The Ship Model Forum

just recently the wartime book for ratings entitled "A Seamans Pocket Book" has been reprinted. It is a condensed version of the "Seamanship Manual", and was first given to new ratings and Officer candidates in 1943.
I think I saw my fathers copy years ago, together with his other manuals.

If I remeber correctly it gives a rundown on the daily routine, watches, meals and all of the general sort of thing a newbie needs.

Terry

Very Ordinary Seaman, by JPW Mallalieu, is definitely fiction - at least according to the author's Preface. First published in 1944, as he put it: "The main events round which this novel is written have really happened, though not necessarily to me and not necessarily in the manner or sequence in which they are here described".

It is a terrific book. It really captures the atmosphere of the lower deck. My 46-year-old paperback copy lives proudly on my bookshelf.

Rick

I think you mean Very Orninary Seaman by JPW Mallalieu. I read it many years ago (about 30 ) a very good read, would buy it at the drop of a hat I am not sure if its fiction but it has a ring of truth about it a flooded messdeck and no one knowing quite what to do, about guns breaking in action etc

Graham Murdoch

...by JPW Mallalieu will give a very good account of the initial training into the RN and then life and action onboard a destroyer in WW2. You should find plenty of examples quite cheaply if you Google for it.

Francis Macnaughton

[quote="kurt"]does anyone know of a good source to find out about daily life in the Royal Navy during the period from WW1 to WW2. I've read a lot of American things and the Bluejacket manual, but I am interested in the Brit traditions, etc.

Kurt[/quote]


Hello Kurt,
Could you be a little more clear as to what type of material you are looking for? I've made it a practice for many years to collect as much material on the history of the Royal Navy as I can. This led me after having collected most of the major naval histories, and individual ship histories to move on to more of the naval memoirs type of books. Most of these are by officers naturally, but also a number of enlisted sailors have written some useful memiors of their Royal Navy service. I can't think of any one single volume that trys to be a complete history of daily life and traditions of the Royal Navy. I can recommend a number of books that have alot of that type of thing in them. Having served in the USN I'm very familiar with "The Blue Jacket Manual". I don't know if enlisted sailors in the RN ever had a similar manual, but I'de think they would.

Here are a few books you might look for on the used book sites:

"Jack's War, lower-deck recollections from World War II" by G.G. Connell
look for any book by this author, they all are full of insight into daily life in the R.N. during WWII

"Men from the Dreadnoughts" by Henry Baynham published 1976
I highly recommend this book for pre WWI and WWI daily life in the RN
it's easy to buy from a used book website

"Stoker-Royal Navy" , by Frederick Wigby published 1967
excellent little memior of a stokers life in WWII

There are many, many more. But alot are rare or very expensive.

Try also "Old Friends New Enemies" by Arthur Marder
It is a history of RN and IJN relations, but has a very in dept coverage of the Royal Navy officer and enlisted man training and practices as compared to Japanese.

If you want I could compile a complete list of books on the subject. Read the above though, and it should be interesting for you.

Bob B.

does anyone know of a good source to find out about daily life in the Royal Navy during the period from WW1 to WW2. I've read a lot of American things and the Bluejacket manual, but I am interested in the Brit traditions, etc.

Kurt