Old Weather Forum
Library => The voyages, the work, the people, the places => Topic started by: screamingguns on 13 October 2010, 21:05:40
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With whom ever is writing their log book, or the ship in
general? It's quite a fascinating glimpse into a world most of us
would otherwise not have known. Even the simple things like
finding out how much stores a ship took aboard at which port, or what
the crew got up to on a daily basis. Like in the log book for HMS
Kent on one line around October time there's a note that goes "Boys back
to school", which I thought was a rather touching piece of humanity
amongst all the measurements and nautical observations.
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On the ship I am working on they refer to the "boys"
frequently. And at one point mention that all men below the age of
35 are required to do PT.
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I think "Boys" refers to the boy seamen in a ship. They were as
young as 13 and stayed as boys until they were rated Ordinary Seaman at,
I think, about 17 years of age. They received compulsory
education in their ships which is probably the reference to "back to
school". Google "Boy Cornwell VC" for more background.
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Thanks for that Cunimb, I wasn't aware that boys as young as that
were allowed aboard warships back then. Although thinking about it
now, I was thinking in terms of 21st century laws and not those that
would have existed at the turn of the 20th century.
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I have to tell you folks, one of the best things about working
on this, and least expected, has been the all the things I'm learning
from reading your posts. We have an amazing community going
already. We have people who know the inner workings of these
ships, people who know a lot about the time period, and nearly everyone
seems to really feel the history here. I can't wait to see what
this place is like once it's shaken out and everyone's settled in.
It's really going to be something.
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I picked the HMS Minotaur almost at random. The name was intriguing.
I'd heard of her but knew nothing of her. Now, I'm in it for the entire
cruise. There's a lot of work with the picket boats while she's in
harbor. There are records of various ships that enter and leave Hong
Kong harbor. I know that later she'll be off the Icelandic coast making
soundings in a gale and she was at the Battle of Jutland. I almost feel
like a part of the crew. Yes, I'd say I find the old girl endearing.
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I have totally become enamored of my ship, HMS Juno. The
handwriting is sometimes a challenge, and the notes on various "events"
are quite difficult to read. But it's a fascinating glimpse into
shipboard life, and you do start to feel a sense of pride in "your
ship".
Keep up the great work, everyone!
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I feel the same way about my ship! I'm on the HMS Newcastle and
we've been sailing up the coast of Chile for awhile in 1915.
I
kinda feel like I'm on the boat? Like, oh it's windy today. Oh nice
storm! There seems to be one primary scribe, and they always document
when their church services were held and prayers read.
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I think it's great how ships have been "adopted". In WW2, many
warships were adopted by cities, towns, counties, even institutions in
the UK and they often built-up close relationships.
Someone
queried what the crews got up to on and off ship. If you go to
http://www.naval-history.net/Oxon01-ShipList.htm , I put together some
links to give an idea of what life was like in the Navy around WW1. Five
of these, 1, 4, 5, 6, 7 are records of my grandfather's life in a
number of ships, three of which are covered by the logs.
He was a
Yeoman of Signals, ship's unofficial photographer, and covers a variety
of activities - football (with a Haitian team, complete with the
President present), rugby, cricket (I think), water polo, entertaining
the local children, sightseeing, and - wait for it - a "walking fancy
dress football match" in China.
Gordon
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I'm definitely addicted to 'my' ship. I'm the captain of the
Laurentic, and I can't imagine jumping ship! I'm too involved in what's
going on, even if it's generally nothing much. The most exciting things
that have happened so far is a couple of crew got told off, one for
falling asleep on watch and one for talking in an improper manner to
someone else. But I'm in it for the long haul now!
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Yes, I too have become very attached to my ship, the Mantua.
Sub Lts Lycett and Gledhill had begun to seem like old friends.
But I want to know the ship's whole story! And obviously other
crew members are working on the logs, so I keep finding I've missed
chunks of it. (In fact I think Lycett and Gledhill may have left
without even saying goodbye.)
Will we ultimately be able to
access whatever data is compiled from the events part of the exercise to
tie up all the loose ends?
Su
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Hi Su
Yes, once the logs are complete and the project is sailing
along smoothly , the complete logs will be available for us mere sailors
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So, off you go ! :D
Oh and btw I too have become
completely attached to my ship (HMS Crocus) : not much going on : some
patrolling and lots of cricket and football and lectures ;D oh and
bathing too ! ;)
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Me too - it felt like a major loss when the HMS Otter was
decommissioned, to be sold for scrap. I just had to look for a
ship that was doing something totally different than the routine patrols
Caronia did outside NYC, and Otter did out of Hong Kong.
Not
only is the surveying off shore of Alexandria producing totally
different weather, but the excellent handwriting of these trained
draftsmen is teaching me the language used for navigating in these
logs. All ships after will be easier to read.
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Yes,
once the logs are complete and the project is sailing along smoothly ,
the complete logs will be available for us mere sailors !
It's
good to know I'll be able to follow all the stories through
eventually. I'll just have to be philosophical about it - the log
has been there 95 years so I guess I can wait a bit longer. And
after all, a couple of months ago I had never even heard of Old Weather
and had no idea that I would ever care about what was happening on the
Mantua in 1915!
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Indeed - I don't think I'd ever really thought about ships during WW1. And now they're what I spend most evenings thinking about! ;D
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If anyone had told me back in September that I would ever buy a book
called "Lost Voices of the Royal Navy" I would have thought they were
insane - but there it is, sitting on my bedside table, all ready for me
to read over the Christmas break! :D
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That's great.
Thank you for all your doing for the naval history community.
Gordon