大象传媒

This article, presented here in 8 chapters plus an introduction, is the naval autobiography of Alec Kellaway. Alec served in the Royal Navy from January 1936 to November 1947. His story shows what life was like training for the Navy immediately before the war as well as service in a wide variety of ships during the conflict. The book was written by Alec himself and has previously been published on the HMS Hood Association web site (www.hmshood.com) and in the HMS Cossack Association newsletters.

I was There! Where?
Chapter 1a Early Navy days

In 1935 I decided that I would like to join the Royal Navy and on January 20th 1936 I attended the recruiting office in Queen鈥檚 Park Terrace, Southampton.

Early on that Monday morning I went by train to Southampton, travelling in the carriage was a Police Officer and during conversation it came out were I was going, this Officer said to me that I should try to go to the toilet before entering into the exam, I am still not sure if this helped or not but I took his advice.

From the station it was only a short walk to the recruiting office but I did have varied thoughts on what might happen, several of my friends had applied and failed the test, it was over four years since my last school exams. Anyhow I duly arrived at the office presented myself to the man in charge, gave him my details and he took me to a room were there were other candidates to take the test there was no time to get acquainted. .

On my application form, I had stated that I would like to enter the Royal Navy as a second class Stoker and on being interviewed on that day the recruiting officer tried to get me to join the Royal Marines, but following my step fathers advice to avoid soldiering I remained adamant to being a stoker.

I was then given a personal interview as to my reason for wanting to join the navy. I cannot remember what answer I gave but I was then sent to another room where sat other youngsters waiting to take the entrance exam

The first steps were to sit the education exam which when finished we were then taken to the sailors mission for lunch. I was very surprised at the attitude of some of the other candidates in that they threw food at each other this was something I had not encountered before. After lunch we returned to the recruiting office to see if we had failed or passed the exam. One or two had not achieved the standard required and were given leave to depart, which the remainder of us where then given a medical, this was very thorough and at the end of the day all but one taking the medical passed.

Those of us who had passed were then sent away being told that we would be sent for at a later date.

Shortly after visiting the recruiting office I received notification to return there on the 10th February to enter into H M S Victory the Royal Navy Barracks at Portsmouth for entry as a second class Stoker for an engagement period of twelve years

From Southampton a group of about six of us were put on the train to Portsmouth and then escorted from the station through the Park to the barracks.
On passing through the barrack gates I was astounded to see sailors marching around the parade ground some with rifles some without rifles but solo sailors running across the parade ground, on asking why this was, we were told that all persons crossing the parade ground to get from one side to the other had to double across. This had to be carried out in working hours, because years ago there had been a mutiny at the barracks and from that time all persons not under training had to double across the parade ground or walk around.

We were then presented to the Duty officer who in turn handed us to a Petty officer who led us to the new entry block. We were given lunch and then assembled at the new entry office for further instructions.
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Our first destination was to attend an introduction to the Royal Navy by the Lieut Commander in charge of new entry training; this consisted of a brief history of the Navy, what was required of us, what was expected of us. We were also given an insight into the various punishments that could be given against breaking the rules, these could be anything from extra kit inspections, (muster bag) stoppage of leave with extra duties for disobeying orders, stoppage of leave and pay for being late from returning off leave, - one days stoppage of leave and pay for every three hours or parts of late returning- further punishments for more serious offences could result in imprisonment and if considered necessary discharge from the Navy in disgrace. We were then told that we would return to the new entry block, which would be our mess for a week while we were being inducted into the Navy. The training officer then stated that we could go out that evening and should we have changed our minds about the Navy we need not return the next morning, but on the morrow we would sign up for our chosen spell and would then come under Navy discipline and its regulations.

On the Tuesday 11th February all the new entrants turned up, I would say about 24 鈥� 30 divided into two classes, half to the seaman branch and the others to the stoker鈥檚 branch
The seamen who were on a seven-year engagement plus five years on the reserve had a minimum starting age of seventeen and a half years, while the stokers were in for twelve years continuous with a minimum starting age of eighteen years.

The first day proper consisted of medical examinations and an education exam following which we were then assembled to be given our official numbers and pay numbers, mine were P/KX 88114 and 7227 and then we had to sign for our term of engagement. It was then stated that we were officially in the Navy and would be subject to the 鈥楰ings Rules and Admiralty Instructions鈥� KR & AIs, the governing principals of the Royal Navy.

The group of us then assembled in the New Entry block to be presented to our instructors for the next eight weeks, our class of stokers were placed under the control of Seaman Petty Officer Brown, who was in my opinion an exceptional person in that being a Seaman鈥檚 Gunnery rating, he did not follow the standard for normal Gunnery ratings in that he was not all Gate and Gaiter, an expression used to define the loud shouting of gunnery instructors. I would say that PO Brown did a very good job with us youngsters in that there were no major punishments meted out through him or his reports. At the end of our eight weeks with him there was no dissension about the Navy from any one of the class, he gave us an insight to the Navy of obedience to orders, comradeship, understanding of each other鈥檚 problems and that we must have trust and faith in each other to fulfil our duties.

The group I had entered the Navy with were split in two classes as I have mentioned before, one of seamen and and one of stokers, the class of seamen were under the instructions of a Chief Petty Officer who was senior to our Petty Officer in normal seaman鈥檚 duties but was junior to PO Brown when it came to gunnery as PO Brown had obtained a higher gunnery rate, this was a problem that the Navy resolved in later years when it was decided that all Chief & Petty Officers must hold a first class non substance rate, i.e. their main rate would be as a seaman and their qualifying rate gunnery, torpedo or PT training must be first rate or more.

This may have digressed away from my early days of training but that can be rectified from now on. As mentioned before, our first week was in the New Entry Block and under the watchful eye of PO Brown, we were duly kitted out with our Navy uniform, taken to various corners of Victory for the marking of kit, this entailed a wooded stamp with our name carved on it, this stamp when dipped in black paint would be pressed on to our light clothing and would leave our name imprinted likewise white paint would be used on our dark clothing. One had to be careful when the paint was wet that it did not get smudged.

One pair of our issue of boots was taken to the cobblers to be fitted with studs for our forthcoming parade drills; we were also issued with gas masks and taken through the gas chamber for testing. This was a simple exercise the class were taken into a room and told to put on their gas masks, tear gas was then discharged into the room, and the instructors then checked all mask straps to ensure that there was no leak of gas into the mask. When it was sure that the masks fitted correctly and were gas tight, the class were told to remove the masks, this gave us all a smell of the gas and we were sent on our way, that was the only time I went through the gas chamber

Provision of hammocks and bedding were issued along with the necessary nettles, lanyards and lashing, the former were used for slinging the hammock from the bars or hooks provided to present a very comfortable sleeping place. In my time at sea I would prefer a hammock to sleep in as to a bunk. The lashing was used to contain the hammock into a tidy shape when not in use for placing in the hammock rack. These neatly rolled hammocks could be used for damage control if the ship was holed from either collision damage or if enemy gunfire they could be used to plug the holes.

We were supplied with washing gear and soap; the soap we paid for was used for toiletry and general cloths washing. During this first week of being formed into class we were called DRAKE and this name we retained for the whole period of training. It was also our privilege to have a free haircut, which did not turn out to be as drastic as our imaginations. At the end of this week we had been taught how to assemble for parades, how to form fours and simple marching exercises in preparation for the oncoming weeks.

Every morning at nine all training classes were assembled on the parade ground to march past the Commodore, though on some mornings we all had to double past, this to the Blue Jacket band playing 鈥淎ll the King鈥檚 Horses and all the King鈥檚 Men鈥�, it was a great relief from marching. The Barrack Guard were always part of the march past, looking splendid and marching with fixed bayonets, it was surprising that as the guard marched away as they went under the arch between two mess blocks their bayonets scrapped the bottom of the curve, the marks left over many years were numerous.

Monday of the second week found DRAKE class on the main parade ground at the start of intensive training, which consisted of many operations in marching orders. How to take off one鈥檚 cap correctly; this common exercise was to enable one鈥檚 self to present one鈥檚 self at the pay table, as pay was always placed on the cap; to take off the cap if cheering the King; and if standing in front of an officer taking defaulters. Beside this exercise marching drills were accomplished such as forming fours, right or left wheeling in columns of two, double marching and numerous basic marching drills.

To return to the end of the first week we were transferred from the New Entry block to a block, which would be our training block for the next seven weeks. In this block we had a mess of our own and came under the control of an able seaman who had come from the 鈥淰ictoria and Albert鈥� the Royal yacht, which was having an extensive refit in a Portsmouth dock.

These Royal Yacht seamen were all volunteers from the seamen鈥檚 branch and had to have over two years service in the navy. There uniform though on a similar style to the normal sailors was different in that the tunic was made of doe skin material, where as the regular sailor鈥檚 tunic was made of serge. Two other distinctive features being that the tunic was always worn inside the trousers and the tape at the back of the trousers was of silk material also the cap band was of silk with a coloured crown between the Victoria &Albert.

The duties of these seamen were to see that we kept the mess and surrounding areas clean and tidy. When the Royal yacht had completed the refit they would return aboard. These seaman were very helpful to us youngsters and had to be called Sir by all trainees, a title that some of them did not like as most of them, would have preferred to be called by their christian name or nick name. I would say that most of the Royal Yacht鈥檚 men were nearing there full engagement period of twenty two years pension time.

Apart from our daily training we would have one hour鈥檚 work before breakfast, normally cleaning up the surrounding areas, the mess area would be kept clean during meal breaks. Dinnertime was noon to 1pm, breakfast 7am to 8am, supper 6:30pm. Provision of food was excellent, the meals being cooked by personal that had joined as cooks and provided an excellent service throughout the Navy.

DRAKE class itself was divided into four groups, naval watches, and every fourth day one watch would be on duty. It was this duty watch that collected the meals from the kitchen, galley, saw that the meal was equally distributed and cleaned up after the meal and all cooking dishes returned to the galley. However, it became a habit, thanks to the influence of our Royal yacht seaman that all hands helped out at meal times.

It must be said that the meals provided was a good wholesome quality and I cannot remember any complaints even though some trainees were unaccustomed to the meals provided. Never the less we were always hungry and fortunately we were near to the messes of personnel of long service who never ate all their meals provided and would bring them to us hungry lot.

During the days of training we had a break in the morning, forenoon and a break in the afternoon, 15 minutes of which was generally a rush to the NAAFI kiosk for tea and doughnuts, which during those first seven weeks cost us a fortune.

On our duty days the watch would also be required for extra duties after training, which would be to assist in the running of the barracks out of normal hours, many of these duties would be cleaning of areas where it was not possible during working hours, also cleaning the NAAFI canteen after closing time 10 P M. On duty weekends there were cleaning tasks such as cleaning the swimming pool, this entailed draining the pool and about twenty of us new entrants washing out the pool this was a long tedious task. At times the gymnasium floor had to be scrubbed to do this about thirty of us would start at one end of the gym and on our hands and knees scrub to the other end or the gym under the watchful eyes of the Chief P T I.

One duty that we did enjoy was helping in the galleys, these tasks could be such as washing the cooking pots and pans, washing the floors or taking the eyes out of the many hundred potatoes after they had been through the peeling machine. The pleasure of working in the galley was that the Chief chef gave us plates of pudding, which we hungry youngsters welcomed.

There was nearly always spare food in the galley, because the Chief chef would be given a certain number to cook for, but with the movement of sailors to ships there was on many days food not collected, it was that there was always an uncertain numbers of sailors at noon in the barracks, as men would be on there way to ships. Us new members on training we relished the situation.

Alec's story continues in Chapter 1b

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