Haigh, George Ernest (Oral history)

British boy seaman trained at HMS Impregnable, HMS Ganges and Portsmouth Barracks, GB, 1911-1912; seaman served as signalman aboard HMS St Vincent, HMS Good Hope, HMS Drake and HMS Swift with Home Fleet in GB coastal waters, 1912-1919

REEL 1 Background in London, GB, 1894-1911: family; father's employment; initial employment; reasons for loss of employment with Great Western Railway; problems of obtaining employment. Aspects of enlistment in Royal Navy, 1911: reasons for joining navy; medical examination. REEL 2 Continues: educational standards required by Royal Navy; question of increase in payment to able seamen; conception of Royal Navy prior to enlistment; father's reaction to his enlistment; enlistment procedure; attitude to leaving home. Recollections of training as boy seaman aboard training ship HMS Impregnable, Devonport, GB, 1911: arrival at training ship, 5/1911; initial procedure and impressions; issue of naval headgear. REEL 3 Continues: daily routine including ablutions; climbing mast-head; daily divisions; administration of discipline including caning and punishment for minor offences; character of seamanship instruction. REEL 4 Continues: education; relations between boy seamen and petty officer instructors; attitude towards naval chaplains; holy stoning of decks on Saturday mornings; Sunday divisions; attitude to discipline; typical meals. REEL 5 Continues: mealtime procedure; recreational activities; offence of silent contempt; types of offences; examination and selection of naval branch. Aspects of signals training as boy seaman at HMS Ganges, Shotley, GB, 9/1911-5/1912: start of signals training. REEL 6 Continues: flag hoisting; character of competitiveness and evolutions in the Royal Navy; messing arrangements; signalman training and examinations; further signals training at Portsmouth Barracks, 5/1912-8/1912. REEL 7 Continues: status of signal boys aboard ship; pay for boy seamen and ordinary signalmen. Recollections of period as signalman aboard HMS St Vincent, HMS Good Hope and HMS Drake with Home Fleet in GB coastal waters, 1912-1914: responsibilities of ordinary signalmen; story of being on report for signals misunderstanding; relations with officers aboard HMS Good Hope, HMS Drake and HMS Swift, 1914-1919. REEL 8 Continues: relations between signalmen and officers on bridge; contrast in behaviour of officers pre-1914 and post 1918; difference between service on big and small ships; question of signalman promotion; relations between signalmen and other branches of the Royal Navy. REEL 9 Continues: signalmen's duties during coaling ship; danger of injury on board ship; degree of adaptation to signalman's uniform; 'tiddlying' of uniform; importance of smart uniforms; clothing inspections of uniform; preference of strictly disciplined ship. REEL 10 Continues: attitude towards naval police; punishment for breaking leave; humiliating nature of naval discipline; comparison between general and canteen messing; sleeping arrangements; tension between seamen living in messes. REEL 11 Continues: attending lectures about venereal disease; gambling including playing crown and anchor; ways of raising money aboard ship; description of fire aboard ship; story of firing signals to recall ships during Zeebrugge Raid aboard HMS Swift; attitude to service prior to First World War. REEL 12 Continues: attitude of Royal Navy towards outbreak of First World War; changes in watch keeping on outbreak of war; character of hostilities only personnel; code words used during period aboard HMS Swift on Dover Patrol; memories of surrender of German Grand Fleet; attitude to drafting to North Russia, 1919; character of life in barracks. REEL 13 Continues: question of corrupt practices in barracks; unfairness of drafts for foreign service; attitude of civilians in Portsmouth to Royal Navy personnel; behaviour of shore patrol. REEL 14 Continues: attitude towards Agnes Weston's Sailors' Rest hostels; details of other seamen's hostels; atmosphere in Agnes Weston's Sailors' Rest hostel; story of dropping holystone on boat carrying unpopular Royal Marine sergeant; incidents of seamen taking action against unpopular senior personnel; issue of rum ration. REEL 15 Continues: use of rum ration as means of payment; effect of marriage on seamen's lives; adjustment to civilian life after leaving Royal Navy.