IP address on the Internet. There were stories of many similar violations but none ever reported. I heard many boys saying things like , dont bend over in front of the seamanship officer, or always face him dont turn around. According to the HMS Ganges Museum, her timbers were used to make objects including a grand staircase on an estate, and a cocktail bar in a small hotel, both in Devon. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. Maurice was nothing to do with HMS Ganges, in fact he had been a crew member of HMS Hambledon. Peter Cook. Were you a 'button boy'? Photos showing the rusting mast at the former site of HMS Ganges at Shotley peninsula have been released on social media, prompting concerns that the 142ft high structure is not being properly. There's something to be said for finding how finding out how good you are at living with other people, and finding respect for yourself. She was established as a boys' training establishment in 1865, and was based aboard a number of hulks before moving ashore. It closed in 1998 or something. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. Aerial artist's impression of one of the green spaces earmarked for the former HMS Ganges site in Shotley Gate. Picture: CLAGUE ARCHITECTS, Aerial artist's impression of one of the green spaces earmarked for the former HMS Ganges site in Shotley Gate. She remained in service at RNTE Shotley until October 1976. October, new Shore Establishment created and commissioned as Royal Navy Training Establishment, Shotley. However, for most of us boys, qualifying meant we could wear the Bosuns chain with our uniform instead of a lanyard. Richard Dunn. As Rudyard Kipping wrote in his famous poem IF the you will be a man my son. Abuse Details. 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. The Cattlemarket area of Ipswich would be busy at weekends with boys in full naval uniform. The test consisted of two lengths of the pool while wearing a boiler suit, then floating for five minutes. AboutPressCopyrightContact. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. He was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court. LEADING SEAMAN Served from 1961 - 1970 Served in HMS Ganges. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. She was established as a boys' training establishment in 1865, and was based aboard a number of hulks before moving ashore. Indeed, I have never met a shipmate would ever claim otherwise. Picture: CLAGUE ARCHITECTS (Image: CLAGUE ARCHITECTS). My heart sank and my elation evaporated as I desperately tried to quash all fears of my body falling from the Devil's Elbow. The culprit was brought before the Commanders table, the punishment was awarded as six or twelve cuts. The Royal Naval Training Establishment Shotley (known within the Royal Navy as HMS Ganges) was established in southern Suffolk in 1905. The kindly chef asked me whether I intended to eat the mountain of food I'd heaped on my plate or climb it! 2023 BBC. Drake 39 mess At least the cubicles in the heads had doors on this time. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to Picture: CLAGUE ARCHITECTS (Image: CLAGUE ARCHITECTS). Were you at HMS Ganges? In 1907, its famous 143ft (44m)-high training . Dec 30, 2016. First the older of the two, Maurice WRIGHT JX 657902. they said. Old men on the HMS Ganges Facebook page and it helps keep alive my time spent there. HMS Ganges was a training ship and later stone frigate of the Royal Navy. [1] It was easy to spot those who had been here the longest. He was sitting on a stool and told me to stand in front of him and begin. 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. Sad to see such an establishment close as it was so full of history and meant so much to so many. Probably running away was the worse decision, they were always caught and returned to the camp. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. I arrived at Ganges in the late afternoon on March 15th 1955, along with roughly a hundred other fifteen year old boys. Martin Foster, 54, of Haig Road, Uxbridge, had already admitted two charges of fraud by abuse of position. H.M.S. July 27, Awarded the Freedom of Ipswich. Tangible progress to transform a former Suffolk naval training base into nearly 300 homes, a sports park, shops and a GP surgery could be seen once the coronavirus lockdown is over. It was hard, often . As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. In 1905 when the Ganges vessel was finally retired (and towed away to Chatham), the training facility, still named HMS Ganges, moved ashore. 1907. GANGES; the ship had previously anchored out in the harbour below, at Shotley Gate, on the east coast opposite Harwich. It had to be a joke! Shotley Marina, Shotley Gate, Ipswich, IP9 1QJ. This punishment was something I never witnessed and can only describe from what other boys told me. Change). HP10 9TY. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Used to have chats with old Tick-Tock and RPO Salmon gave me my 1 postal order when the max was really ten bob. ", HMS Ganges as a warship (Image: HMS Ganges Museum). Roger Jones, chairman at the HMS Ganges Museum said: "HMS Ganges was originally a ship of the wooden wall, launched in 1821. She was established as a boys' training establishment in 1865, and was based aboard a number of hulks before moving ashore. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. They looked like what we didn't, sailors. Observer career path/ real life experience. 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 . HMS Ganges Museum is dedicated to the 160,000 boys who went through the gates as boys and marched out as men, from its inception as a Royal Navy Training Establishment in 1905 to its closure in 1976. HMS Ganges was also known as Shotley Training Establishment . Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. 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. CEM1 Served from 1972 - 1978 Served in HMS Ganges. HMS GANGES AT HIGHNAM COURT, GLOUCESTERSHIRE, 1940 - 1942. He was the officer that tested us when we endeavoured to qualify with a bosuns pipe. To get out of the showers we had to stand before our instructor legs apart arms raised for inspection. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can They faced what was without doubt the most severe punishment, cuts. At about 60 feet was the Devil's Elbow, the most dangerous and frightening part. Researched and compiled by A. S. Grimmer (Solent Division) who sadly crossed the bar 6th January 2007. After eating I dashed down to the boat sheds to report for my test. #42. Each evening after we had cleaned the mess, we took everything out of the locker rolled each item into a nine-inch sausage, tied white tape around both ends, and then placed every item on a blanket. Developers Wavensmere Homes and Galliard Homes plan to build almost 300 homes on the site and include a restored mast in the development. Didn't like it, there are better ways of teaching than violence, but it hardened me up and made me self disciplined. Outbreak of World War One. HMS Ganges as a training ship in the 1900s (Image: HMS Ganges Museum). HMS GANGES MUSEUM. LRO (G) Served from 1975 - 1998 Served in HMS Ganges. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please We had no one to confide in, our instructors would more than likely told us not to tell tales. 1971. Its really difficult to give a definitive time scale but once things get going I would imagine that progress will be very visible whereas a lot of the work going on over the past two or three years hasnt necessarily been seen by the public.. Boys were permitted to march through the streets of Ipswich with bayonets fixed. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. I was out of there in an instant, but never said a word to anyone, I was just happy it was over and I had qualified. 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. Thanks again, D. R. WALTON the only O.E.M. 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!! Realizing his mistake he fought back and with no way out he had no choice but to work his ticket. The 142-foot high (43 m) mast was erected in 1907. "In 1860 she was decommissioned and laid up, and in 1866 she was turned into a training ship, and her guns were removed. 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 . During the third disastrous week, it spent so much time on the deck I thought I might as well leave it there! Ganges training establishment. Ganges Museum is located at Shotley Gate near Ipswich, in what was the Enright Block, on the foreshore of the former H.M.S. Coronation Day of George VI. The showers at Ganges were just one bare room with several shower heads, no privacy. 1959 and what a bugger Ganges turned out to be. You are using an out of date browser. Mr Jones said: "There is a lot of truth to the statement that you entered as a boy, but left as a man. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. Welcome to Forces Reunited the place where you can find information and friends from HMS Ganges. Peter Ohara. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Some boys were home sick, some just tried to stay out of trouble, one or two ran away. First time ever looking at any RN sights. I did climb that mast. The facility remained there until its closure in June 1976, For more information, please see our Privacy Policy, Please enter a password with 6 characters or more. Should one of letters be a millimetre out, you found the lot on the deck when you returned to the mess. The lower portion of the mast is steel, extending 18 feet (5.5 m) below ground and 30 feet (9.1 m) above ground. "They had a hard life, but they were fed and looked after. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. JavaScript is disabled. On the parade ground the order went something like On the command fix! The left hand went behind the cheek of your left buttock and twisted the bayonet and scabbard upward. 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. After initial training we were marched from the training camp. By creating an account you agree to us emailing you with newsletters and discounts, which you can switch off in your account at any time. She was based alternately in Falmouth, Harwich (from 1899) and Shotley (from 1905). Who would have believed us, this was 1955 words like pedophile and sexual abuse were unheard of. There was one hell to come, the Ganges mast! Doesnt sound too bad does it. 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. 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. Every letter, every strip of tape had to be in a perfect line. 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. It. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Sailors' uniforms were a familiar sight in our area until HMS Ganges closed in June 1976. He was subsequently dismissed from the service and returned to civilian life. 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