My Ships - HMS Dauntless
July 1st 1981 I sat on a Royal Navy bus that drove me through the gates of my very first Naval Establishment - or ship as they are known to naval folk.
Living in the middle of rural Lancashire I had never had the opportunity to see any military bases/camps/ships first hand so really didn't know what to expect. I didn't expect what I saw though. My initial thought was 'The Great Escape'. Lots of dark brown wooden 'H' shaped buildings arranged in a secure compound. It was sunny, so probably looked a lot better than when first seen on a damp foggy day.
That photo was taken sometime between 1945 and 1981. I doubt it ever looked any different during that time.
I was in Hermes 13 Division. Hermes 14 was the very last division to pass out from HMS Dauntless so you could say I just scraped through. I feel like I can say I was one of the 'old school' Wrens because I did my training there. I spent some time six years later at HMS Raleigh which was to be the new training school, with it's bright, spacious accommodation and facilities...we certainly had it a lot tougher!
The following two photographs show the camp layout. I am trying to wrack my brains to remember which block we lived in. I think it was F, because it was close to the road and you could see the 'out of bounds' Naafi club from one side of the building. We were actually allowed to go in there during the last week...special privileges for the senior division.
These two photos are of the Quarterdeck and the main gate. These again were taken before I was born, but I remember them looking exactly the same. Strangely, every wren who went through HMS Dauntless would have the same memories. I presume there was some adjustments made to training and routines as society changed over the years, but the basic aspects remained the same.
Class leaders also had to present the block for rounds in the morning and sometimes evening. Out came the white cotton gloves to check for dust on everything...pipes, floors, cupboard shelves, everywhere! Again you suffered for any misdemeanor. This only meant that everyone did their best, as we were all class leader at some time.
Meet Rinaldo. This chap was the ships figurehead moved from Chatham Naval base in the 1960's. He was the figurehead of a 17 gun sloop built in Woolwich in 1860. He and two cannons were brought to Dauntless to provide items of Naval interest, which were felt to be lacking when Admiral Sir Robin Durnford-Slater (Commander in Chief) visited in 1961. Rinaldo must have witnessed many a sight during his 20 years overseeing HMS Dauntless.
Other activities we experienced apart from the marching, washing, ironing and cleaning were much more fun, like having a Sunday afternoon by the pool....yes we had an outdoor swimming pool! It was pretty cold and we all sat huddled in towels most of the time but was a welcome break from the stress of the course. Here is a photo of a couple of my division enjoying the facilities.
Another weekend we were taken to a local canal to help them clean up the bank that was overgrown and full of rubbish. It was a lovely sunny weekend and I enjoyed doing something different. We also went off up the Berkshire Downs on an orienteering day and had a Saturday afternoon shopping in Reading...which felt like we had been released from prison...freedom and not a fouled anchor in sight. This was our transportation to most places...Pusser's Tilly Boats....yes, I know they aren't boats, but this is the Royal Navy!
Five weeks of my nine year naval career was spent at HMS Dauntless. At the time it seemed like a much much longer period of time. I drove through those gates a young naive seventeen year old who had lived in a village and had no idea what was ahead of me. Five weeks later I sat in the 'tilly' with a four others from Hermes 13 and headed off in the direction of Reading railway station and a train to Portsmouth, a ferry to Gosport and a tilly to take five Wrens through the black iron gates into our next adventure...
...HMS Daedalus, Royal Naval Air Engineering School, Lee on the Solent.
Living in the middle of rural Lancashire I had never had the opportunity to see any military bases/camps/ships first hand so really didn't know what to expect. I didn't expect what I saw though. My initial thought was 'The Great Escape'. Lots of dark brown wooden 'H' shaped buildings arranged in a secure compound. It was sunny, so probably looked a lot better than when first seen on a damp foggy day.
That photo was taken sometime between 1945 and 1981. I doubt it ever looked any different during that time.
I was in Hermes 13 Division. Hermes 14 was the very last division to pass out from HMS Dauntless so you could say I just scraped through. I feel like I can say I was one of the 'old school' Wrens because I did my training there. I spent some time six years later at HMS Raleigh which was to be the new training school, with it's bright, spacious accommodation and facilities...we certainly had it a lot tougher!
The following two photographs show the camp layout. I am trying to wrack my brains to remember which block we lived in. I think it was F, because it was close to the road and you could see the 'out of bounds' Naafi club from one side of the building. We were actually allowed to go in there during the last week...special privileges for the senior division.
These two photos are of the Quarterdeck and the main gate. These again were taken before I was born, but I remember them looking exactly the same. Strangely, every wren who went through HMS Dauntless would have the same memories. I presume there was some adjustments made to training and routines as society changed over the years, but the basic aspects remained the same.
Here are a couple of photos of my passing out march past crossing the same Quarterdeck
The road that circled the main buildings at the centre of the camp was used to march us from A to B then C and sometimes D. Round and round we went, practising right turns, about turns, saluting, arm swinging and at all times avoiding 'dolly marching' (losing step). I also had to learn how to shout. It doesn't come naturally to me, yes, that may come as a surprise, but I had to force myself to do it when It was my turn to be class leader.
Those were the days you had to make sure everyone was up, ready and mustered in the correct order outside the block when the PO wren arrived in the early morning. If anyone didn't come up to scratch it was your fault. if anyone fell out of step, or heaven forbid you gave the wrong command, you were subjected to the wrath of POWren - who trust me, had shiploads of shouting experience. Here you get a feel for the size of the block..bit tight in the corridor.
Those were the days you had to make sure everyone was up, ready and mustered in the correct order outside the block when the PO wren arrived in the early morning. If anyone didn't come up to scratch it was your fault. if anyone fell out of step, or heaven forbid you gave the wrong command, you were subjected to the wrath of POWren - who trust me, had shiploads of shouting experience. Here you get a feel for the size of the block..bit tight in the corridor.
Class leaders also had to present the block for rounds in the morning and sometimes evening. Out came the white cotton gloves to check for dust on everything...pipes, floors, cupboard shelves, everywhere! Again you suffered for any misdemeanor. This only meant that everyone did their best, as we were all class leader at some time.
Meet Rinaldo. This chap was the ships figurehead moved from Chatham Naval base in the 1960's. He was the figurehead of a 17 gun sloop built in Woolwich in 1860. He and two cannons were brought to Dauntless to provide items of Naval interest, which were felt to be lacking when Admiral Sir Robin Durnford-Slater (Commander in Chief) visited in 1961. Rinaldo must have witnessed many a sight during his 20 years overseeing HMS Dauntless.
Just as much of the day was spent marching around the camp or sitting in classrooms learning about Naval history, terminology and everything a 'baby Wren' needed to know before being let loose in the real Navy, the evenings were spent cleaning. Everything had to be spotless. No divvy cleaners on or in ships, so those not see to doing things for themselves had a huge shock when they found themselves elbow deep in buckets, scrubbing floors and cleaning toilets. Fortunately my mother was very house proud and so I was used to being tidy and doing household chores.
Not only did we have to make sure all our accommodation was in pristine condition, but we then had to make time to do the same with our uniform. Now it would have been very kind to have given us enough shirts and PE kit to last more than two days, but that wouldn't have been character building. So while one shirt was being worn, the other would be hanging in the drying cupboard, ready to be ironed and worn the next day. Shoes had to be 'bulled' at least once a day and was usually done in the rec room, last thing when we could all sit and chat while doing what was later to become a therapeutic task. Here is one of the girls using the only kettle to steam out creases in her skirt. There was always a very long queue in a morning!
Week two we had to do 'Workship'. This was where we did other tasks, to keep the place tidy, like gardening or some activity to spruce up the buildings. This was to show us that when ships company you are required to do all sorts of tasks that may not be related to your usual role. The famous 'stripey' overall came in very useful and kept our uniform clean. Not the most attractive attire for sure, but it meant less washing and ironing and therefore more sleep!
Another weekend we were taken to a local canal to help them clean up the bank that was overgrown and full of rubbish. It was a lovely sunny weekend and I enjoyed doing something different. We also went off up the Berkshire Downs on an orienteering day and had a Saturday afternoon shopping in Reading...which felt like we had been released from prison...freedom and not a fouled anchor in sight. This was our transportation to most places...Pusser's Tilly Boats....yes, I know they aren't boats, but this is the Royal Navy!
Five weeks of my nine year naval career was spent at HMS Dauntless. At the time it seemed like a much much longer period of time. I drove through those gates a young naive seventeen year old who had lived in a village and had no idea what was ahead of me. Five weeks later I sat in the 'tilly' with a four others from Hermes 13 and headed off in the direction of Reading railway station and a train to Portsmouth, a ferry to Gosport and a tilly to take five Wrens through the black iron gates into our next adventure...
...HMS Daedalus, Royal Naval Air Engineering School, Lee on the Solent.
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