The Mast is currently away being restored. the grounds are now being turned into a housing estate. HMS Ganges is no more, and had been derelict for some years. i used to live in one of the houses behind the old Naafi store, which is now converted into a house !
The HMS Ganges mast has now been completely renovated and replaced - great to see the return of such an iconic landmark and hats off to Wavensmere for prioritising its restoration. It is a fitting monument to the 160,000 Boys who trained at HMS Ganges and served in the Royal Navy. According to the developer of the site, Nelson Hall, the PO Mess and the Swimming Pool building will be retained and repurposed - and the main gate will be retained. The HMS Ganges Museum at Shotley Gate is dedicated the history of the establishment - details can be found online.
I attended Royal hospital school from 1972-1979 Holbrook a naval boarding school in those days (you could probably see our school tower from Harwich) Some of our lads went on visits to ganges for parades and watching lads stand on the button and fireworks displays we even used to borrow their boxing ring for our inter house boxing matches
As a 14 year old cadet, I attended Ganges for an Ordinary Seamans course, covering a wide range of skills. It included a voluntary run through the commando assault course, which I enjoyed, until I was made to do a few laps around the running track. ( :) ) I enjoyed the experience. The video is adult training for WW2. After the war GANGES became a school for Royal Navy trainees who start at age 14. Most of them orphans.
Crazy voice? He's easily understood which is more than can be said of today's presenters, what with their incomprehensible regional accents. No matter where an English speaker comes from, this presenter is easily understood.
I did basic training in the Army Reserve back in the 80,s , I would never have passed out of training with the Navy, no way I could ever have learned those knots !!!
Only one boy is known to have died by falling from the mast, Boy Second Class ALFRED HERBERT JAMES HICKMAN , who was 15 years and 9 months old.. On Saturday, 6th October 1928 at 3.15PM. Hickman climbed the mast with four other boys. This was not an "official" action but a "leisure activity" which any Boy could do at the weekend. He attempted to get to the button, but slipped - and rather than descending hand-over-hand as they were taught, he slid down the rope and burned his hands. A report in the Times said "Grasping a rope he was carried wide of the safety net at the bottom of the masr, and his hand was so badly burned by the friction that he released his hold, and was killeed almost instantly when he fell." The Royal Navy Communications Branch Museum notes that no other boys, of the thousands who climbed the mast, died and found no record of any serious injuries being sustained.. The vast majority of fatalities ay HMS Ganges were due to illness, as common diseases amongst a population of several hundred boys were hard to control, particularly before the dawn of modern medicines. The HMS Ganges Museum at Shotley Gate is dedicated the history of the establishment - details can be found online.
