HMS Ganges is situated on the Shotley Peninsula in Suffolk. It used to be a training camp for the Navy until 1976, and in later years it was a police training school. It closed in 1998 or something.
At the start of 2006 the site was subject to a controversial planning war – some developers want to build a ton of homes etc on the site, but locals don’t want that. In July 2006 the Secretary of State intervened and rejected all plans!
Mast
Anyone who visits Shotley can’t fail to notice a huge mast that dominates the skyline. I can’t find out exactly how high it is – various websites say it’s between 130 and 150ft high. That is damn high. And kids had to climb it when they were training in the navy. If that doesn’t sound too bad, the wind on the ground was ferocious when I visited. I can’t imagine what it would be like at the top of it.
Signal school
This building was a Signal School apparently, which was created to teach flag signalling and telecommunications. I don’t know too much about it, but it did have fantastic bricks inside.
In one room were some educational posters on one wall. They were in quite a bad state, but some parts were still readable. Time to learn some nautical signals…
Swimming pool
This’ll be where people swam.
Main block
Martello Towers
There are two of these towers on site, both of which have been converted to water towers. One has had an additional observation post built onto it which gives splendid views accross the estuary to Harwich and Felixstowe. The same tower also has a mast on it, and a broken one is stored underneath it.
Other buildings
Some of the other buildings on site…
Fort/Battery
An old battery remains on the grounds of HMS Ganges. It was built in 1865 to protect the port of Felixstowe, and to supplement the forts at Felixstowe and Harwich.
Bomb Shelters
Scattered around the site are various bomb shelters.
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Was at Ganges on 12th Dec 2009 looking through the gates at history disapearing before my eyes that parade ground you could eat your dinner off it, now it’s covered in strubs trees etc,The last time we were there was 1966 drake 40 that was the hut next to the mast, that is now almost beyond repair. to think of the days we had to climb that (by order) HSE would have a fit today. Would be good to meet up with our mess mates sometime.
RE WILLIE SHAWS LETTER I JOINED JULY 66 RECRUITMENT 86 IS THE TINY YOU REMEMBER A SCOTS LAD CALLED TINY GILCHREST FROM EDINBRUGH I SAW HIM LAST YEAR LIVES IN ROSYTH NOW IM STILL IN TOUCH WITH A LAD WHO WAS IN THE NEXT INTAKE TO MINE 43 YEARS ON
I joined november 1967 Anson Div like many on here I have so many fond memories, so sad to see the way it is being left to decay, looking at the pictures I can still see myself there, good to see so many nice comments, anyone from 98 Rec drop me a line
Was at Ganges 1960-61 Blake Div. comms class 247-248 in the same mess. Inst. RS (Basher)Briggs, fantastic time, also great pics. Live in Australia and have just retired after 23 years in SA Police., have been able to contact 2 mates from 1960, Colin Barber and Colin Dorsett, Any more of you out there!!!!
Great photographs bringing back lots of memories – joined Ganges annex in November 1956 then Drake mess 232 class radio operators.
Visited HMS Ganges site in November 2009. My father Stan Sydes was a Naval Instructor there on 3 occasions. Although I have no memories of Shotley as I was too small we have family photographs and I know we all enjoyed being there very much. So sad to see it derelict but I guess the history still very much remains. I intend to visit the museum the next time I am in Suffolk
Joined Ganges on 4th Feb 1963, 56 recruitment, the year of the worst winter since 1947.Six, seven foot snow drifts on the way to Ganges from Ipswitch railway station in the old cream and blue Bedford OB coach.The sky and ground were white and the only thing that could be seen about a couple of miles away from Ganges was the mast! sticking up like one giant finger.Ganges was an experience that will never leave me, a love hate relationship, Started out in Anson 20 mess, back classed through illness and ended up in Grenville 23 mess.Greatest achievement of my life was getting my branch badge after thirteen months I think that I had earned it. As for the mast, well I did make it to the half moon but wouldn’t push my luck.. Went back again in 1976 just after the flag was lowered for the last time, place still intact at that point, gates locked with security staff on duty. All in all I’m glad that I did it and proud to call myself an ex- TROG, Terry Wogan eat your heart out, you’ve no idea mate.
Whenever I hear the term ” culture shock” I think of my 1st few weeks at Shotley. I was glad there were only 24 hours in a day as you did not stop until “pipe down” Anyone with a peak cap was GOD. The most feared were the GI’s followed by the PTI’s, and one RPO Florrie Ford. Two PTI’s I do remember were Wally Beard & Jim Conroy, I met up with both of them in later years, had a few hairey “run ashores” with Jim. Like all young sailors I used to look at the Chiefs & Petty Officers and think ” I will never get there” doomed to be a AB for 12 years. Left 18 years later as a CPO GI. Ganges moulded your character for life and prepared you to face anything the world threw at you. Thank you Ganges for all the memories.
After reading Terry Parker’s letter, my hair stood on end. Like him the GI”s (GI Thompson in particular) and the PTI’s were god and to be feared by all. I also remember Wally Beard as a very amusing sort of a person not the same could be said for Tommo, not many jokes cracked there!!! Thank you Ganges, you made a “Real” person of me
George, would you believe that Wally Beard went on to become ” a man of the cloth ” after he left the pusser.
i jioned hms st vincent as boy 380 entry january 1961 my mate jioned hms ganges on the same day his name was john wileman from west yorkshire after doing 12yrs he emigrated to australia where sadly he passed away 14yrs ago we had many happy times talking about our time as nozzers great days wish we could relive it
joined ganges 12 sept 1966 77 recruitment duncan 11 mess instructors cpo bowen and po snoxell wow what a state its in now spent hours polishing the mess deck with a shoe brush now its all in the skip! started off in the annexe in dreadnought mess and ironicly my last sub before leaving mob was dreanouht
joined ganges 12 sept 1966 77 recruitment duncan 11 mess instructors cpo bowen and po snoxell wow what a state its in now spent hours polishing the mess deck with a shoe brush now its all in the skip! started off in the annexe in dreadnought mess and ironicly my last sub before leaving mob was dreadnouht
Fess, Thank you for your response to my comment.
Wally a priest——- hard to see but knowing him as I did and what a comedian he was, yes anything was possible
Joined 5th September 1972
Remember being woken up by 2 binlids being banged together and having to shave?? 15yrs old and no hair.
Joined hawke division, straight into the intermess/ inter divisional boxing. PTI Tug Wilson ( giant of a man) put you everything. Window ladder display 73 i think, met the duke! – come down the rope upside down to the beat of the drum,Assault course team, athletics,cross country, ganges rugby team
Spent most of the time with Dave Orgacki if anyone remembers him – great water polo player
Paul Martin, yes I remember you and Dave, spent my time a Ganges with you would love to make contact with you, in contact with a couple of the lads from 38 mess. face book me
Junior Seaman 1st Class. 29 recruitment Duncan 11 mess 1960 to 1961. Did my basic training as a RP before going on draft to Dryad. I visited Ganges three years ago. It brought back some fond memories and indeed some bad ones. I shook my head in disbelief when I saw the state of the place.
Joined Ganges march 1976 resolution 142 17 mess. Hardest six weeks ever but set my standards of life.Will never forget how proud we were when we passed out of there.
How interesting to read all the comments. I joined Ganges on September 1st 1963 and lived in Benbow 28 Mess. Two instructors were Ch, ME Rusty Steele and Chief Mech Dinger Bell, great guys. After my initial shock joining the annexe I got over my homesickness and went on to enjoy my time there and make the most of the opportunities on offer. I left to join HMS Protector where I served my next two years and becme an ‘adult’ 18 years old. Would not have missed it for the world!!!!
joined a cold Feb 65 Duncan 12.. still remember thinking what old salts the junior leaders were compared to us new boys ,(all of 16) but what power,I can still hear them bellowing out Eft (left) – Iht (right) . would not say it was great but the memories of the lads you were with 24/7 still come back. funny enough during 12 years never saw anyone from our class. sad it’s gone but would never had survived “Human Right Brigade” of today.
Joined Ganges Sept 70,Anson 21 mess long covered way,was at the old place couple of years ago what a bloody shame to let it go to rack and ruin.At least the old school house has been turned into flats.I am proud to be called a Ganges lad,the cream of the Royal Navy.
I JOINED UP SEPT 13TH 1970. 2OTH RECURITMENT. HAWKE DIV . KNOWN AS PADDY MAWHINNEY. ITS SAD TO SEE THE PICTURES OF GANGES NOW. HAD SOME GOOD TIMES THERE. LEFT THERE TO JOIN HMS ARK ROYAL . LEFT THE NAVY 1994 AS A POMEM ,WORKING AS APOSTMAN NOW. NICE TO SEE SOMEONE WHO JOINED UP THE SAME DAY AS ME. TAKE CARE.
Well Brian there has been a lot of water under the bridge since our Ganges days,but if I could do it all again I would,take care pal.
not that Im biased you understand!!! I always thought that Ganges lads went to the fleet with a better understanding of the RN.
Joined ganges september 1964 (giant recruitment)
instucters were PO Jock Barrie and Chief PO Noel Whitlock. Happy but tough days.I was in Hawk division, the only name i,ve recogised is PAUL HARTILL (FUB) best of luck to him. Sorry to see the government has let it go to rack and ruin, so sad
Joined Ganges Jan 1951 from St.Vincent to be a Signal Boy. Class 291. Left May 1952 joined HMS Indomitable. Sad to see all the photos now but Ganges will always play a part if my life. Regardless of the strict training and discipline nobody seems to have nothing but good to say of the place.
I was a baby stoker in Grenville 1966/1967 86 recruitment, very sad to see these photographs, I am Scottish and always meant to visit the place again, great memories of a great time in my life, thanks for reminding me yet again, ” once a Ganges boy but still a ganges boy” Thankyou.
I joined Ganges in 1962. Before joining up I told the recruiting officer I couldn’t swim a stroke. He warmly assured me that with “today’s ships you don’t need to”. Little did I know. I learned to swim wearing a boiler suit. My worst and best memories were of the pool. Thanks for the memories. Great site.
d/jx934082-I joined Ganges in Jan 1954 and began my training as a “sparker”. I was reasonably good at all sports and got out of a few dirty jobs. It certainly transformed us from little boys into men. It is just a pity that Ganges could not have been transformed into a correction centre for some of todays youths,then I think we might have not much bad behaviour. I think all ganges boys were definitely turned into men!!!!
Good Health to all of you–Norman coghlan
Anybody out there that was with the window ladder display at Earles Court,London 1971.I would love to say that I was one of the guys up on the window ladder doing the display.But no I was one of the men who carried out one of the two poles,at the heavy end I might add.Great days!!!!!
I was there in 1961 for training as a wireless operator, done me the world of good and can look back with good memories. Its so sad to see how it is now. The swimming pool was a nightmare as I was a backward swimmer and hated the PTI’s and their poles with a vengence, left there and joined HMS Venus.
I joined Ganges May 5th 1953 .I remember the PTIs
in the swimming baths,and going up the mast in the winter, One memory that wont leave me is running around the parade ground in the Annexe in pyjamas with a 303 all because someone spoke after lights out.
A great site, yes were all pretty sad to see it like that but you can never take away memories, I was there 1963/64, 59 recrutment as a baby stoker 28/29 mess Benbow division. I was also a silver bugler in the bugle band and remember going to Portman road foootball stadium playing on the pitch at half time, and the Central messing Galley ie CMG used to be called the screamer because of the size of it and the echoes inside it. I was never so fit, but wernt we always so hungry, does any one remember cake sandwiches on a Sunday, You used to put a slab of cake between two slices of bread to make more of it and to help fill you up. Happy days, tough but did us no harm in the long run.
I was there 1989 in Police training. Great memories and sad to see it now. All the pics bring back memories.
I remember manning the gates at weekends and then off down to the Marina to drink the night away before back back on camp for breakfast.
i was there 68/69,hard time but great fun ,i think i still hold the record for the most doubling round annexe parade ground and main parade ground as punishment,i remember paddy power and your full real name ,remember pinching buttered bread from messhall and toasting it at night with the mess iron
Ganges Blake 4 Mess 1959 I have been reading some of the above comments and can identify with a lot of them, one in particular mentions POGI Thompson who although a real Tartar I always thought his bark worse than his bite although a few of my mates might have disagreed but it was often a case of different strokes for different folks but one thing it gave you a good grounding for future life maybe after all these years I am looking through rose tinted specs but it made a lasting impression (no I never had cuts) I don’t know how many are aware of the Ganges website but if you are interested it offers membership for ex-Ganges guys the opportunity to add your comments and maybe come across old mates
Was there in 1989 course 3/89. Very fond memories but what a shame its in such a state. Did 14 weeks of basic Police Training and loved every minute, probably why im still in job 21 years later… Like lots of others, dreaded the pool!!
Joined May 24th, 1966, 84 recruitment, was in Keppel 1 mess,received the cuts twice,very painful,used to sit on the button as often as I could what views, of all the time spent in the mob and places visited Ganges still holds the fondest memories,I later served on HMS Zest @ Euryalus
Joined Ganges October 25 1965 – Collingwood 44 Mess.
Grand Father served in Ganges as the Master at Arms.
Son serving at Faslane in S/Ms.
Great days
Joined 30th Novenber 1971,31 Recruitment,Leander and then Anson.Remenber playing football and injuring my knee,went sickand was told by the Captain Surgeon that l was homesick!!,ran towards the football field the next day and my knee gave out again,l thought this homesickness is getting worse!!,turned out l had dislocated my kneecap!!.173 joined and when we left 11 months later there was 62 remaining.l work in the Prison Service now and 2 years ago l met one of my old Leading Juniors serving 5 years ,it was so good to meet up again!!!!
I would love to walk through the main gate at Ganges again, before it falls apart completely. The last time I did that was in 1964 when I left Grenville 22 mess to go to Condor for “bombhead” training. It really is sad to see the place just left to rot. For those of you ex TROG’s out there that have not done it already have a look at Google street view, not a pretty sight.
Was there a naval hospital at or near HMS Ganges?
My late brother left a scribbled note referring to the death of his naval father in March 1919 at a ‘Shotley Hospital’ following an incident in connection with HMS Coventry when several men were badly injured. Perhaps another story is involved here, maybe not directly associated with the HMS Ganges but I have found little to cover the post WW1 early service of HMS Coventry.
I dont reminisce on Ganges at all. My new life has been a cracker. Ganges became obsolete, outdated, cold and institutionalised well before the 1960′s. All those humane movies we watched, and we believed it was only nazis who behaved like the gunnery instructors at Ganges. Ganges was a waste of time & money, proved nothing. there were decent ppl at ganges sure, but the sado-nutter was there too – and did not fit with the new 1960′s generation. Ganges could have been up-to-date easily, but the Brit class system got its anchor fouled up well. UK is lost.
to alan garland, yes there was a big hospital at ganges, but little used when I was there, also the Annexe was once a quarantine place for contagious illnesses, like Tb or similar scare. I know many bodies were stowed in the laundry at laundry hill, due to a sinking or collision in the drink near by. I went into the old hospital to poke my nose, and then it was going to rack n ruin then, recall an old polio iron lung. i was there in 1964 -65, Collingwood 34 in short covered way – Yes thats where we were! naval diehards clung on to ganges wrongly.
There was indeed a hospital at Ganges. It was over near Faith, Hope & Charity. I had occasion to spend a week there under observation after our bullying seamanship instructor (can’t recall his name) hit me on the head after I had complained of suffering from a really bad headeache. It must have been due to a bad cold coming on and I recall being made to gargle from a jug of disinfectant every morning, overseen by a nurse in stiffly starched uniform. My time at Ganges was a bit of a curates egg – mostly the bad bit!
I joined in July 1951, 175 Blake, and left the service in 1964 as L/sea QA 1. I had passed for PO but eager to begin a new life in Civvy Street left before promotion came through. I gradually came to realize that while I saw the RN as an institutionalised lifestyle I actually loved being at sea. When I left the RN I bought a converted MTB that had originally been HMS Ariel. Moored at Staines @ 1s.17d per foot, when I advertised her for sale I was delighted to meet two Royal Marines who told me they had been to Norway during WW2. I restored as much as I could and felt that I was still in touch with the sea. She was later sold to a News of the World journalist.
I went there in 1958( Blake 6 Mess) one of the few ” airy fairies” & it did change me from a know it all, after a schoolie said on our first day ” I know now who will be top of this class”. I thought he meant me &even after 2 sojourns in the sick bay with pneumonia(& that’s another story) I did it @ still have my prize. I reckon that I received my secondary education at Shotley