DITS

Sing your hear out
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Pelican
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DITS

Unread post by Pelican »

The attached is so true.
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HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
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Little h
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Re: DITS

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The Name of the Game

Yep David,

I recall something similar happening to myself in 1974. I was a CRS(S) heading up a small team on a job in Portland and a week later, on completion of the work, I went to report to the SCO on FOST's staff. I would advise that I was finished; and the team would need his assistance with their travel arrangements back from whence they came.

Lo and behold there he was .... POTS (Petty Officer Telegraphist) Bagsy Baker my class instructor from Ganges 1958-59 ... now a Lieutenant SD(C). Report given, followed by much exchange of banter and reminisences!! ... I was leaving the RN later that year and he seemed genuinely interested to hear of my reasons for said decision. At one time he was the youngest Acting Petty Officer Telegraphist in the RN, a decent chap who I have never forgotten.


POTS Baker - in square rig at the start of our course (indicated by a red cross)
GANGES STAFF IN 1958 - Copy.jpg



RS Baker - in fore and aft rig during our course (indicated by a red cross - and me indicated by a red arrow)
Ganges img022 - Copy.jpg
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Little h
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Pelican
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Re: DITS

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I was a sailor
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HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
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ivorthediver
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Re: DITS

Unread post by ivorthediver »

Curious how you see dits like the last.. and envy the camaraderie that was the order of the day ,
and hear ex forces each tell of theirs.. and how much better it was than someone else would say.

By necessity it was a life of team work and depending on the other bloke doing this that or tother
being bullied and brow beaten to follow the creed uttered and to recall that so and so is your brother.

As you learnt your trade and developed.. you gained respect and advancement from all and sundry
long hours , hard work , deprivations , achievement , disappointment, were all the order of the day

As the years go by you reflect and think , did I really do so bad ? or was it that the service drove me ever on
alas it finally ended , you came home and had to change... your life became unsettled the bustle was all gone.

To those like me who were not there .......who judged by you... had it nice and easy.....or so it seems
Remember, that life's a leveller and all is not what it seems, for we missed out on your buddies ,and all your dreams.
"What Ever Floats your Boat"
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oldsalt
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Re: DITS

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I have to say reading "I love the Navy" brought a nostalgic tear to the eye. Next month I shall be 87, it will be 47 years since I left the mob. I still cherish every day of my service ,the good & the occasional bad.
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oldsalt
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Re: DITS

Unread post by oldsalt »

To give the letter it's correct title "I was a sailor".
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DaveH
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Re: DITS

Unread post by DaveH »

oldsalt wrote: Sat Oct 12, 2019 7:59 am I have to say reading "I love the Navy" brought a nostalgic tear to the eye. Next month I shall be 87, it will be 47 years since I left the mob. I still cherish every day of my service ,the good & the occasional bad.
You and me both Keith . now 82 and 42 since I left . You can still check out a Boiler Room and I still find myself at times tapping out my thoughts in Morse Code . Would I do it all again ....you bet , warts an' all
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ivorthediver
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Re: DITS

Unread post by ivorthediver »

Well done lads , how many other careers could utter praise of such nostalgia
"What Ever Floats your Boat"
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Pelican
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Re: DITS

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Jim Murray's memories from the Second World War on HMS Pelican - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB7-8GLsfyc
[Received from Ben Lyon]
Pelican had not changed much in 1950, concrete 'patch' in the bow - hit a mine during the Norwegian campaign, new stern - depth charge went off early due faulty fuse and a Chicago Piano in lieu of X mounting - result of lesson learnt of German planes attacking from the stern arc.
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
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Pelican
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Re: DITS

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The following is taken from the ‘Communicator Magazine’ Spring 1977 copied especially for any who fell foul of such a person last Jaunty at H.M.S. St George on the Isle of Man 1945 and titled: -

The ‘JOSS’ Man.

No Master-at-Arms existed in the Royal Navy prior to the year 1694, although for sometime there had been a senior Petty Officer in each ship responsible for the training of guns crews. Over the years he had come to be known as the Master of Armoury. But on 4th August 1694 the Board of Admiralty decided that the senior lieutenant of each man-of-war should henceforth be known as the First Lieutenant. One of whose tasks should be that of the maintenance of the efficiency and discipline of his ship’s company. When the promotion signal was received in the Fleet, the name at the top of the list was that of a Lieutenant Henry James, Lt James became the very first First Lieutenant, (hence ‘James the First’ or “Jimmy the One”).

Now although Lt James was an expert seaman and undertook much to increase the training programme and therefore the efficiency of his crew, he found that he was hard pressed in his other task of maintaining discipline. This was mainly because the majority of seamen in those days were recruited from the criminal classes; by going off to sea they had escaped the clutches of the law and were now free to carry out their nefarious activities around the mess decks of the Fleet.

As a result of which the lower deck was a hotbed of crime. Now Lt James was quick to realise that the task of maintaining discipline was to require much of his time if he was to carry it out as well as the Board of Admiralty and of course his Captain expected of him, he decided that a responsible Petty Officer be appointed whose duty was to be accountable to the First Lieutenant for the maintenance of ‘good order and naval discipline’ in the ship.
Looking around his motley crew, Lt James decided that there was only one man capable of properly fulfilling the job, his Master of the Armoury whose name was Jeremiah Obadiah Skillett-Sprock. Skillet-Sprock had all the necessary qualifications; he was a huge man, standing six feet seven inches and weighing nearly eighteen stone (today he would have played in the second row for Devonport Services with many a Welsh selector crying because he had not been born in Llanelli). He was a handsome man, with curly blond hair and steely blue eyes and all knew his prodigious strength. On top of all this, he was very intelligent; before answering the call of the sea he had trained as a monk and was therefore able to read and write both in English and Latin.

All in all, Skillett-Sprock was the ideal man for the job, and much to the delight of his First Lieutenant entered into his new vocation with the utmost zeal. He was known to the crew by his initials, “J.O” and hardened criminals would shudder at his approach “Look out” they would mutter “here comes J.O” breathing a sigh of relief after he had passed them by.
J.O’s reputation went before him, when ever he was due to go on draft every ship’s company was in great fear that he would join their ship. One thing was sure; whichever ship J.O did serve in was guaranteed to be a haven of tranquillity.
Eventually Skillett-Sprock became known by all his initials not just those in his Christian names, so J.O became J.O.S.S. or ‘The Joss’.
After a long and successful career, ‘The Joss’ became too old to go to sea and lived out the rest of his days on an NCS engagement as Chief-of-Staff in Pompey DQ’s. Many years have gone by since he went to that great Reg. Office in the sky, and although the Navy has seen many changes, including that of the change in title of Master of Armoury to Master at Arms, Skillett-Sprock has never been forgotten and to this day every Master at Arms is proud to be known as “The Joss” the only man in each ship who can be trusted with the maintenance of discipline.

F.M.A.A. Westgarth HMS Mercury contributed the article.
(Believe this if you wish, still is a good little story will have to see if I can find one on the Buffer)
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
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