Brentwood College School - Brentonian Yearbook (Mill Bay, British Columbia Canada)

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Brentwood College Magazine H.M.S. Frobisher, Montser rat, March 7th, 1934. Dear Mr. Ellis: Thank you so much for your letter received at Barbados. It sure was good to hear from you again. I am always very interested, as you know, to get any news of the College and those there who were so good to me and who took so much trouble to get me into the navy. The crew for the year looks bad, but no worse than we did, I suppose, when we first started. It is only to be hoped that you find an oar as good as Akin in the new boys; anyway, knowing what kind of crew you made out of us, I am sure that any crew you train will not be poor at the end of the year. I am glad to hear that you and Mrs. Ellis are planning to go for a cruise on a yacht. I would love to be going with you. While we are talking about sailing, I was a member of one of the cutter ' s- crews that sailed from Barbados to St. Lucia, a distance of 120 miles. Three cutters left the ship at 1730 one evening, with orders to sail and arrive in due course at St. Lucia. I was signalman in the 1st cutter which was the flag ship. We had eight cadets and two officers, ten hammocks, two-dozen beer, three day ' s food ration which, incidentally, would feed a zoo for a week, and divers instruments. The first signal hoisted after we left the ship v as check com- passes. Well, if you have ever checked compasses by semaphore, when you can only see the ships you are checking with half the time, you will have an idea of the fun we had. At about 2000 the first sea came inboard, and from then till about 0500 the next day the sea was continually breaking over us. I have never spent such an unpleasant night in all my life. It was rather funny observing the stages we passed through. The first time a sea came over we all laughed; then after it had come over a few more times we were just giving disgusted grunts; then we swore a little; then we swore lots; then we tried to sleep, and interrupted our own sleep by swearing more every time a sea came upon us; and finally, we just turned over and went to sleep, too tired and wet to say anything. We were making a good eight knots. After six- teen hours sailing we arrived at St. Lucia. We unloaded our gear and hung it up on trees to dry while we swam and got really sunburnt. It was 0930 when we arrived and the ship was not leaving Barbados till 2100, and not arriving at St. Lucia till 0700 the next day, so we spent the day being lazy and the night in some old army barracks which were occupied by the Canadian reserves during the war. We joined the ship at 0730, everyone sound in body — except for sunburn and one case of slight sunstroke — and mind. I hope your trip will be as much fun as ours but not quite as uncomfortable. We are leaving this joint to-morrow, thank goodness! It is one of God ' s forgotten places I think. While we were in Barbados I spent a lot of time with the Canadian ships which were in with us. I asked Sub-Lieut. Grubb if he knew you. He said he knew the name but couldn ' t place you so I gave him a description and he recalled that he had once had a lengthy discussion on war with you which you had promised to con- tinue on next meeting. Is Miss Egerton still with the School ? If she is, please remember me to her. Well, I must go on the quarterdeck and dance with some of the Captain ' s guests. Please give my love to Mrs. Ellis and the very small daughter. Yours always, GEOFF. Clubs ' Union, London Hospital, E. 1., England, May 21st, 1935. Dear Mr. Ellis: Once again the time draws near for the publication of the School Magazine. Last year I took up a good deal of space with my Tetter and this year I hesitate to repeat the dose. Page Twenty-four

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Brentwood College Magazine the Quarter Deck where we have divisions (morning prayers). After ' ' divisions we proceed to instruction or to Part of Ship, as detailed by the routine. The prelims all go to instruction. Instruction continues from 9.25 till 12.00 without a stop, but if you are at Part of Ship you get a stand easy at 10.30. At 12.00 lunch is served. This meal usually terminates at about 12.10 and the mess deck cleaners, commonly known as cooks, clean up their respective messes, each table being a mess. There is then a stand easy until 1.15, or 13.15 as time in the navy is reckoned. The bugle again sounds pipes out and we proceed either to instruction or part of ship. Prelims always proceed to instruction, which continues till 3.45 with a ten-minute stand easy at 2.30. At 3.45 all hands proceed to part of ship where they sweep up the decks. The bugle sounds the still at 3.50 and we all again face outboard, after which we fall in in our parts of ship. T his is known as Evening Quarters. The Commander now comes round and inspects us. At sea at this time we get some exercise such as Fire Stations or Collision Stations, or as we had to-day Cutter ' s Crews away, which means that four buoys have been thrown overboard and that the cadets who are the cutter ' s crews must lower the cutter and go and pick up one of the buoys. These exercises always come as surprises as the bo ' sun pipes them. The bo ' s ' n ' s pipe is a little whistle which he blows, and he then shouts out what has to be done. His words are more often than not quite unintelligible. After these exercises we proceed to tea and after tea leave is given to the detailed watches, if we are in harbour, but if we are at sea we stand easy. This stand easy lasts until supper time for all except prelims, who have to change and go to instruction from 6.00 till 7.00 when at sea and from 6.30 to 7.30 in harbour. Prelims get leave on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 1.15 to 7.15. On these days there is no instruction after tea. Wed- nesday, incidentally, is also the day that we get paid. We all line up on the Quarter Deck four deep, and when our names are called out we answer sir, receive our money (7 -) from the Paymaster-Commander, and then salute the Captain and march off the Q.D. After supper we are allowed to do anything we want except when we have flashing exercise from the mast-head. This occurs nearly every night. The officer of the watch goes on his rounds at 8.30 when at sea and 9.00 when in harbour. I for- got to mention that all messes and studies have to be swept after supper. We are allowed to turn in any time after the flashing exercises finish, which is about 9.00. At 9.30 at sea and 10.00 in harbour the bo ' s ' n pipes pipe down, which means all work for the day is finished. On Sundays pipe down goes after church. This is a very brief summary of what our day is like. T have tried to keep it as simple as possible so that you may understand it. To-day when Cutter ' s Crews away went the ship was stopped for half an hour and we all went over the side for a swim. You must also remember that this letter was started on September 28th and it is now October 2nd. It will not T)e mailed till October 5th which is the day we arrive at Naples. A very funny thing occurred while I was in Gibraltar. I was at a dance there given for the Canadians. I was dancing with a girl when she quite suddenly announced that she was a Canadian and on asking her where she came from she said Victoria. I told her that I went to a school in Victoria and that it was at Brentwood. She let out an exclamation of joy, and after I had managed to get her talking at about one hundred and twenty words a minute, I found out that s he lived there and knew many people that I knew including Mrs. Ellis and Major Tayler. Well, I have done my best to explain what I do or don ' t do aboard this ship and if you can understand it you are a better man than I am, and what is more, if you can read it you are a wonder. Well all you people, tons of luck and all my good wishes, GEOFF. Page Twenty-three

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Brentwood College Magazine I am still at the London Hospital and have completed more than half the ap- pointments required for examination purposes. At present I am on a second medical firm and am enjoying the work very much. In August I commence Midwifery and so have to take up residence at the Hospital. Little of note has happened during the last year. In July and August I was up at Cambridge attending the course in Bugs and Drugs, and I was fortunate enough to pass the examination in these subjects in October. Apart from this I have had no examinations, but in January or April, 1936, I hope to start my finals — not a pleasant event to look forward to! For recreation I took up rugby again and played for the B XV. The chief drawback is that our ground is three-quarters of an hour ' s journey from the Hospital, and when playing away from home, in some cases, one has to allow about an hour and a half for the journey each way. Nevertheless, rugby provides a means of keeping fairly fit. I have also been playing a little squash on the courts situated on the roof of our new Hostel. London is at present quite a Gala City with flags and decorations in every street in celebration of the King ' s Silver Jubilee. On Jubilee Day, I was one of thousands who lined the route from Buckingham Palace to St. Paul ' s Cathedral where a Thanksgiving Service took place. Many had spent the previous night asleep on the streets in order to have a good position. The Procession was a most impressive sight and one which can occur in but few countries other than England. By standing on tiptoe I was able to see quite well the King and Queen, other members of the Royal Family, the Prime Minister, Pre- miers of the Dominions, the Horse Guards, Artillery and the Life Guards, and many others. The welcome given to the King and Queen was amazing, and loud cheers could be heard at quite a distance as Their Majesties approached. No doubt many people in B. C. listened-in to the ceremony despite the early hour. In the evening everyone went mad though remained orderly, and huge crowds thronged the streets dancing and singing. Every night during the week thousands crowded London to see the many buildings illuminated by powerful, and in some cases, coloured lamps. On Jubilee Night, 1750 huge bonfires were lit on the higher parts of the British Isles, after the King had set alight the bonfire in Hyde Park by pressing a button in the Palace. I am afraid I have no news of Old Brentonians. I saw Stubbs a few times while he was at Greenwich in the latter months of 1934, but since he went to Portsmouth I have lost track of him. Weir is somewhere in China, hunting pirates I suppose, and Yarrow, Sharland and R. Lawson are somewhere in England, though where I don ' t know. The latter incidentally was in one of the Cambridge Trial Eights for the Uni- versity Boat Race. However, we all seem to lack the art of correspondence so I don ' t know what they are all doing. The termly reports as to the School ' s progress are an excellent institution to my mind, and I for one, read them with interest. I am glad to see that the prospects are brightening. May I suggest that in the School Magazine, the names of boys in team photographs should be printed under the photographs as we Old Boys do not know who ' s who, and consequently do not know about whom we are reading? With kindest regards and with every good wish to Brentwood and Old Bren- tonians, I remain, Yours sincerely, MAURICE D. YOUNG. Page Twenty-five