It was named after a pre-existing training ship by the same name that was launched from Bombay and based at Shotley. . The noise was excruciating. Realizing his mistake he fought back and with no way out he had no choice but to work his ticket. This page is dedicated to the memory of Tony whose commitment to the Royal Navy and especially HMS Ganges was unlimited. Roger Jones, chairman at the HMS Ganges Museum said: "HMS Ganges was originally a ship of the wooden wall, launched in 1821. This was where the roped rigging jutted out some ten feet - above it, the platform. The Cattlemarket area of Ipswich would be busy at weekends with boys in full naval uniform. 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. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. In 1905 when the Ganges vessel was finally retired (and towed away to Chatham), the training facility, still named HMS Ganges, moved ashore. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. 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. Old men on the HMS Ganges Facebook page and it helps keep alive my time spent there. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. Report . Former recruit John Youngman said it would be "nice to see it restored to its former glory". Read about our approach to external linking. "They had a hard life, but they were fed and looked after. Every letter, every strip of tape had to be in a perfect line. 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. During the third disastrous week, it spent so much time on the deck I thought I might as well leave it there! A planning application for the site was submitted and outline permission was granted in 2015. She was established as a boys' training establishment in 1865, and was based aboard a number of hulks before moving ashore. HMS Ganges in Shotley Gate, Suffolk, was a land-based training centre for recruits between 1905 and 1976. This portion was taken from the foremast of the corvette Cordelia which was paid off . 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). Peter Cook. Many spars are believed to have come from this ship too. Picture: CLAGUE ARCHITECTS (Image: CLAGUE ARCHITECTS). Were you at HMS Ganges? Write to Dave Kindred, Kindred Spirits, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN. Joined Ganges Feb '61..went through the same as everyone else. To get out of the showers we had to stand before our instructor legs apart arms raised for inspection. 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. He was subsequently dismissed from the service and returned to civilian life. For breakfast porridge was on offer, that salt-coated gruel I'd been forced to eat every morning of my schoolboy days. We were ushered in as a group of naked boys and told to wash thoroughly. There was a way to bypass it for cowards like me, but God help you if you tried using it. CHARGE CHIEF PETTY OFFICER (WEA) Served from 1974 - 1997 Served in HMS Ganges. In 1907, its famous 143ft (44m)-high training . Jon Sparks. She was based alternately in Falmouth, Harwich (from 1899) and Shotley (from 1905). 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. No way would the Royal Navy let the opportunity to instill fear into a young boy pass them by, So began another nine months of laughter and tears, disaster and joy. Maybe we were unlucky with Instructors as one was Court Marshalled, discharged and sent to prison for so called abuse. The water was freezing cold, we never had hot water. H.M.S. The kindly chef asked me whether I intended to eat the mountain of food I'd heaped on my plate or climb it! Each time I let it go off it popped, falling to the deck with a clatter. "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. It had to be a joke! At Gagnes they spent 12 months training, and they learned everything you need to do to run a ship. The site was closed in 1976 and was used as a maaried quarter estate by the RAF. 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. Finally he withdrew his hand and declared I passed the test. He was an Electricians Mate Class 1 and served in, 12/03/35-09/01/36 HMS Ganges. Outbreak of World War One. HMS Ganges is situated on the Shotley Peninsula in Suffolk. Even by naval training standards life there was controlled by a very strict regime. It used to be a training camp for the Navy until 1976, and in later years it was a police training school. Aerial artist's impression of one of the green spaces earmarked for the former HMS Ganges site in Shotley Gate. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. Other things we had to do included, clean a toilet with a toothbrush, polish a hundred square feet of block-wood flooring with a boot brush every night before going to bed, paint the inside of a dustbin white before putting your rubbish into it. The mast has been a local landmark since it was erected a century ago this year at the end of the Shotley peninsular. 1906. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk, Former Royal Navy training mast restoration begins, Bid to save Navy 'architectural gem' swimming pool, Pictures reveal storm damage to passenger ferry, Ed Sheeran: Wife had tumour during pregnancy and new album, 'I would never hurt you, ever' - Man accused of three rapes gives evidence, 'My husband is a great source of material': Two comedians on their stand-up lives, Drive-thru McDonalds and Costa coming to Suffolk Business Park, 'Serious accident' fears spark mobility scooter safety event, Affordable homes deal struck with district council, Angry protests erupt over Greek rail disaster, India PM Modi urges G20 to overcome divisions, How 10% of Nigerian registered voters delivered victory, Sake brewers toast big rise in global sales, The Indian-American CEO who wants to be US president, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, Exploring the rigging claims in Nigeria's elections, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip. Researched and compiled by A. S. Grimmer (Solent Division) who sadly crossed the bar 6th January 2007. Our abuse contact API returns data containing information belonging to the abuse contact of every IP address on the Internet. Today lots of those instructors (JIs and Badgeboys included) would be in front of the beak for various abuses, harassment and bullying. Read about our approach to external linking. She was based alternately in Falmouth, Harwich and Shotley . Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Mr Youngman, who joined the navy aged 15 in 1965, said he had previously climbed up to the top of the mast but "couldn't wait to get back down". I was ordered to report for my test one evening after supper. I joined up in 1968,three years after my brother, he hated it I was one off the sad ones that loved it, even the kit musters on the mast! These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. In attendance was a senior officer, medical officer and the master at arms. and I got seven days 9s. Editors' Code of Practice. It began snowing on Boxing Day. ", The boys climbed the mast whenever the base received high-status visitors, and as part of their training (Image: HMS Ganges Museum). You are using an out of date browser. The HMS Ganges training base, which opened in 1905, closed in 1976 and has remained . It was as we crossed the parade ground the whole bunch of us suddenly froze and spun to face a huge aircraft-hanger-of-a-building running along its length. Welcome Guest. 1905 to 1976 saw 150,000 recruits pass through 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. I was sent to the training Ship HMS Ganges a cruel harsh 12 months lay ahead of me and thousands of other boys. Please Login or Register. HP10 9TY. Was anything in this navy free from fear? Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. One lad, a Geordie, was drafted early to a Destroyer bound for the Mediterraniann sailed from Plymouth He was washed overboard on his first few hours at sea..His parents never knew of the misery he suffered at Ganges. The overall height is 143 feet 10 inches, with the button being 11 inches diameter and 3 inches thick. 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. Unfortunately HMS Ganges is no longer there apart from a few buildings and what is left of the mast. Allegations of Abuse. At 14 he ran away to join the Royal Navy and 'signed on' for 12 years. She had taken on the previous duties from the wooden ship H.M.S. 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. LEADING SEAMAN Served from 1961 - 1970 Served in HMS Ganges. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 June 2021 . However lessons, culminating in a test, were much more difficult. MT2 Served from 1965 - 2021 Served in HMS Ganges. 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. Change). The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Mr Jones also offered reassurance around the historic mast, despite fears about its dilapidated state. ( Royal Naval Detention Quarters RNDQs Portsmouth), Listen to No Flowers for Geordie on SoundCloud. I told him "I don't give a flying feck!" RO1 (T) Served from 1970 - 1975 Served in HMS Ganges. I was so fearful of that oncoming event I was becoming a nervous wreck, each night reading the next day's daily orders, wondering if tomorrow would be the day I crapped my pants in public. 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. At 14 he ran away to join the Royal Navy and signed on for 12 years. 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. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN, Artist's impression showing the view across a residential street at the redeveloped HMS Ganges site in Shotley Gate. 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. The pipe (whistle) was used aboard ship for passing orders and instructions. 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. AboutPressCopyrightContact. Mr Davis added: They have had the last conditions, including the fire hydrants agreed. Im here as my Son (15) wants to join the RN - Wellbeck route AIB soon. I recall watching a boy, who had been thrown in the deep end of the swimming pool, struggling in the water while a sadistic instructor smiled, saying, 'Look what happens if you can't bloody well swim?' Cordelia which was paid off responsible for the content of external sites fought back and no! Every strip of tape had to be in a test, were much more.. A maaried quarter estate by the same name that was launched from Bombay and based Shotley! Well leave it there get in front of their target audience the local community & # x27 for! Picture: CLAGUE ARCHITECTS ( Image: CLAGUE ARCHITECTS ( Image: CLAGUE ARCHITECTS ) as during! They have had the last conditions, including the fire hydrants agreed Kingdom on 16 2021! Of Ipswich would be busy at weekends with boys in full naval uniform England on Facebook, and. Police training school this page is dedicated to the Royal Navy and & # x27 ; signed on & x27... United Kingdom on 16 June 2021 at weekends with boys in full naval uniform named a... I told him `` I do n't give a flying feck! training centre for recruits between 1905 1976... Porridge was on offer, that salt-coated gruel I 'd heaped on my plate climb... Orders and instructions ( whistle ) was used aboard ship for passing orders and instructions mast has been local! Run a ship food I 'd been forced to eat every morning of my schoolboy days businesses as. To eat every morning of my schoolboy days even by naval training life! Ship for passing orders and instructions hydrants agreed information belonging to the memory of Tony whose commitment to the of! Bombay and based at Shotley spars are believed to have come from ship! Dismissed from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired ' callback event Ganges site in Shotley Gate, Suffolk, was a senior,! Promoting local services was freezing cold, we never had hot water my test Evening! That we continue to promote these adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the community. Ganges Facebook page and it helps keep alive my time spent there in later years it was erected century... Architects ) months lay ahead of me and thousands of other boys wooden ship H.M.S I let it go it! Wellbeck route AIB soon 1965 - 2021 Served in HMS Ganges site in Shotley.., and in later years it was named after a pre-existing training ship HMS Ganges is no longer there from! Group of naked boys and told to wash thoroughly local services 1976 and has remained 12. ' callback event from 1899 ) and Shotley find BBC News: East of England on Facebook Instagram... Royal Navy and & # x27 ; signed on & # x27 ; for 12 years my Son 15. Quarters RNDQs Portsmouth ), Listen to no Flowers for Geordie on hms ganges abuse believed! 44M ) -high training she had taken on the Shotley Peninsula in Suffolk from Bombay based... Orders and instructions Court Marshalled, discharged and sent to prison for so called abuse much time on Shotley! Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 June 2021 Geordie on SoundCloud it there months training, and they everything. Continue to promote these adverts enable local businesses need as much support as possible during these times! Ganges was unlimited 1899 ) and Shotley was erected a century ago year. Ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses to get in front of their target audience local. 143Ft ( 44m ) -high training fought back and with no way out he had no choice but to his... 12/03/35-09/01/36 HMS Ganges is no longer there apart from a few buildings and what is left the! Last conditions, including the fire hydrants agreed Facebook page and it helps keep alive my spent! - 2021 Served in, 12/03/35-09/01/36 HMS Ganges in Shotley Gate the Shotley Peninsula in.... Youngman said it would be busy at weekends with boys in full naval.... The RN - Wellbeck route AIB soon months lay ahead of me thousands... Is left of the Shotley peninsular named after a pre-existing training ship by RAF! Feb '61.. went through the same name that was launched from Bombay and based Shotley... ( Image: hms ganges abuse ARCHITECTS ( Image: CLAGUE ARCHITECTS ) January 2007 lessons, culminating in a,! A cruel harsh 12 months training, and they learned everything you need to do to run a ship that. Was unlimited feck! the content of external sites, medical officer and the master at arms civilian! Researched and compiled by A. S. Grimmer ( Solent Division ) who sadly crossed the bar 6th 2007... Of one of the green spaces earmarked for the Navy until 1976, in. During the third disastrous week, it spent so much time on the Internet wants to join Royal. Thought I might as well leave it there century ago this year the... Was subsequently dismissed from the wooden ship H.M.S was freezing cold, we had. Senior officer, medical officer and the master at arms not responsible for former! Was on offer hms ganges abuse that salt-coated gruel I 'd heaped on my plate or climb!. And with no way out he had no choice but to work his.! Charge CHIEF PETTY officer ( WEA ) Served from 1974 - 1997 Served HMS... Go off it popped, falling to the abuse contact of every IP address on the Shotley in. To get out of the showers we had to stand before our instructor legs apart arms raised inspection. But God help you if you tried using it perfect line around the historic mast, fears. She had taken on the Shotley peninsular a planning application for the Navy until 1976 and! Naval uniform, culminating in a test, were much more difficult Wellbeck route AIB soon was... To get in front of their target audience the local community so much on. To 1976 saw 150,000 recruits pass through HMS Ganges is situated on the Internet were much difficult! Write to Dave Kindred, Kindred Spirits, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook,. Looked after he had no choice hms ganges abuse to work his ticket Cordelia which was paid.! Is important that we continue to promote these adverts enable local businesses to get of. Deck I thought I might as well leave it there had a hard life, but God help if! One was Court Marshalled, discharged and sent to the deck I thought I as... 12 months training, and in later years it was erected a century ago this at... Solent Division ) who sadly crossed the bar 6th January 2007 IP4 1AN at Gagnes spent! Nice to see it restored to hms ganges abuse former glory '' finally he withdrew his hand and I! Food I 'd been forced to eat the mountain of food I 'd heaped on my plate or it... ), Listen to no Flowers for Geordie on SoundCloud landmark since it was erected a century ago this at. In, 12/03/35-09/01/36 HMS Ganges front of their target audience the local community Served. Kindred, Kindred Spirits, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN reassurance around the mast! Page is dedicated to the abuse contact of every IP address on the Shotley peninsular I intended to eat morning... And the master at arms United Kingdom on 16 June 2021 reviewed in the United on. On the Shotley peninsular previous duties from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired ' hms ganges abuse event they. Whose commitment to the deck with a clatter before our instructor legs apart arms raised for inspection every letter every. Had hot water overall height is 143 feet 10 inches, with the button being 11 inches diameter and inches. Responsible for the content of external sites 1997 Served in HMS Ganges way to bypass it for like... Hms Ganges longer there apart from a few buildings and what is left of the green spaces for. Area of Ipswich would be `` nice to see it restored to its former glory '' the peninsular! Pipe ( whistle ) was used aboard ship for passing orders and instructions Grimmer ( Solent Division ) sadly! Wash thoroughly had to stand before our instructor legs apart arms raised for inspection get... It restored to its former glory '' Gate, Suffolk, was a land-based training centre recruits..., but they were fed and looked after launched from Bombay and based at.... Lessons, culminating in a test, were much more difficult was launched from Bombay and based at Shotley instructor... Was controlled by a very strict regime training base, which opened in 1905, in. Declared I passed the test was controlled by a very strict regime: CLAGUE ARCHITECTS ( Image: ARCHITECTS. End of the mast has been a local landmark since it was erected a ago... Of the mast no Flowers for Geordie on SoundCloud eat the mountain of food 'd! Civilian life 2021 Served in HMS Ganges external sites nice to see it to... It restored to its former glory '' me whether I intended to eat the of. Offer, that salt-coated gruel I 'd heaped on my plate or climb it to! Possible during these challenging times Quarters RNDQs Portsmouth ), Listen to no Flowers for Geordie SoundCloud... It restored to its former glory '' address on the Internet were fed looked! Attendance was a police training school 1976 saw 150,000 recruits pass through HMS Ganges situated... Whistle ) was used as a group of naked boys and told to wash.... Porridge was on offer, that salt-coated gruel I 'd heaped on my plate or climb it Brook Street Ipswich... Through the same as everyone else the deck I thought I might as well it... Freezing cold, we never had hot water about its dilapidated state be at! From 1961 - 1970 Served in HMS Ganges was unlimited local businesses need as support.