Crew positions

I went to join the RN many years ago as a lad and wanted to be either an RO(SM) or WTR. I had dreams of filling in the C230 and be drafted to SM10 (then) but unfortunately failed the medical and was rejected for RN, but my interest continues from visiting boats at Navy days and when alongside, watching submarine videos and reading books still all these years later.

What I am interested in is what the various branches do as secondary duties ie. I know the sonar team are also the casing party. Who works the fwd and aft planes, and coxn (is that CPO seaman branch?.) Who's the fire team made up of. Who does the boat's diver (is is still by ADQUAL or branch.)
I also saw in a TV documentary a PO(SSM) chart navigating and wondered if that was a Navigators Yeoman?

May sound daft to you but it's a genuine interest here from me.

Any info would be welcomed. Thanks

 

I was in the MCC (Missile Control Centre ) on Polaris Boats and we did nothing but do watches from the first day we took over the boat til the day we went off crew,and as for Harbour Stations we just all went in the MCC and drank tea !
As for who works the Fwd and after planes,that would have been your branch (Supply etc)and also the Coxn at certain times.

I dont think we had a boats diver(but it was a long time ago now !)

Hope this is a help and if I am wrong in anyway it isnt intentional it just that its a long time ago now .

Good Luck

 

Thanks Nicks for info.

I remember as a really young lad getting a visit on an 'O' boat (Odin) with my Dad who was ex RNR when it was alongside and that got me started in the ideas of wanting to be a submariner.

Having only just discovered this website recently, I thought I would try my luck and ask a few questions that had puzzled me over the years without hopefully asking something that I shouldn't be asking..

Obviously from the TV series featuring the S boats, I saw that a CK was also ships diver. The sonar team became the casing party but also a lot of hands 'working' the boat aparty from their watch roles.

I tried to look for the branch badges on the No.8 shirts to see what they were doing in the Control Room but obviously not being a submariner I wouldn't know.

Just out of curiosity, hot bunking happens on SSK & SSN but does it happen still with Jnr & Snr rates in bombers?

 

No hot bunking on Bombers you get the luxury of your own Bunk on those things.

 

Does a new entrant to submarine service get asked his preference for type of boats and location or is it based on branch needs.

 

When I left mate, they were drafting lads to boats age 17 who really, abso-fcuking-lutely did not want to be on them. So yeah, its all about what drafty needs on the day.

One thing I will say about my second job on board as a Stoker, was the firefighting. That was bloody good fun!

 

If you are a qualified Submariner you usually do your part three on the type of boat that you will remain with . However you can be interchangeable 'cos most of the boats are similar .

Ships Divers on boats could possibly be a thing of the past but in my time we had a full diving team [5 people] .

At Sea everyone on board has a watchkeeping position and an action station. In harbour then the technical staff maintain their own specialist equipment and the non technician ratings do the domestics like stores and ship husbandry.

 

I know now that they are taking new Entrant Classes at Raliegh that are purely Submariners. Mind you the £5,000.00 golden handshake for passing your Part 3 helps I should think !!!

 

Any chance of that being back dated a bit (1964ish)

 

I'm with you on that one.

 

Me as well but I will only push from 1978 cos Im a bit of skin still ! :lol:

 

Could someone please settle my curiosity.

Am I correct is saying that on attack / bombers there is a 2 watch system in operation?

If you have a 2 watch system of 6 hrs on/off, does that mean that the off watch hands are called for say diving stations and other operational duties?

What I mean is if you have say the sonar ops on watch in the sound room then their opposite watch will be sleeping etc. So who undertakes the additional operational duties or am I confused?

The on watch work in operational mode undertaking their branch role (UW, TS, MEM, WEM ) for the duration of their watch although I understand that everyone has secondary 'action stations' roles. (Do scribes & jack dusty's work watch roles too?)

Another puzzle please ! In a two watch system 0700-1300 & 1900 - 0100 would be continuous, do they never alternate to 1300 - 1900 & 0100 - 0700 or do you stay the same watch hours for the days on patrol.

Thanks but i can't help my curiosity !

 

The Control Room (i.e. forward) works a 2-watch routine (6on, 6off) 7am-1pm, 1pm-7am, etc. pretty much everyone working the same routine as a team, "First Watch" or "Second Watch". When you're off watch, you eat/sleep if you've nothing better to do. While I've seen First and Second Watch swap occasionally, it pretty much works out that you stay with the same routine, 7-1 or 1-7 forever.
Some of the on-watch time will be stood-to in the control room or wherever, some will be stood-down, allowing you to get on with paperwork or other tasks.
The loggies (scribes, jack dusty) also work in the 1st/2nd watch system. Chefs do their own thing.

The Manoeuvring Room (i.e. aft) works differently, in that there's not necessarily a fixed team. Individual watchkeeping positions will keep, say, a 1in3 or 1in4 routine depending on how many people are in each watchkeeping position. When you're off-watch you'll be required to clean, or maintain equipment for some of the time.

I can't remember how the midships ballast organise themselves on bombers.

The idea is that for normal patrol activity you can get by with, say half the crew. Only when things get busy, entering/leaving harbour, emergencies, weapon action, diving, etc. do you need everyone up to deal with it.

 

Thanks. I have today just finished reading the book Submarine written by Jonathan Crane which accompanied BBC series back in the 80's, what a fascinating read. (I am trying to find out if a video was ever made or converted to DVD?)

I think maybe one or two things may have changed over the last 20 years but it is certainly worth reading.

It's a surprise that entry for new recruits is quicker if you make known you want into the submarine service because I would have thought that there were less billets now than 20 years ago (less boats) unless of course most are senior rates who have completed full careers or after 5 years some return to general service, although I read somewhere that 90% stay in boats after the 5 years.

(sorry I have taken this subject away from the original thread.)

 

Scabz,

In reply to you not remembering how the Midships Ballast Pinky Faggots type people work things, it was VERY recently the case that they worked a continuous 1 in 3 through the whole patrol. They also used to be on watch in the MC and MCC in their civvies so that as soon as "finished with main engines and steering" was piped they would try and escape throgh the Mid LET - twats. They tried to get off before FOST once!! They do however get a worse deal alongside through their duties - 1 in 2 etc..... they are welcome to it!!!

Personally 6 on 6 off is not too bad - though 2nd watch get shafted. And RTPD in your off watch is just a pain in the arse - it takes so long!

 

I was an MCC Queen and we worked a 1 in 2 shift as soon as we took over the Boat and at sea we were in a rota system of 16 on 16 off,12 on 12 off,and 8 on 8 off for the whole patrol.

As for trying to get off the boat as soon as she was alongside Im afraid that wouldnt happen in my time on there,in fact we were one of the last to get off as we had loads to do before we handed over.

So there are two sides to every story !

 

Snorko, what's RTPD please?

 

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