Wotizit?

[Champagne Murphy]

Easy if you know but just rather a lovely thing. A cross country connection too.

 

[pvb]

It's a memorial to the 53 boys who died whilst training on HMS 'Ganges' between 1866 and 1899. It's in Mylor churchyard.

 

[duncan99210]

Beat me to it! My Hurley 18 is just down the hill from there in the Mylor Harbour yard.

 

[Champagne Murphy]

Virtual pint to PVB. It’s a lovely little memorial, we always stop there as it’s such a lovely spot.

 

[pvb]

Virtual pint to PVB. It’s a lovely little memorial, we always stop there as it’s such a lovely spot.

Thanks, but I'd have to share it with Mr Google!

 

[johnalison]

We started our family cruising in the '70s and used to admire Ganges' mast. I can't say whether I ever saw it manned. I think so, but I can't be sure, having watched film of the ritual at various times. I'm not normally afraid of heights but I think that the button would have been several steps too far for me. The video that follows, with John Noakes, is also worth watching.

 

[Champagne Murphy]

We started our family cruising in the '70s and used to admire Ganges' mast. I can't say whether I ever saw it manned. I think so, but I can't be sure, having watched film of the ritual at various times. I'm not normally afraid of heights but I think that the button would have been several steps too far for me. The video that follows, with John Noakes, is also worth watching.

The memorial is to boys who died on the old training ship between 1866 and 1899. There are 53 names of whom only 8 died or drowned in accidents. The rest died from disease such as measles, Scarletina and the like, not a bad record considering 14,000 boys went through in that time. HMS Ganges as a shoreside base didn’t happen until 1905 IIRC.

 

[johnalison]

The memorial is to boys who died on the old training ship between 1866 and 1899. There are 53 names of whom only 8 died or drowned in accidents. The rest died from disease such as measles, Scarletina and the like, not a bad record considering 14,000 boys went through in that time. HMS Ganges as a shoreside base didn’t happen until 1905 IIRC.

Ah, interesting. Before my time. Nevertheless, they were all brave boys.

 

[Leighb]

Another emotive place to visit is Shotley Church graveyard. Here there are many graves of Ganges boys most of whom probably died from infectious diseases, however there is one group of 6 AFAIR all with the same date, and one wonders if that might have been a boat accident?
It is also a naval cemetery with graves of sailors both British and German from both wars, there is also a memorial to submariners lost at sea with no known grave.
If you are visiting the area it is worth the walk up from Shotley marina, or even from Woolverstone if you are more energetic.

 

[Champagne Murphy]

Found this. https://www.hmsgangesassoc.org/cmspage/7/hms-ganges-circa-late-1800s On the HMS Ganges Association website, The History of HMS Ganges from 1822. Particularly enjoyed the entry for 1901; ‘Cutlass drill ended’.
Sounds better than diphtheria, German Measles and influenza.

 

[NPMR]

We started our family cruising in the '70s and used to admire Ganges' mast. I'm not normally afraid of heights but I think that the button would have been several steps too far for me.

Dear departed father-in-law trained there and did stand on the button. Went on to see 'action' on HMS Hood and had an "interesting" war finishing up as a Commander. Commended for bringing his ship back to port, unaided, with only half a propeller. The rest got knocked off when they ran aground but nobody seemed to mind that - there was, after all, a war on.