Son joining HMS Collingwood 8th Feb 2021

[NervyMom]

Hi, my son joins basic training on 8th Feb. I understand that as Easter falls in his training period, he will get 2 weeks leave, thereby making his training period 12 weeks as opposed to 10 - is this correct? If so what are the Easter 2021 leave dates and what date should I expect his passing out to be? Additionally due to Covid and other issues we have had to cancel a family holiday to New York twice and I would still like this to happen at some point later in the year, so do you have the leave dates for summer and Christmas 2021 for HMS Collingwood? Thanks

 

[Branch-Hopper]

Phase One at Collingwood is a brand-new thing and I'm not sure that RR has a resident bod that is able to answer your questions; I hope I am proved wrong in a few posts time!

You are correct, in that the training periods will be extended to accommodate leave. However Covid is impacting training in all phases at all establishments. In your position I would not be planning to book flights.

I hope someone better informed than I can pop in for you shortly.
In the meantime I wish "son" all the best in his new career.

 

[Bimma]

The Raleigh dates for Easter leave are the 2nd to the 19th of April so I imagine Collingwood will be similar. However it is not yet certain whether recruits will be able to leave base at Easter as this has yet to be decided by Naval Training HQ. I was in a zoom call last night and many people were concerned about Easter leave but they could not give us a definitive answer.

 

[NervyMom]

Thank you Branch-Hopper and Bimma, hopefully we will know more in the not too distant future.

 

[WreckerL]

The Raleigh dates for Easter leave are the 2nd to the 19th of April so I imagine Collingwood will be similar. However it is not yet certain whether recruits will be able to leave base at Easter as this has yet to be decided by Naval Training HQ. I was in a zoom call last night and many people were concerned about Easter leave but they could not give us a definitive answer.

Raleigh Easter leave has been shortened to 2nd to the 12th, new XTM has been issued.

 

[Bimma]

Raleigh Easter leave has been shortened to 2nd to the 12th, new XTM has been issued.

This is new to me but thank you for that, still don’t know if I’d be going home for leave or staying at Raleigh

 

[BreathingOutOnTheWayUp]

Phase One at Collingwood is a brand-new thing...

Ermm - Not quite 'brand new', @Branch-Hopper; just the full swing of a rather slow Pusser's Pendulum...


Up until the late Summer of 1960 Electrical Branch New Entry Ratings* joined HMS COLLINGWOOD for both Part One and Part Two Training [and had probably done so ever since the Electrical Branch was formed in 1947]

In that Autumn those of us of joining the Branch** attended HMS RALEIGH for what was then six weeks of Part One before moving to HMS COLLINGWOOD for our Part Two professional courses. ATT those consisted of an initial Common Electrical Training Module (CT) of approximately 3 Months before being sifted & sub-categorised as either an Electrical Mechanic or as a Radio Electrical Mechanic. [The EMs course being a further 3 months whilst my REMs course was far longer - at around five months]


*The exceptions were those joining the Electrical Branch as Juniors (U) [= aged between 15 and Under 16 1/4] They joined the RN at HMS St. VINCENT, for a full year of schooling/NE training, prior to moving on to HMS COLLINGWOOD for their Electrical Branch professional Part Two Courses; allee same same as above.

**Being either Juniors (O) [= aged Over 16 1/4, but younger than 17 1/2] or Adult New Entries [= aged 17 1/2 and older]



Hope that this little sliver of personal history puts the record straight -'Pusser's Pendulum' in this instance referring to the tendency of a situation to oscillate between one extreme and another. :WINK: :WINK:

Bob

 

[janner]

Adding to the mix, I joined in January 1960 as a JRO initially went to Collingwood for a couple of weeks to draw kit and some basic stuff, then went up to Mercury. I think that the main reason for this was that Mercurys stores didn't carry sufficient items to make an initial kit issue.