HILLMAN  WWII GALLERY
HMCS PRINCE ROBERT

CAUGHT IN THE NET IV

In our ongoing search of the InterNet we have found the following interesting information and websites which we feel will be of interest to our readers:

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ULITHI

Its existence kept secret throughout the war,
the US naval base at Ulithi was for a time the
world’s largest naval
facility.
BY GEORGE SPANGLER

In March 1945, 15 battleships, 29 carriers, 23 cruisers, 106 destroyers, and a train of oilers and supply ships sailed from "a Pacific base." What was this base? The mightiest force of naval Power ever assembled must have required a tremendous supporting establishment: Ulithi

Read about this secret WWII base and see many photos at:
http://www.laffey.org/Ulithi.htm

URL submitted by Frank Blisard

Sailor talk: a glossary of naval terms
(As used by the Royal Navy and RCN WWII)

ACTION STATIONS
Situation when ship is ready for action

AFT
 Towards the stern, furthest from bow

ANDREW: The Royal Navy. The words "Royal Navy" were rarely used amongst ratings

BELLS: The ship's bell was used to mark the passage of time and was sounded every thirty minutes. On modern ships it is now only sounded on ceremonial occasions

BOW: The front of the ship

BROADSIDE: Simultaneous firing of a ship's main armament

BULKHEADS: The "walls" in a ship

COLOURS: Ceremony of hoisting the flags every morning (8.00am in summer, 9.00am in winter)

DECKHEAD: The "ceiling" of each deck in a ship

DHOBEYING: Washing or laundry (from the Hindi word dhobi, an Indian washerman)

FO'C'SLE: The forward deck, where the anchors and cables are situated

GALLEY: Kitchen

GASH: Naval slang for rubbish or garbage -- messdeck or galley waste

GROG:  Two parts water: one part rum. Introduced by Admiral Edward Vernon ("Old Grogram") in 1740 as a daily issue to sailors at sea

HEADS: Lavatories, toilets

JACK: 1. term for any rating (slang); 2. Union flag that flies from the bow

KY (KI): Naval slang for cocoa. A favourite during the freezing weather of an Arctic Convoy run

MATELOT: Pronounced mat-low. Naval slang for a rating (taken from the French word for sailor). It is an honourable term used by ratings amongst themselves

MESSDECK: Living accommodation for ratings, usually below Petty Officer rate

NELSON'S BLOOD: The naval expression for rum, from the belief that after the Battle of Trafalgar Lord Nelson's body was returned to England preserved in a barrel of rum. In fact, brandy and spirit of wine were used

PIPE: An order or information relayed over the ship's loudspeaker system

"PIPE DOWN": The order to turn in to sleep - historically,  to call sailors down from the rigging on completion of work; hence, indicating end of working day

PORT: Left-hand side of the ship when facing the bow

QUARTERDECK: The upper deck of the ship at the after (stern) end

RATING: Sailor below the rank of officer

SCUTTLE: 1. porthole; 2. to sink one's own ship deliberately

SPLICE THE MAINBRACE: To be issued with an extra ration of grog. Only for special occasions such as the birth of children of the Sovereign, or after sinking an enemy vessel

STAND EASY:  A ten-minute break from work in the forenoon (morning) and afternoon watch

STARBOARD: Right-hand side of the ship when facing the bow

STERN: The rear of the ship

TOT: Measure of rum issue (one-eighth of a pint, or 0.071 litres)

TURN IN: Get into hammock/bunk, go to sleep

WARDROOM: Officers' mess, originally for lieutenants and above; now also includes sub-lieutenants

WATCH: A period of duty at sea, generally lasting for four hours. For example, "forenoon watch" means the period of duty before midday, usually 8.00 am to 12.00 noon

WHITE ENSIGN: Flag flown by Royal Navy ships in commission and by the Royal Yacht Squadron

Topics include: Arsenal of Democracy ~ Japan Attacks the US ~ Campaigns ~ Conferences ~ War in the Pacific ~ Allied Aims ~ Canadian Links ~ American Links ~ British Links ~ Soviet Links ~ French Links ~ German Links ~ Japanese Links ~ General Links ~ What's New

OUR MAILBAG

What a delight it was to come upon your very attractive web site and see all the photos and info on the fate of these ships. I remember the Northstar, a friend of the family. a man named Cole was chief steward, they called him "Killer Cole" I don't know if this was due to his hard driving ways or that he was a lady's man. In any event I sailed with him on the "Lady Rodney" when she was a troop ship operating between Halifax and Newfoundland in 1943. I was a sea cadet at one time and wanted to join the RCN but was too young, the Merchant Navy looked the other way when it came to manning ships during the war and overlooked the tender age. It was a great experience.

I'm afraid my experiences on my first trip to sea were rather tame compared to those who saw some real action. I was once in convoy with my uncle's ship "Rathlin" the convoy's rescue vessel. He had been to Murmansk a number of times and he saw a great deal of the horror that went on at sea during the war. Every once in awhile I would look out to the edge of the convoy and see those little corvettes climbing a wave and seeing daylight between the bottom of the bow and the sea and wondered how
those poor devils were faring compared to our comfort on an ex liner.

Good luck with your website and thanks for the pleasure of reading your historical notes on the Prince boats.
All the best
Vincent Martlew
2000.03.10

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