Scozmo's Photery

My two buddies and I were now based at HMS Daedalus in Lee-on-the-Solent on Hampshire’s South coast, directly opposite the Isle of Wight. I had been here before. Not at Daedalus itself but Lee, when my dad was here doing exactly the same course at the same establishment.

In a previous post I mentioned living down here when I was 4 or 5 years old, there used to be a restaurant on top of a tower on Lee seafront but it had fallen into disrepair and been demolished now. I also remember that this was where the first hovercraft were tested and the RN still had a few hovercraft based at a unit in Daedalus.

HMS Daedalus history.

We were joined by another three new guys at some point and eventually, began our SE (Safety or Survival Equipment) training course at RNE Seafield Park. We had to catch a bus every morning and every evening because it was a satellite station of Daedalus. Often fondly remembered as the “erection express”! If you sat in the back seat in the mornings……. for some strange reason …….. !

Those photos above show first, my dad on an SE course in c1961 then me on my SE course in 1975. The course involved learning to manage and pack emergency parachutes, emergency liferafts of various sizes and lifejackets and flying equipment such as helmets. I do remember we were there through Winter months, it was freezing in those old blocks in Daedalus.

Fine figures of …. men? Only three of us were over 18 years old, apart from our instructor, Lance. You can’t see it in this shot but I still had a pin and shackle badge until I completed this course, notice the others all wore an aircraft, denoting they are airmen under training. Once training was completed we all got a new set of badges with the letters SE below the plane.

Sadly our instructor passed away a few years ago, I attended the funeral along with several others who served with him and it was a great opportunity to catch up again. The chap rear left also died in an odd accident but I had served with him for a few years before we both went our separate ways. R.I.P. Steve & Lance.

In writing these posts, I have re-discovered my Naval Airmans History Sheet, a record of all courses, dates, moves and promotions so that has really helped with the time & place memories. 🙂

My only concession to Facebook, is belonging to a group where we can all keep in touch and share memories etc.

Another memory of this course was that the training Chief, in charge of us all was that same one from Seahawk, my dad’s old buddy, which meant I sometimes got a bit of favourable treatment, however, on the down side, when we had our passing out do, drinks at the end of the course, he turned up with his wife who regaled us all with stories of me sitting crying on her knee when i was a wee boy!!!! Just what a “man” wants on a night out with the buddies 🙂

One of the highlights of life at Daedalus was the Bun Penny pub, then known as the Victoria Hotel, it was an old farmhouse I believe, converted into a coaching inn. When we first went, there was rough stone flag flooring and a gallon of rough Scrumpy sat on the bar. Being men now, we’d drink as many scrumpy as we could (two) then head down to the seafront to the Bellevue Hotel where they had a disco and Lowenbrau on draft, a rarity in those days. Oddly enough, i don’t really remember much after that 😉

I tried to find some history of the Victoria Hotel and before but, isn’t internet searching getting worse???? You only find what “they” want you to see 😦

I did find a photography site with past images of Lee on Solent itself. The Francis Frith Collection

We went from October 75 through to May 1976 at Daedalus & Seafield Park. I don’t remember being there that long but some of that must have been the wait for the second group of three to join us. What that means for me was that it had taken an entire year to finally get a trade!! My choice. This was to be my final training course, I would finally have a trade and could join a ship or establishment with the appropriate badge, I had been a trainee for more than a year.

I was thinking about the entire process this morning. A “man under training”. I would always recommend joining one of the choices of the military, I know it’s not for everyone, I saw people drop out throughout every stage of these courses and beyond but, it most certainly teaches you standards, right from wrong and instills a level of discipline to all. To put that last part in my context, I never thought of myself as a military or militarised person, I seemed to learn that there was a line you must not cross and knowing where that line was and how far you could ‘push it’ made for an easier life. At some point in my life, perhaps during my naval life, I grew content with who I was, how I was, comfortable in my own skin and I truly wish that everyone could reach that position. But “training” doesn’t sit well with many people. We were shown / taught / cajolled into looking after ourselves, our appearance and our personal standards and we were “punished” for transgression but that punishment never went beyond physical exercise i.e. two laps of the sportsfield, 20 pushups etc.

In today’s society, where so many seem to be adrift and lost, confused by the (anti)social media streams, some direction would do many a LOT of good. I think it’s worth highlighting that we did not have mobile phones nor computers or internet back then, no bad thing.

Rant over 🙂

So, after 14 months, I became a Naval Airman Survival Equipment 2 and got a draft back to HMS Seahawk, RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall but, this time as a member of ship’s company but, the learning wasn’t over. Being taught something doesn’t make you an expert, getting hands on in the real world will always expand your given knowledge, we never stop learning.

I will try to compress my time at Culdrose in my next post, I was there off and on for another 6.5 years!

So, stay safe and well and I hope to see you for the next instalment.