Tot Time

I'm looking at the possibility of getting together a collection of memories from around the tot table. I'm sure that all of you who were lucky enough to have drawn your tot will have lots of fond memories - if you have please add your dit and if possible the ship and rough date.
Look forward to reading your replies.
KJMAL

 

Just to start us off:
I was on the Vanguard when she was reserve fleet secured to "G" moorings in Portsmouth Harbour circa 58/59.
The mess I was in also had the butcher and tanky.
Anyway the rum was issued from the canteen flat, which as you can imagine was quite a large area.
The canteen must have had the cleanest sink waste pipe in all of the fleet because when the rum issue was finished what was left in the rum tub was poured away down the canteen sink - yes you have guessed right because under the waste pipe ( removed prior to rum being issued ) was our messes 4 1/2 galleon mess fanny which of course ended up back in our mess. Alas I was UA at the time though they did take pity on me some of the time which of course put you in the right mood ready for a run ashore.

 

Unfortunately I did not join up till Feb 72 and was only 16 so never drew the tot, although I have heard all the dodges that you lot used to get up to.

 

I joined in 1948 and was sent to HMS Royal Arther and then after 6 weeks I was drafted to HMS Anson at Portland Bill, the aircraft carrier HMS Victorious was there for training as well and HMS Vanguard was in the harbour but not being used for training.
From what I can see the Navy of today has got it easy plus good pay and can quit when ever they have had enough.
There is no comparison in the old and the modern Navy of today.

Ex_Matelot

 

I did 24 years, and the change I saw in the 80's and 90's make me glad I am out. To many brains not enough CDF!!!!!

 

After seeing TV programs about todays modern Navy there appears to be a great lack of disipline, from the lower ranks up to the officers, and having Wrens serving aboard is the worst thing the Navy could have ever done.
They are a total distraction, and todays Navy are no more than floating Brothels!

Ex_Matelot

 

No, nostalgia just isn't what it used to be is it EM?

Today's Navy, like todays society is totally different to that of years gone by. Look at documentaries about society today and compare them to the society of 50 years ago and you might notice a few differences too, sadly not all for the best. Time moves on, and rather than slagging off the lads and lasses of the RN try being constructive - they're being asked to do a difficult job with no support from the MOD and with limited resources.

 

Well said 'flagwagger' yesterdays society is different to todays society so you can't compare! so there may be less discipline - there is in society and this is not the fault of the poor bloody matelot and mateless(?) who are trying to get on with their jobs as best they can! the times and consditions may have changed THE PEOPLE HAVE NOT they are still being fcuked around by a bunch of couldn't care less politicians and generally ignored by the rest (save when the mess up). Actually I believe they are worse of than we were in the sixties (at least we could sink into an oblivion at tot time for a few minutes - can hardly see then having a 'coke time' and that goes for both kinds of 'coke') Good luck to 'em say I - if you want to slag anybody slag the system not not the poor bloody sailor (no matter how he/she has a pee)

 

The tot was a mixed blessing in my opinion although I spent many a pleasant hour spinning dits around the rum tub. Many too are the tot time tales and it is difficult to judge which is best. I suppose the time the rum bos'n, after many sippers, needed to visit the "heads". This was located down a hatch in the motor room on the old T boats, a sometimes hazardous operation when fully sober. On this occasion the killick/ rum bos'n of the mess was a wee bit under the weather.
Getting down the hatch his leg snagged a loose piece of metal with quite a nasty gash. Calls for the Cox'n, the doctor of the boat, resulted in the said Cox'n arriving in the after ends with needle and cotton plus a generous serving of rum. The patient's eyes gleamed in anticipation of the aenasthetic. However, it was the doctor who scuppered the rum for the strength to stitch up a gaping wound in the rum bos'n's leg. Change of mood from pissed to pissed off,

 

Sat in the mess one tot time having a smoke and playing uckers. Jan Dodd was up and hadn't a clue what to play, he just sat staring at the board tapping his bit on it when the a Subby (Aussie) burst in demanding the whereabouts of an A/B. Everyone sat staring and slurping, but no one said a word. Finally, in exasperation the Subby demanded 'Doesn't anyone know McKintleys whereabout'? At which point Jan (concentrating on the board) said, 'No sir, but if you hum it we'll get the spoons out'.

Went straight past him. :lol:

 

When I joined in 1948 at 18yrs old, Ratings did not get any Rum ration until they were 20yrs old ,and then they did not get neat Rum.
What they got was 1 part neat rum with 2 parts of water which was called "Grog" and this never altered untill the Rum Ration was stopped.
The only ones that were allowed neat Rum were the PO's upwards.
Ex_Matelot

 

67 saw me in Londonderry Dockyard as tiffys mate in the coppersmiths shop, a good number. I was in married quarters (Clooney Park) and although the draft was HMS Sea Eagle I only went in there to do duty watches, usually going straight to the dockyard from home in the morning.
Anyway one day the tiffy vanished, it seemed he had been cutting up the stock (copper and brass plate) and selling it off ashore, fair play to him though although there were only the two of us he never involved me. Anyway he was gone so that left me, a lowly stoker, as the resident coppersmith till he could be replaced.
Then I got word that a tribal class frigate was on its way in and needed a bit of work.




I seems it had been in some roughers in the Irish sea and a crack had appeared on the upper deck, so the job was to weld a temporary plate over it till they got back to Guss and it could be done properly.
Thing was when they came in they didn’t come to the dockyard but went on up to the town quay, so I had to get the welding gennie which had to be towed and all the tackle up there, which I duly did, then as I was lugging the wire over the gangway I heard a voice calling my name.
I turned out it was an old stoker oppo of mine from off the Carron many years before and it was great to see him. “Come round†he said, cheers mate, says I, I’ll see you later.
After waiting a respectable time after hearing the pipe “up spirits†I arrived in the stokers mess and humbly found a place to sit.
“Don’t I know you†says the rum bosun, a wizened old 3 badgeman, who must have been at least 30. “Yea says I, you’re old fucky off the Tenby,†“To right†says he , “here have a wet of this, gulpers†and handed me his tot. This was followed with the time old tradition of everyone on the mess giving me a sip of their tot.
Twenty minutes later I was feeling rosy when in came my oppo, “sorry I’m adrift†he says, “have they been looking after you, here have a gulp of thisâ€. Followed by another round of sippers.
By this time I was as pissed as a handcart. Here says the rum bosun `queens` is well up today have a gulper.

As I staggered up the companionway I recognised the Bermuda road so I knew I was on a ship but I couldn’t remember why, then It came to me, I was supposed to weld a plate on the upper deck. No problem, all I had to do was to start the gennie and weld it up, then I could go home and get turned in.
I could see the starting handle on the gennie through the haze, but I didn’t seem to be able to get a hold of it.
“What you doin mistaâ€. Looking down I saw this little Irish girl on a bike that was far to big for her. “Well little girl if you need to know, I`m trying to turn this big handle so I can start this bleedin engine, anyway this is grown up mens stuff so bugger off and let me get on with itâ€.†Do you mean like this? she said and reaching over pressed the starter. With a big cloud of black smoke the gennie roared into life, scared the shit out of me. As the smoke cleared she was gone.
Staggering back on board I struck an arch and welded about an inch then the rod stuck, not enough voltage but I couldn`t be bothered to trail all the way back to the jetty to adjust it, so I got another rod and welded a bit more till it stuck again. After about 10 minutes I had run out of welding rods as they were all stuck to the deck, but it didn’t matter as by this time I had had enough, so I lay down, cuddled up to my (as I thought) pet hedgehog and went to sleep.
I remembered waking up with a crowd round me and a man in white overalls saying, “It seems that if we want anything done in future, we’ll have to get it done in the forenoon.†And then , nothing.

There were never any repercussions and a few days later a replacement arrived and I reverted to tiffys mate.

Good days.



…………..

 

Almost a baby Dusty 16 1/2 years old, first ship (Albion), and was detailed to collect the bubbly as part of continuation training.
Proceeded to the hallowed room somewhere below the waterline, and took part in the measure (no probs so far....) Went back up through the Z hatch and was handed the rum breaker to pull up through this hatch.
I then stood it on end on the hatch, and did not notice the rum level was above the bung - hence a 'little' spirit worked its way out....
The hookey gave me such a slap around the ear followed by one of the biggest rowlockings in my entire service, I never did it again.
I can't recall if we did a re-measure, or if it was a slightly waterd issue that day ?

 

Seems to be two threads on this - the other is The Fleet
:?

 

I have just printed a collection of tot stories from another site. Grandma,

 

You mean you didn't lick it off the deck, Whitemouse? 8O You let it evaporate! What a tragic waste! :cry:

 

After the slap I received I couldn't stop my ears ringing! :cry:

I did venture to ask one of the more mature tot drinkers if I coud try it - he did let have a sip, but told me never to do it again as it was very bad thing (my words not his, his were a probably little more colourful ..... :wink: ).

It was not too bad at lunchtimes, when carrying troops, as they did not like the tot ( :? ) and were very prone to passing it over to the more 'hardened' jacks at the dinner table (see my gallery picture - a real tough salty matelot !!)

 

Poor Whitemouse!

To be honest you look older than 16 in the piccy... I'd say you looked 18 at least, so to the pongos you were seasoned.

 

Trust me, that piccy was taken at end of 1963 (16 1/2 really, but what's 6 months ?) - I didn't even qualify for Blue Liners, or allowed in the naafi bar - soft drinks only :cry:
Had to be back in the mess for Juniors for 2200 bed check by the Duty RPO - a haaaard life !!

 

There were three marking on the pay ledger. UA. Under age. G. Grog and T. Temperance. T entitled you to 3d per day. Grandma.