Scozmo's Photery

A day to remember

In the words of the song “It was twenty years ago today” only in this case it was 50 years ago!

Today / tomorrow.

March 17th 1975

18, going on 13 yrs old and standing at the ferry terminal in Belfast, N. Ireland with my father, going off to join the Royal Navy.

Living in Belfast between 1969 and 1975 was character building, at least that’s how I look back on it. Maybe more-so for a Scottish lad with no idea of why? Until he realised that there has to be us and them! You had to be one or the other so I became one.

I have a deep feeling that an upbringing under some of the conditions around me probably had a profound effect on the rest of my life, especially the younger years. That aside, I remember my dad saying something along the lines of “you’ll be back soon, you don’t like being told what to do”.

I have no real memory of the ferry trip or the train ride to Plymouth, I do remember arriving in Plymouth having no idea where I was, where Plymouth was, where I was going, what I was doing?

March 18th 1975

I vaguely remember I’d spotted other young lads who looked like they were on the same journey and at the station, deciding to follow them. Then I saw a Naval uniform on the main platform so, that must be where we go right?

It may have been outside the station? I vaguely recall a blue “pusser’s bus” parked nearby.

One thing I will never forget. We clumped around this chap who had a clipboard and list so must be in charge. I think we called out our names and he ticked us off with an “on the bus”!

When I called my name, he couldn’t find it!

“You’re not on my list, wait over there”! OMG! What do I do? Am I in the wrong place? Did I do something wrong?

Everyone else was ticked off and boarded the bus; I even think I had to go over and remind him I was there!

Much flicking of pages and he told me I wasn’t supposed to be there until later in the day. Aaaaaaaaah.

“On the bus, we’ll sort you later” Phew!

So I and a bus load of other young blank, scared-ish faces were driven to HMS Raleigh, which was MILES away! Way out in the country!

It’s actually in Torpoint, in a whole different county, not that I was aware of that. Plymouth is in Devon, Raleigh is in Cornwall.

I was seeing the world already 🙂

I have very little recollection of events that first day or the next few, I do know that on one of these days we were given forms to read, which explained what we were about to sign up to, our options, what it all meant and whether we could change our minds, which made a big difference to many of us I think.

Until we signed those forms, we were still just young lads but still under the auspices of the Royal Navy. I.E. they were responsible for us, even if we decided it wasn’t for us, until we got home again. At least I think that’s how it went?

I have a photograph, somewhere, taken in one of those photo booths of me in a basic form of uniform with the board held in front of me, like a criminal only this board showed my Navy number, the one we were told we’d never forget.

I never have.