Thread: Ex ARMY Apprentices - not just a trade

I knew a RAEME WO by the name of " Spike " Lear [ think that's the spelling.] Quite a character, he got his nick name when he was a wrecker driver. He used to drop a steel spike into the ground, to assess whether it was firm enough to drive over. A bit of a legend in his own lunchtime, he was famous for the recovery of a D9 bulldozer from the beach near Darwin. A good bloke. However, I would like to draw the attention of members to the Maritime museum , Brisbane. Well worth a look , and South Bank restaurants are close by, makes a good day of it .


Visit Us - Queensland Maritime Museum

Don't forget Twilight Jazz by the river.

Twilight Jazz - Queensland Maritime Museum

Originally Posted by ramblingboy42

I must admit, having spent 5 yrs in RAEME as a framie, that the RAEME Appy tradies were a different breed to most us who were adult trade trainees. I already had my trade before I went to RAAFSTT, but the majority of the adult trainees had no previous engineering/aircraft knowledge and the standard shown by the appies was a cut above the others. They often were offered promotions before the others as well, which I think generally they deserved.

I thought an explanation of RAAFSTT was in order.

School of Technical Training - RAAF Base Wagga Magazine

Originally Posted by bob10

That would be my pleasure. I have similar feelings as you about anti-social media. But the internet can be a wonderful place, and as a land rover driver, this site is the Golden Fleece, a cornucopia of information. [ see, I found that word easily on the 'net. ] Used correctly, the internet is the source of great knowledge. You just have to have the life experience to filter out the Donald Duck from the Albert Einstein.

I love the internet. But like most things, it’s only as good as the way you use it.

This site is a diamond in the rough. Sure, there are spats, and even feuds, but isn’t that a reflection of life?

Btw, I filter out Donald, but love Daffy.

Originally Posted by bob10

That would be my pleasure. I have similar feelings as you about anti-social media. But the internet can be a wonderful place, and as a land rover driver, this site is the Golden Fleece, a cornucopia of information. [ see, I found that word easily on the 'net. ] Used correctly, the internet is the source of great knowledge. You just have to have the life experience to filter out the Donald Duck from the Albert Einstein.

I love the internet. But like most things, it’s only as good as the way you use it.

This site is a diamond in the rough. Sure, there are spats, and even feuds, but isn’t that a reflection of life?

Btw, I filter out Donald, but love Daffy.

Originally Posted by bob10

Can't let that go by without a reply. My memory of Army apprentices was our hard fought win in the Interservice apprentice rugby, about 68/69. The first ship shown is the old Vampire, my first posting at sea. In the end you will see the OOW give the order " both engines full ahead ". It then goes to the throttle position, and the operator is actually going thru the motions of going astern.

Skilled hands at sea.

YouTube

I was not an Appy but a Hairy Arsed Stocker and joined in 1962 and spent a large amount of time on the Admiralty paten Three Drum Boiler's and engine rooms as shown in the video , during maintenance sounding the tubes from the top drum of the Boiler as shown in the video was a **** job , but being in the bottom drum catching the little ball bearings was an even bigger **** job .

Originally Posted by Fatso

I was not an Appy but a Hairy Arsed Stocker and joined in 1962 and spent a large amount of time on the Admiralty paten Three Drum Boiler's and engine rooms as shown in the video , during maintenance sounding the tubes from the top drum of the Boiler as shown in the video was a **** job , but being in the bottom drum catching the little ball bearings was an even bigger **** job .

I joined Vampire as a green Apprentice in 1968, my mate and I joined her together, after spending Sunday night at the rum session at Johnnies. Our chit said join AM, so being a pair of smartass OD's, we took our time making our way to G.I. .Imagine our surprise when we arrived to find ' Special sea dutymen close up ! ' being piped. Long story short, Vampire sailed to NZ at 10.00, and yours truly was extremely sea sick all the way across [ rum as a sailors drink is highly over rated, IMO.] My introduction to a stokers life ? [ at that time we had to start at the bottom and work our way up.]The Chief Stoker dragged me out of my bunk, put a bucket and rags old in my hand, and sent me on watch in B boiler room. Under the mercy of the PO stoker on watch, I was told, ' Into the bilges with you, and don't come out until you are ready to keep a watch!' Then started the most enjoyable time of my life. Most members of my new watch crew were all 3 badgemen, no nonsense was tolerated, I did every ****ty job available , until they saw That I was keen to learn. Then they taught me everything they had learned in many years of service. These hairy arsed stokers were some of the best men I have ever met. And still are today, those who are still with us. They also took me ashore under their wing, where I learnt things I never told my old mum about, suffice to say whenever I hear the old song ladies of Spain I think of the Philipines. When we returned to Sydney , I was steaming B boiler, alone, in charge. And those old stokers made that happen. But that's another story.

Don't worry Midshipmen got the same treatment from Chief Stokers in the bilges , The Navy days then were a lot different to todays Navy i am told , at times i wished i had never joined and other times i was extremely and happy proud that i did . There are lots of other stories to be told and some better kept quite about . Not sure how anyone can drink pusses rum or any rum as to me it tasted like cats **** , we used to wait for new recruits to arrive on board to see if they drank grog and if they didn't you buddied up to get his two can beer ration , good days .

Did either of you have an old sea daddy to take you down the tiller flat and show you the golden rivet?