TODAY IN HISTORY VEST THE BOY FROM DR BARNARDO'S HOMES, JOINS THE BRITISH ROYAL NAVY,JAN-7-1942.

It was January 5 1942, I had passed my medical exam, despite the minimum height requirement of five feet. I was four feet ten and a half inches tall, Six stone six pounds (42.3 Kilos) and fifteen years, five months and twenty days old, an under aged and under sized piece of cannon fodder. The Naval preparatory school run by Barnardo's Homes received a 25 Pounds Sterling bounty on delivering me for service in the British Royal Navy on January-7-1942. I was worth Aus$1.15 a kilo or 30 cents U/S per lb.
After a gruelling train journey to Fleetwood (near Liverpool)I embarked in the early morning on the Isle Of Man Steamer, 'Rushen Castle', It took four hours to get to Douglas I O Man and I had not been to sea for over four years.
Looking piteously at the first timers berleying their guts out on the boisterous Irish sea, I was reminded of my first experience of sea sickness while on a Portsmouth to Isle of Wight ferry in 1938 the 'Lorna Doone', a coal burning paddle steamer, which was put to good use evacuating soldiers from Dunkirk (Dunkerque) France in 1940.
The Bible in my possession was signed by the Rev Harling on the feast of the epiphany Jan 7-42,I often wonder if that old sod made it to heaven. On that conspicuous day I became a Boy 2nd Class Royal Navy. The Americans had beat me to this war thing by 31 days, but I was better prepared than most for my next encounter with a new type of authority.

Yesterday January 6-2007, It was sixty one years ago, Sunday Jan- 6, the ship I served on for over two years during WW2,left Sydney for England after under-going repairs. We were the last unit Serving overseas to return to Britain where the war had ended ten months earlier, most Brits didn't know about the pacific war until the first 'A'Bomb on Japan.
Would the person who suggested in a previous post that I was born with a silver spoon, Should you ever find it? Shove it up your Ass.

Comments

Anonymous said…
hehehe
i new all along u were not royalty

its the way u cuss
not the way harward guys do
Vest said…
Thanks anon or maybe its Saby again. Shorty then but not now.
176mm plus 98kilos is now my present size.
Jim said…
u ass
dats 176 cm

unless u r referring to your penis
u britishers havent mastered the metric system yet

and 98 kg is probably pounds
hehehe
Anonymous said…
But there were fun times in the Andrew vesty, oriental ports of call, dont tell me you dont remember them, girl in every port?
I filled my boots whenever, couldn't get enough.
Happy new year mate.
Anonymous said…
What do you mean when you say-The Andrew?
Anonymous said…
Hi vesty-back from holidays down the coast with Zed and the girls-
happy new year to you and family.
Yeah mate we read about it in your book- but whats [The Andrew}
Vest said…
hi Keshi. will visit u soon.

Saby: watch it. OK a Typo should be CM not MM. Goa visit on hold; so is your demise, this is due to health problems within the family.
Vest said…
Anon & Gordon:
The term 'The Andrew' Meaning the British Royal Navy has been around long before the battle of Trafalgar, Mon-Oct-21-1805 and the Napoleonic wars.
If I remember correctly the Brit Navy had 250,000 sailors from a population of ten million the greater majority of which were those pressed into service or taken from prisons, approx 15% of all able bodied men between the ages of 12 to 65 were sailors, most were never allowed shore leave.
Lt Andrew Miller was a Press Gang officer who operated around the Portsmouth district, so it is assumed that he and his nefarious activities gave rise to the term 'The Andrew' meaning the British Navy.
Vest said…
Anon and Gordon. for more info on press gangs, go to Google.
Type in.
Naval press Gangs, then click onto-
Broadside the press gangs, then the Impress service. I have discovered a stack of good reading within those pages, all good stuff.
Jim said…
i am heart broken (GOA)
hehehehehe


u better make it fast
or i will be in California then

i aim to do some serious calli -fornicating in california

they say the blondes there are crazy for indians

they tink all indians no YOGA and can keep it up for 2 hours at the least
Vest said…
Saby: You in particular are not the 'Bollywood' type Indian sought by ultru delusion-ed females in America, Scrawny - emaciated and aged persons like yourself amount to super millions on the sub cont. These Aged American Hags like tshs,fat Tweety, Laura and Nancy D We met before, prefer the indigenous Indians wearing feathers and have a sharp arrow within their loin cloth.
Anonymous said…
Hey Vest. Happy New Year to you and congrats on the service anniversary. A good job completed.
Vest said…
Aggie: Thanks pretty lady. And a happy and prosperous New Year to you too.
Anonymous said…
So what your just another effing two a penny war hero bragger
Vest said…
Stud or should I call you Big prick, I was having a good day until you called. I don't recall any suggestion of bravery on my part, in fact heroics are not my forte. However, being exposed to the threat of death at any given moment for months on end whether you liked it or not; was not an option, keeping cool and knowing when to duck came with a lot experience eventually. The only problem I encountered was, after standing down from action stations, and that was removing the shit stains from my trousers.
Anonymous said…
Admiral, Lord Horatio Nelson always wore brown strides{trousers} Whilst engaging the enemy.{_!_}
Read all about the press gangs, not much diff from your entry into the Navy vesty.
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said…
You make me sick you old
stinking fart.
Jim said…
i wud buy a million copies of your book

if u kill PUGS
i figure with PUGS gone

Michele will marry me
for the simple reason

no body else has proposed
not even PUGS

but she is hoping dat some day he will

knock him off
before he does
Vest said…
anonymous: So I make you feel sick , well well I must be making you sicker than you already are, my guess without checking you are saby or one of those disgruntled hags from America. get well soon.
Vest said…
Saby: The Michele you are blabbing about from 'Jazz coffee' has never been married, is as ugly as a robbers dog, and is also 4ft 11 ins and is a gummy 86 years old. Her queer boy friend pugs the ex ships cook was previously called 'Bronte', as in Bronte (_*_)sauras, best of luck with your relationship, please do not request that I attend your nuptials.
Then again you and her would pair aup well, you being as sly as a yellow eyed shit house rat with a gold tooth.
Should all else fail, you could pair up with the hobnailed booted aged shed building harridan from sticks-ville Minnesota, who is currently holed up in a snow bound shack in the wilds, Her ex called Scrunchy was until recently the undiscovered eighth dwarf from dunderhead land, But was recently devoured by a huge Grizzly Bear, so you could be in with chance should you be able to handle a hammer and nails.
I am now off to the club for happy drinks, talk to you later shit stain.
Anonymous said…
I think saby would benefit by getting in touch with me

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