WHERE’S MY SHIP ?

The year was 1948. I had joined the Navy aged 17½. and had signed on for 7 years to become a Telegraphist. The long training period was over and I was eagerly waiting in Chatham barracks to be assigned my first ship. Some of my shipmates had volunteered for the Far East or the Med, but word had it that if one volunteered there was no way of applying for a transfer at a later date. So, for me there was no volunteering and I was hoping for a destroyer or cruiser? Soon I was given the name - HMS Woodbridge Haven, which turned out to be a Frigate (whom no one ever had heard of). The Movements Office told me she was lying off Sheerness and I was to join her there.

To get to Sheerness one joined a small ‘Trot’ boat which regularly sailed from Chatham to Sheerness via the river Medway. Various ships were anchored in the Medway, or tied up at Sheerness, and the ‘Trot’ boat acted as a water bus dropping anyone off as required.
By the time I had finished leaving routine from barracks, joined the ‘Trot’ boat and arrived at Sheerness, it was late evening. There had been no sign of the Woodbridge Haven and the only thing I could do was report to the Sheerness Movements Office.
‘The Woodbridge Have sailed for Portsmouth earlier this afternoon’ I was told. ‘Go back to Chatham barracks and report to the Movements Office again tomorrow morning’.
Next morning, after reporting once more, I was given a rail pass and told to join my ship now at Portsmouth. Up to London I went, complete with kitbag and hammock, and down to Portsmouth Naval barracks. At the Movements Office I was greeted with the news ‘The Woodbridge Haven sailed to Barrow-in-Furness this afternoon after taking on stores. You will stop the night here and report for a rail pass to Barrow- in-Furness tomorrow morning’ So, next morning it was up to London once again, with kitbag and hammock, for a change of trains to Barrow-in-Furness. By the time I arrived in Barrow it was evening once more, but at last there was my ship tied up alongside the jetty near the Vickers submarine works.
I was thankful to be aboard at last and was soon greeting by the Chief Telegraphist ‘You must be the new Telegraphist, we have been expecting you, do you want to go ashore tonight?’ The last thing I wanted was to go ashore again, and quickly declined his offer. ‘Good, we are all off to a dance so you will be on night duty in the Wireless Office’ This came as quite a shock as I did not know anyone or anything - or even where the Wireless Office was. However, I was quickly taken along and told that a landline telephone was connected to shore. If the phone rang I was to take down any messages by hand. There was a camp bed next to the telephone and I could sleep there ‘As long as you don’t miss any messages and to tell the Captain at once if it was anything of importance’. As it turned out the telephone kept silent, and although I had a peaceful night the thought that I might miss an important message kept me from dozing off too deeply.

Next morning I joined the rest of the crew and soon learned what it was to become a ‘real’ sailor. However, there’s nothing like being dropped in at the deep end - and I was just thankful it wasn’t the water!