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Cold War in 1952
written by Edward Thomas Malone
 H.M.S. St. Vincent, BOY SEAMEN - ROYAL NAVY
On 11 Nov 52, I joined H.M.S. St. Vincent was a huge Training Ship School that turned out professionally trained sailors to man the fleet, boys being known as the Backbone of the Service and supplied the career lower deck seamen apprentices to the Senior Service. It was named after Admiral Lord St. Vincent of the Battle of the Nile, and had amongst its graduates, winners of the Victoria Cross, and many decorated serving Chiefs and Petty Officers, who were now my instructors.
I was to discover my three years in Sea Cadets and my time at sea were to stand me in good stead. I knew Seamanship Manual #1 intimately, signals, Morse code, dinghy sailing and whaler sailing well and had much experience with them both. Cutters would be a challenge.
What a cultural shock this turned out to be, as NOZZERS (recruits) we were the scum of the earth and treated as such. Arriving at tea time, a class of 30, we were assigned our dorm, beds, kit, bedding, and pound blocks of Dhoby Soap which we were expected to do our laundry with. Woe to the nozzer who did not daily do his socks, underwear and gun shirt and have them and his No 9's (work uniform) properly pressed and pleated.
We arose at 0545 and had 15 minutes to shave, dress, make our bunks, straighten our lockers, align our kits for inspection, and arrive at the foot of the mast in squad formation in order to climb and go over the top. This was a 180 ' mast which we climbed the shrouds for the first 75 ' then from a landing we went straight up another 50' of Jacob's ladder to a small platform, to then climb another 20 ' to then reach up and touch a golden ball on the top of the mast, climb over to other side to another Jacob's ladder on the other side of the mast and descend.
This was all done under the watchful eyes of Petty officers stationed on each landing at the beat of the drum and hollering of the GI's. If one failed to touch the golden ball, he did it again, if one missed a beat the guy ahead stepped on your hand with his shoes, or you stepped on the guy behind you, to be thoroughly disciplined by the class when you returned to the dorm. Its amazing home fast we picked up the beat. Any infraction of discipline that you were caught at sent you over the mast, regardless of where you were on the station.
After a few weeks we were jumping off the 1st platform 75' into the net. The real hearty went off the second platform but I was always too chicken or maybe sane enough not to try.
Many a boy learned to overcame fear on the mast, for there was no other choice. If one showed fear, every PO or Chief on the ship was on your case until you showed false bravado and was seen jumping off the 1st. platform. The Royal Navy instilled courage in every boy. I never ever saw a boy fall.
In my last term of Blake 45. One Saturday night about 2200 hrs,a group of 4 officers with their ladies came out of the Wardroom and walked over to the mast. They then proceeded to climb the Shrouds to the 1st Platform which was directly in front of our dormitory windows. Of course we were all out of bed at the windows. I yelled to Lt. Stretfield James the DO of Duncan Division; "Come on Lootenant, go over the side and show the ladies how it’s done" to our absolute delight over the side he went to our cheers from Duncan, Blake, and Hawke Division blocks. That was that, the remaining party made their way gingerly down the shrouds, being cheered all the way down with many varied comments. Closest thing I ever saw to disrespect for the remaining officers who climbed down the mast with the ladies. We never heard a thing later.
Marching, close formation and drill were the order of the day for eight weeks, the rest of the time was spent on polishing your boots, sewing your name on every piece of your kit, which had to be perfectly aligned or re-done when inspected and found lacking. I, to this day am the best chain sewer in the world.
I quickly discovered that "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" was a true saying. Each morning we had to go through a "cold tub" of water to rinse after a warm shower. I found this excruciating, horrible punishment, which could not be avoided as a Petty Officer was there to ensure you went through. To this day it brings cold to my soul.
When training was complete, we joined the ship's company of the other 450 boy's in training. Passed out on "Sunday Divisions" parade and were sent home for Christmas leave of three weeks. O! What such big shots we were traveling to our homes in uniform, proudly wearing our caps with tidily cap tallies.
You heard the expression, all the nice girls love a sailor; it's true and I proved it, enjoying them in all shapes and sizes much to Skip's chagrin. They came knocking on the rectory door at all hours of the day and night asking for me. Canon Booth made sure I had and was using French Tickets (letters). He did not want his young lady parishioners pregnant.
Skip always had theatre tickets for me and I saw the entire in vogue plays in the West End, usually joining him at the In & Out for dinner where I met an endless stream of senior officers. How proud I was to be able to join them for dinner in uniform. On board ship as a lowly boy seaman, I was not allowed on the quarter-deck unless one was a defaulter. (in trouble)
Returning to St. Vincent, I now faced serious and challenging training. Gunnery school, seamanship classes, signals, Morse code communications, torpedo school, sailing, boat drill, damage control school, ship fire fighting, higher school work, navigation, sextant and chart work, square bashing, ceremonial gun and gun carriage drill, PT, swimming in full uniform, first aid, assault drill, 5 mile cross country running all had to be mastered and called out by numbers to perfection, with a four hour leave on Sundays if one was not under punishment (8a) which required you to run around the parade ground with an 8 lb. ship's stanchion.
Sports and assault courses offered new challenges daily. I made the First X1 in hockey and in rugby. Having played ice hockey and Cdn. Football in Canada I was well suited for these English Games. Lt. Beattie tried me out for the 1st Eleven in rugby as a scrum half. The ball was passed to me and I took off for the goal posts. I was tackled twice, but used a hand off from Cdn Football and sent them face down into the ground. I went over the goal line in between the posts and held the ball in my hand. People were screaming at me to touch the ground with the ball, another came charging at me for a tackle and I handed him off also. Lt. Beattie came up to me screaming "touch the ground with the ball.”Which I did. Lt Beattie asked me "Don't you know the rudiments to this game" and I said "No Sir, I thought it's like American football, we just go over the line!" I immediately was taught all the rudiments and rules of the game and made the 1st Eleven Rugger Team.
H.M.S. Ganges came to play us, and somehow the word was out to them, that I was someone to watch out for. One of their tacklers came up to me at supper where the teams were getting to know each other and said to me "Watch yourself tomorrow; I'm going to kill you!" I looked at him and said nothing. The next day in the game, I was passed the ball and headed for the Goal Posts and this guy came after me, I handed him off and he went face first into the ground and I touched down for the goal. "Skip" Commander Scott had come to see the game, and Lt. Beattie just ran up and hugged me. I felt like a million dollars when Skip congratulated me. But hockey was really my game and I handled that ball like a puck and did very well with it. There was a clash at times for practices and Lt. Beattie always had me play rugby first as a choice.
We had the Assault Course in which I came second and I also made the Field Guns Crew for Blake Division. This event brought me great pride in winning against the other divisions, as it was one that took great teamwork, co-operation of everyone, with an element of danger.
I went on 3 weeks leave for the Spring Leave and Skip took us all sailing on the Norfolk Broads with Mike Falks, Ron Owens, Jeff Brooks, and Mike Graham. We sure had fun. I was Master At Arms for the Cruise and Jeff Brooks was put on Defaulters by Skip. I read the Charge and began to giggle. Skip was so mad he smacked me, and then blasted me, then put me on Defaulters. Jeff and I had to shine all the brass and giggled the whole time.
Returning to London we were sent on plays and shows and saw the Cruel Sea in the West End. Returning for our final term it was intense study for me and I hammered the Volume Two Seamanship Manual to get ready.
The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth was coming up in June and this was a time of great anticipation, being Canadian I was invited by Skip to be the page C in C Portsmouth, Admiral Sir. John Edelston, KG, KCB, RN aboard H.M.S. Boxer a Radar Training and supply ship for the grand Fleet Review by the new Destroyer which served as the royal yacht HMS Surprise. Skip sent a Staff Car to pick me up and we went to the jetty to board Boxer. All the guests came on board and we sailed to take our position with Fleet. My job was to be a runner for the Admiral. There were 500 ships of the line from every nation in the world and it was a memory and privilege I will never forget. When the Queen gave the signal to "Splice the Main brace" at 1600, Sir John told Skip to give me a glass of Sherry to toast the Queen. I saying "this young man will always remember this Great Day in his life" The Admiral was certainly right, for it is and was one of my proudest days. We sailed back to the jetty in Portsmouth for 1900, and I was returned to St V for 2100. What a day. I wish I had, and should have received a medal for my participation. Her Majesty has certainly had a long and glorious reign.
Intensive training took my class through the next 12 months when we were ready for exams. One classmate, a big 6' loaf, spent all his time reading dirty books and writing dirty songs and ditties. We were in competition with 5 other divisions for top Class. This guy blew his signals exams and screwed up our gunnery exam drill. I punched him out, breaking his nose at the same time. I was hauled up before the Captain as a defaulter, for assault and found guilty, and had six cuts of the cane ordered as punishment. I had to appear on the quarter-deck in white uniform trousers without underwear, ordered to bend over and had six cuts administered by the Master-At-Arms before two officers, one being my divisional Warrant Officer Mr. Reddick, DSM. I was determined I was not going to let out a peep. The MA was determined to make me whelp, each stroke was harder administered but I held firm. I was ordered to drop my trousers to see the skin had not been broken, Mr. Reddick looked me right in the eye and said "Well done Malone." and marched off the quarter-deck.
Returning to my dorm I found the entire ship's company had been watching threw the windows. At supper almost my whole division stopped by and congratulated me. I had been the first boy caned since 1945. I never could figure why the Captain took it out on me, "shirks and skates" were despised throughout the service, and as far as I was concerned, this guy had let the whole division down. We passed out, but came in second in the divisional standings and were then issued our hammocks and tailor made uniforms which were now our No 1's and informed we were drafted to the Home Fleet to H.M.S. Indefatigable a carrier for six months Sea Training, then again sent on three weeks leave. I was now 17 years old. An uneventful leave had me gladly re-join my ship Indefatigable, in Weymouth, where she laid at anchor on Dec. 16, 53.
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