TS Vindicatrix What is left. Only Memories.
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- Опубліковано 5 вер 2024
- Look at the old camp of the National Sea Training School.
Sharpness.
If any Vindi Boy is living in the midlands and would like to attend our meetings
please check out our Website at
www.tsvindicat...
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1965. Great to see this after all this time. It's totally unrecognisable now to me in it's overgrown state. I remember Mr Agate, a very severe man who taught navigation and lifeboat. I remember once at mail call one letter addressed to someone C/O "Agate's Navy" That brought the house down. Also me being called out by surprise by Mr Agate for the compass heading and being screamed at, "It's not Err". However, some years later I was involved in a wreck near the Dutch island of Terschelling in a storm. Because of Mr Agate I knew exactly what to do when abandoning ship and taking to the boats. To my great regret, despite promises to myself to find him and thank him, I never did. Not exactly fun times at the Vindi but certainly character building. I remember passing out day and the officer conducting things congratulated us for passing out, and said that things there were made deliberately tough. First to weed out the chaff and secondly that they didn't know where in the world we would end up, but if we survived the Vindicatrix we could survive in most situations. We don't see that today sadly.
Afterthought. I never did meet the legendary "Jasper" in the village. That was a great disappointment, Haha.
Pure poetry youve typed here.
Thankyou for sharing.
Thanks for the memories and the videos, just brilliant
Sad everything has gone about our ONCE famous Merchant Navy. My ❤️ bleeds every day how all our famous ships and shipping companies have all faded away and dissolved into distant memories of a bygone era. Where proud merchant seaman sailed the 7 seas 😤😤😢😢😢
Thanks Neil, Yes a proud Maritime Nation. Alan.
I have happy memories of the TS Vindicatix. Smoking my first cigarette on the open windswept upper deck (Domino 4 cigarettes in a packet), 100 boys huddled together like penguins sheltering from the freezing wind blowing off the River Severn, waiting for their instructors to take them back to their billets, sea pie, and singing the Vindy songs. My wife, my youngest son, Tim, and I visited the site a few years back, the memories came flooding back, looking up at the black hulk, hearing the boys yelling, 'You ain't never going home new boy!' I based part of my novel 'Fife's Tin Box' on my experiences at Sharpness in 1959.
Great memories Peter. Alan
Wonderful heart rending memories. Thank you.
I was a Vindi Boy from July 2nd 1962 until August 10th 1962 awarded the Catering Proficiency Bade and Became Captain and Mrs Poores Personal Steward before Discharge,Spent 2 Years on the Cargo Ship MV Huntsmore before deciding to Join the Royal Navy as an Officers Steward.
Thanks for this. I was the camp bugler Nov 53 to Jan 54. A cold winter in those days. I miss the Viny songs- they say the food upon the Vindy is mighty fine, but a loaf fell off the table and killed a pay of mine, gee ma I wanna go home-Well they were happy days for me and an amazing gateway to a fantastic twelve years at sea. I wish I could turn the clock back. Like you said, all that’s left are memories, but what lovely memories to dream about. Colin Gadd.
This is amazing! I live locally and only learnt this place existed today! I had a walk around and I’ve been researching up on it ever since I got home!
Glad you enjoyed it!. If you ever get in to the Dockers Club there is a cabinet with things of interest re the Vindi. There Is also a plaque in the church. Many thanks.
My Dad was there in 1961 before going around the world twice with the Merchant Navy. He told me that he had to spend time ‘under the clock’ more than once!
Thank you John for a lovely nostalgic walk and sharing your memories. I went to the Vindi in October 1965 to January 1966 to learn my sea skills. What a great time in my life. Had my 18th birthday in December, what a crew off officers they took me to the dockers club for my first legal pint got me drunk on scrumpy and I had to go back to blow the bugle, yes I also was a sea cadet bugler before going to the Vindicatrix. It help build my preparation to becoming a man. Loyalty, comradeship, respect & responsibility to my peers. Everyday spent there gave me fond memories. In the guard house after doing the last bugle call having a cup of coco & a round of toast before turning in.
I will always remember the young men who I trained with. All great lads.
Thankyou for your reply its nice to that it brought back memories. Alan (not John).
Great memories Walter thanks for the reply. Alan
I was a Vindi boy June/July 1961. So many memories.
Hope you enjoyed it Paul.
Thanks for this I was there in 1961 and was assigned the captain's garden for the last four weeks, the garden of that old house now in ruins, I think his name was commander Poor, his wife was very kind. My strongest memory was piling on the deck plates to get warm and the joy of the mobile fish and chip shop.
www.tsvindicatrix.webeden.co.uk/
I expect you will have seen the Vindicatrix website.
I am now 72 and I was there in 1966 my you have brought back some memories Codeine Anne and Captain Poore the last time I met him was in Life boat training In Southampton. very good you have done a nice job in bringing the memories back.
Thanks for the memories. Just turned 16, I became a 'Vindi Boy' in Jan 63. Hard winter, tough times - but it was great.
Love your video. I didn't attend TS Vindicatrix but you must be quite rightly proud to have attended. I joined the MN (Shaw Savill Line) in 1971 as a Deck Cadet and attended Plymouth School of Maritime Studies and served on cargo ships. I had 6 years at sea. My Dad was RNVR during WW2. He served with the British Pacific Fleet (BPF) fighting the Kamikaze. The BPF were known as the "Forgotten Fleet". I used to say to him that the real Forgotten Fleet were the men of the Merchant Navy who fought in every theatre of the second world war. Dad would agree with me. One in every four merchant seaman died, a higher ratio of loss than in the Royal Navy, RAF or the British Army and yet their enormous sacrifice was never fully appreciated. Merchant seaman were looked down upon by those at home. They were called cowards and "army dodgers" and assaulted by people who had no idea of the hell they endured at sea. The lack of any recognition continued in peacetime despite its wartime contribution and it wasn't until the year 2000 that the Merchant Navy were allowed to join the official march past of the Cenotaph. I must confess the injustice has always got to me.
Glad you enjoyed it Nick. Thank you for your feedback it’s very nice to hear that people enjoyed my efforts. Many thanks
Alan.
I do love visiting this part of the World, but I can’t even begin to imagine the type of Lifestyle that was Experienced in this particular place at this particular Time..😕
The problem with going back to where those old memories were born, is the things that have changed and the things that have not. Time is a weary load and what remains is worn by it so it's still recognizable but sad in it's time crush, just like us. And what is gone may be a blessing, old memories not renewed.
Thanks for your comments Fred
There in April 1956 hoping to be at last reunion 2023
Thank you so much for this. My Grandfather was a Vindi boy from Aug 1944 to Nov 1944. He recently passed away (Nov 4th 2021) He moved to Australia in 1949 and lived here for the rest of his life. I am planning on a trip to the UK next year and would love to get an itinerary of points of interest as well as more information about this association.
There's lots going on on the internet have you seen the Vindicatrix Association website? loads of information on there. www.tsvindicatrix.webeden.co.uk/
copy and paste that link
Glad you enjoyed the videos. Alan
Thanks for sharing this, I was on the Vindi Jan 1957 as you said some bad times but mostly good ones.
Glad you enjoyed it
Chris Bond....I was there in February 1957, we probably rubbed shoulders never been so cold in my life,the weather was bitter R 669120
@@russellbeaumont310 My number was R669013, I certainly agree about the cold but we did have that "Roaring Fire " in the huts didn't we !! or am I inventing that.
1960 my last week I was sick bay senior. My assistant would replace me as I left. One day we got a boy in bleeding so we did our own first aid then went to put sister Grey on the shake telling her the emergency. Codeine Annie was getting dressed so we waited for her and as she came out she said, come on senior, follow me. But, we soon saw the bottom of her dress was caught up in her matrons belt and her XXXL bloomers down to her knees in full display like a spinnaker! We we bursting trying to hide our mirth but dare not tell her either.... when we finally got to the sick bay she realised she was somewhat adrift and said, oh senior why didn’t you tell me, but did take it in good humour. Lol
Thank you Fred very amusing
The only thing left of the Old Sea School that was on Gravesend promenade are the life boat Derryks. The New Sea school is now a police training college so sad how our proud merchant fleet has gone 😢😢😢😤
Thank you Neil, we used to have a member that went to Gravesend but sadly no longer with us.
Super great piano...
I'm focused all around... Most of the time. ---[ dylan ]---
My Dad went there and he said the same as you! He did eight years at sea!
I was there in Jan 1957 and yes it was cold, anyone remember Popeye? I remember we knocked off a pile of bread one night when he was a little tipsy, we ate it as fast as we could.😂
But then again, all this old infrastructure, built to aid that great war, returning to the wild, no longer needed or even really remembered, was what the war was fought for, to not need such places anymore. And to not need the boys who served in that war anymore, for them to rest and remember and raise a glass for Auld Lang Syne, and Maybe, come home, now and then, to memory lane.
I was on the vindi back in 65
Thankyou for such a memorable trip down memory lane. Where did you go after that? How many years in the fleet?
Thanks for the kind comments. I didn’t do much after Vindi but as they say.
“I was there”.
1954 IREMEMBER INSRUCTORS POPEYE---SCOTTY--JOHN WAYNE
Thanks for the reply Fred.
There is a piece about Popeye in the latest Vindi News. Alan
Brings back great memories
'Scotty', 1st Officer, then Capt. Les Scott was my Dad.
We moved to Australia in 1967, just a few days after the Vindicatrix was towed to the breakers yard. Our family spent many week-ends at the Vindi camp when he was on duty. It was an amazing place to grow up - I still remember many of the officers, the Sports days, the lovely old rowboats which were often tied up in the cansl next to the ship. The path from the huts down to the canal from the huts - with its bright red soil ...
Shortly after we settled in Tasmania,several ex-Vindi boys surfaced & became valued friends with my parents. Being part of the Hobart chapter of the Vindi Assoc. was very special to my Dad - he left the MN when we left Britain & his life changed enormously. He died over 20yrs ago now - much missed.
Late 65 to 66
I'm sure my father trained there as a 16 year old in 1942 before going onboard ship, John Roberts 1942-1948, He found it hard to settle down after seeing the world, before meeting my mam. Is there a website for ex trainees.
L