As Jim did such a good job with"Son of a gun"And called me one.
I'll try to explain"Brass Monkey's"For those here who are NOT Jim or Frank.
The Brass Monkey on the gun decks of wooden warships was where the shot was stored.Nine high balls(Iron).
When it got real cold the balls fell off the'Monkey's as brass contracts at a different rate than iron.
AARGH Mister Christian,
Bring me another cabin boy.etc.
Now we're getting into the realms of the old Naval terminology.
Avast there Wholley,Show-a-leg? is derived from the days when women were allowed to remain on board.Since females were exempt from turning out with the hands first thing in the morning,this call 'show a leg' was made to check that the occupant of a hammock (mick) really was a woman entitled to enjoy the privilege of lying in for an extra half hour.
Extra half hour this in my days at sea was reserved for those on guard and steerage .
Now as my good shipmate Mike will tell you when we were serving on board the Victory as bootneck guides,one of the dits told to the general public about 'show a leg' was,if your wife had hairy legs in those days just to bad .
And how about 'shiver me timbers'?????
Wholley old son,son of a gun is now used as a term of endearment??,now dont you go all gooey .Aye JR
Who needs the World as your Oyster,When you've had the world as your cap Badge
Then theres the Square meal. Another Naval term. Basically all the plates n stuff were square in shape so they could be stowed away dead easy. Seems the soup plates were a right bugger as you could never get your spoon into the corners.
Of course there is also the term Oppo as in a friend. It comes from your Opposite number in a gun turret.
And lets not forget the Golden Rivet. The fun to be had telling a young OD to go and find it.
"Clear Lower deck" now a term used in the Navy and the Marines meaning everybody turn to and listen in to whats happening. In the Old days it meant the same plus the Lobsters (Marines) could search for contraband whilst the matelots were up top.
"Stand Easy" A NAAFI break to anyone not in the Navy or Marines. And meant the same on the old warships. Half an hour of having a wet and a natter with your Oppos.
"Make and Mend" now means time off from work but in the old days meant time for Jolly Jack and Royal to sort out his kit i.e. sew on buttons, do the Dhoby, A chance to catch up with your personal admin in other words.
Dis is Fun!
Artist
Last edited by Artist on Fri 06 Jan, 2006 3:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
:multi: Oh provider of brufin,poultices and prophylactics.
'Sick Bay' Originated early in the nineteenth century as the 'sick berth'.In 1798 Admiral the Earl of St Vincent,when Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean,directed a 'sick berth' to be prepared in each ship of the line,to be situated under the Fo'csle 'with a roundhouse enclosed for the use of the sick'.The rounded shape of the bow resembled the bay window in a room,hence the Sick Bay? In 1884 a sick Berth branch was formed to serve the sick and hurt of her Majesty's Navy and Marines. and they have been dishing our Pills,poultices ever since Aye JR
Who needs the World as your Oyster,When you've had the world as your cap Badge
Heads Pussers name for the toilet, came about from saving the modesty of the highest ranking officer on ship. If the officer needed the toilet he would hang himself over the edge while a cry of 'Heads' went out.
The cry was to ensure all lower ranks turned their heads away to save the modesty of the officer. This ensured his modesty could never be questionned and also help to avoid mutinies.
Chaos, Disorder, Destruction.....My work here is done!
*****
"The man who follows the crowd will usually get no further than the crowd. The man who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been. --- Alan Ashley Pitt"
*****
Why can't you accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
JR I think very highly of your knowledge of all things Corps and its Parent Service. I admit to knowing next to nothing about my old branch and ashamed by that aswell.
I do know that the Sick berth Attendants originated from the Barbers mates. And that SBAs became MAs sometime in the 70's (?)
Im on a mission now to enlighten myself and others to the history of my branch.
Did you know it is one of the most highly decorated branches of the RN, and we have our own association.
There was no demand for ship’s surgeons during medieval times, as the navy’s primary role was a transport service plus all sea fights took place within easy reach of the coasts. Disabled mariners often found themselves homeless. Hospitals of a kind known as Houses of Pity were run by monks of various religious orders. Church edict of 1308 decreed that all students of medicine be obliged to study the scriptures translated from Arabic, Greek and Latin.
By 1424 a charter was given to the new guild of ‘Barber Surgeons’
On occasions medical men had been known to work with the Army and Navy, It is difficult to give an exact date for the appointment of sea-surgeons. The appointment or attachment was for the personal attention to the King, as at Agincourt in 1415, or to the Ship’s Captains.
It does appear that many British Tudor warships carried one of the new breed of barber-surgeons and it is apparent from the medical artefacts recovered from the Mary Rose that their medical knowledge was of a wider scope than once thought.
About 1597 the expression ‘loblolly’ boy was first noted. Oxford Dictionary lists the following definition Loblolly derived from ‘Lob’ to bubble or boil especially porridge and ‘lolly’ – broth boiled in a pot. The Royal Navy copied the expression ‘loblolly’ boy as associated with anyone who helped the surgeon. When the loblolly boy was not making up medicines or winding bandages he could be seen spoon-feeding invalids with broth or burgoo – a kind of porridge.
More power was given to the Company of Barber Surgeons when they were requested to administer all arrangements for the entry of sea surgeons to the Royal Navy. On some occasions they were obliged to enforce their entries by the use of the Acts of Impressment when because of the increase in the number of warships, more surgeon were needed. Certainly the practice of having surgeons aboard warships of any size increased and even their use in hospital ships.
The first recorded hospital ship ‘Goodwill’ joined the Mediterranean Fleet in 1620. She was either a converted fifth rate warship, ie one that carried around 32 cannons, or converted merchantman. To make the ship more hygienic, gratings were cut in the wooden side planking so as to increase ventilation. She carried one surgeon and a surgeon’s mate and three attendants.
1694 saw the foundation of the Royal Hospital at Greenwich by William and Mary for the ‘relief and support of seaman who by reason of age, wound and other disabilities shall be incapable of further service at sea’. The promised relief did not arrive until the end of the century when the first 42 patients were admitted. At the time, invalids and pensioners numbered almost 3000.
Eventually the recommendations of the Sick and Hurt Board were partly met by the opening of HASLAR HOSPITAL in 1754. It was an improvement as formerly, sick and wounded seamen in the Portsmouth area were billeted ashore in taverns and hovels. In one year appox. 800 accommodated in this manner, over 900 died and 1000 absconded. In 1755, 25 men escaped from Haslar through the sewer.
In 1805 Naval Surgeon Dr Trotter suggestion had been acted upon by Admiral the Earl St Vincent. He gave orders each ship had a Sick Berth compartment and advised the layout of the new areas. These encompassed the space in the ships bow through which the chimney from the galley on the deck below came, thus giving the sick berths a kind of ‘ central heating’.
In 1827, the Melville hospital at Chatham opened its doors under the courtesy title of ‘Royal Naval Hospital, Chatham’ though the purpose built RN Hospital, Chatham was not completed until 1905.
In 1833 with the expansion of British Trade four overseas stations established with the imposing name ‘hospital’ – Malta, Jamaica, Bermuda and Simonstown, as well as around forty ‘Sick Quarters’ in the British Isles.
Also in 1833 a directive was issued to the Commanding Officers in the Fleet to organise a “Sick Berth Attendant” category of naval rating in each ship. From that date the new title appears in the wage tables of the Navy together with their varied rates of pay:
Order in Council dated October 1884 – this authorised the establishment of a Trained Sick Berth Rating staff and supported the formation of a trained female nursing staff for work in Naval Hospitals. Committee –
15 Doctors against and 15 were in favour. So was born the concept of trained Sick Berth Ratings and trained Naval Nursing Service with royal patronage QARNNS. Target figures of 396 SB Ratings for the whole of the navy, 223 afloat and 173 in Naval Hospitals. Recruits – over 18, literate, capable of doing simple accounts and physically fit.
In 1885, vacancies for Trained Nursing Sisters between the age 25 – 40 with 3 years nursing experience in hospitals nursing male patients.
1 Head & 8 Sisters appointed to Haslar.
1 Head & 5 Sisters appointed to Plymouth.
In 1891, Sick Berth personnel were given new style uniforms – Double breasted jacket same as worn by CPO’s. Nick name ‘Sick Bay Tiffy’.
Training – Short course of disciplinary training. Followed by professional training – 3 months, extended to 6 months - then to 12 months at Haslar or Plymouth Hospital.
Anyone remember Netley? Matrons House was called "Rose Cottage" so I was told.
Paddy K********k was sent to Netley for a drying out course. For eight weeks all he drank was Coke and nought else. Come the end of the course what does Paddy do then?
It reminded me of my first (painful and needed ) tour to the Naval Dentist at the Depot.
I was met outside the door by someone dressed as ‘Buttons’ in Cinderella
Who promptly asked to see my teeth!
“Yers”, said he, “A bit long in tooth you be” – “You can go in”
Amazing what recruits find themselves in isn’t it ? Took me yonks to catch on……
And the Hospital in Guz was heated by two COKE burning fireplaces even
in 1963…..
I still believe that the nursing sisters at Guz had to do a Commando course……
Two of them were climbing in over the wall one night ( as usual ) and the
One asked the other “Doesn’t it make you feel like a Commando ?
“Yes – repied the second one –“but where would we find one at this time of
night”
I wonder if anyone else used the pub over this bit of Hospital wall ?
I'm sure that the barmaid was Danny la Rue - Essence indeed....
Hair, mannarisms and all.
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Now we're getting into the realms of the old Naval terminology.
.
.Aye JR
Doc.........Have we forgotten that most essential part of the 'Sick Berth' Rose Cottage! now thats a name to conjour with.Aye JR :lilangel: