One Life Two Jobs
When I joined the Navy I joined up as an Air Engineering Mechanic (AEM). This was due to 'apparently' having a high score in the technical section of my aptitude test. My original choice was to be a driver or photographer. I was unable to do photography from initial training as it was one of those categories that you had to 're-cat' to after serving a few years.
For the first six years of my service I trained as an AEM, worked on air stations and generally did a good job. I say 'good' because I certainly wasn't a natural at solving technical problems and being a tractor driver meant I spent a lot of time doing other things. I did what I was asked and to the best of my ability - although my wire locking was pretty high quality!
Around the five year mark I started to think about changing my job. I was working at HMS Daedalus in the training school and knew a couple of Wrens who worked as Education and Training Support Assistants. Their job was to design and produce training materials, facilitate presentations and support training officers in classrooms. It was the training resources part that interested me most as I had intended to go to art college while at school. I decided to start the re-cat process.
I spoke to my Divisional Officer about this and he arranged for me to spend a month working in the Training Office where I would be able to work with the ETS Wrens and decide if it was what I wanted to do. It gave me the opportunity to work in a different environment away from the hangar and use my artistic skills to design and produce OHP slides, manuals and posters. I knew within a week that I wanted to do the job.
The next stage was to write an account of why I wanted to re-cat. This was to be sent to the ships Captain who would make a decision as to whether I could or couldn't change my role. I wrote a page of reasons in my neatest handwriting and handed it back to my D.O. A while later I got my reply. It was accepted! and my forms came back with a comment about my beautiful handwriting too! I was excited to be trying something new, but a little sad that I was leaving aircraft and the fun of hangar life behind.
The downside of re-catting was that although I had already served six years, I still had to go through the second part of basic training with a brand new group of Wrens who had just completed initial training at HMS Raleigh. I was sent back down to Cornwall and introduced to seven baby Wrens, all younger than me and totally unaware of what life in the Navy was like. I was like the older sister and ended up chasing around after them to make sure they did everything properly - especially if it meant we all lost privileges if they didn't!
It was hard work, I wasn't used to having kit musters, twice daily rounds and all the usual guff of basic training. I had been living in a rented house with my own room and luxuries. I was also the one singled out to take responsibility of the class by the trainers for special duties and such.
It wasn't a lot of fun and apart from the job role training was all a bit unnecessary.
The second stage involved six weeks at HMS Nelson in Portsmouth. Back up the coast I was much happier as I could go out (until training curfew at midnight!!) and visit my old mates at HMS Daedalus. The fact we were no longer at HMS Raleigh also meant that it was more relaxed and people generally went abut their own business, unlike Raleigh where being a basic training facility every member of staff went out of their way to yell at you if you so much as looked in the wrong direction.
After ten long weeks of being a trainee again, we waited anxiously for our draft chits. We had no idea where we were being sent. I really wanted a draft to an air station, where I would know people and be familiar with the way things worked. I didn't get an air station but I did get the only draft to The Royal Naval College in Greenwich! WOW, that was better than an air station.
The following week, I packed my bags and set off on the train to experience a new life in a blue suit in London. The bright lights were calling....
For the first six years of my service I trained as an AEM, worked on air stations and generally did a good job. I say 'good' because I certainly wasn't a natural at solving technical problems and being a tractor driver meant I spent a lot of time doing other things. I did what I was asked and to the best of my ability - although my wire locking was pretty high quality!
Around the five year mark I started to think about changing my job. I was working at HMS Daedalus in the training school and knew a couple of Wrens who worked as Education and Training Support Assistants. Their job was to design and produce training materials, facilitate presentations and support training officers in classrooms. It was the training resources part that interested me most as I had intended to go to art college while at school. I decided to start the re-cat process.
I spoke to my Divisional Officer about this and he arranged for me to spend a month working in the Training Office where I would be able to work with the ETS Wrens and decide if it was what I wanted to do. It gave me the opportunity to work in a different environment away from the hangar and use my artistic skills to design and produce OHP slides, manuals and posters. I knew within a week that I wanted to do the job.
The next stage was to write an account of why I wanted to re-cat. This was to be sent to the ships Captain who would make a decision as to whether I could or couldn't change my role. I wrote a page of reasons in my neatest handwriting and handed it back to my D.O. A while later I got my reply. It was accepted! and my forms came back with a comment about my beautiful handwriting too! I was excited to be trying something new, but a little sad that I was leaving aircraft and the fun of hangar life behind.
The downside of re-catting was that although I had already served six years, I still had to go through the second part of basic training with a brand new group of Wrens who had just completed initial training at HMS Raleigh. I was sent back down to Cornwall and introduced to seven baby Wrens, all younger than me and totally unaware of what life in the Navy was like. I was like the older sister and ended up chasing around after them to make sure they did everything properly - especially if it meant we all lost privileges if they didn't!
It was hard work, I wasn't used to having kit musters, twice daily rounds and all the usual guff of basic training. I had been living in a rented house with my own room and luxuries. I was also the one singled out to take responsibility of the class by the trainers for special duties and such.
It wasn't a lot of fun and apart from the job role training was all a bit unnecessary.
The second stage involved six weeks at HMS Nelson in Portsmouth. Back up the coast I was much happier as I could go out (until training curfew at midnight!!) and visit my old mates at HMS Daedalus. The fact we were no longer at HMS Raleigh also meant that it was more relaxed and people generally went abut their own business, unlike Raleigh where being a basic training facility every member of staff went out of their way to yell at you if you so much as looked in the wrong direction.
After ten long weeks of being a trainee again, we waited anxiously for our draft chits. We had no idea where we were being sent. I really wanted a draft to an air station, where I would know people and be familiar with the way things worked. I didn't get an air station but I did get the only draft to The Royal Naval College in Greenwich! WOW, that was better than an air station.
The following week, I packed my bags and set off on the train to experience a new life in a blue suit in London. The bright lights were calling....
Comments
Post a Comment