Comments on: HMS Royal Arthur – Wiltshire

By: sharon jones

sharon jones — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 11:44:50 +0000

I worked in the kitchens at RA so sad to see it now.Remember being thrown in the pool on birthdays lol even through we werent really allowed, im sure many a sailor or even officer will remember me bellowing about which way to hand cultery in still happy days sadly missed

By: Simon Furniss

Simon Furniss — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 09:07:09 +0000

Hi mate…was one of your instructors Keith Furniss? He’s my dad….78 years old now….he LOVED it at Royal Arthur….so did I….

By: Simon Furniss

Simon Furniss — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 09:03:21 +0000

Hi, my father is Keith Furniss, he was a WO1 (I think)…I was a kid but he was at Royal Arthur during the late 70′s and then mid/late 80′s. You might remember him. I remember joining in the 5 mile runs when the lads came past near our house at Curlcroft. Once I joined in and was near the back getting close to the gate on the return leg. My dad was up the front yelling and screaming at all the PO’s, when he looked in my direction (he needed glasses) and screamed “get a bloody move on you stupid shaggy c**t!” I was only 14 !! Great times, Cliff and Chasm, up to the Black Mountains all great memories

By: Mike Davies

Mike Davies — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 17:12:59 +0000

i used to live in corsham from 2008 till 2011 and i used to visit this place regularly with my friends, taking photographs of the graffiti for my 6th form art, and the whole place is just covered in it. There are some very very good pieces of art in HMS Royal Arthur but some people just don’t really have respect and write appalling language on the walls and smash windows, but apart from that its beautiful

By: Terry Parker (Retired PO Tel)

Terry Parker (Retired PO Tel) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 10:50:27 +0000

John, If you’ve got over your days on the scrumpy, perhaps you can remember
Commander ONA Cecil, who was at Royal Arthur 1963 to 1965.
I’m researching his life story

By: Terry Parker (Retired PO Tel)

Terry Parker (Retired PO Tel) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 10:46:54 +0000

Do you remember Commander Oswald Nigel Cecil ? He was at royal Arthur from 1963 to 1965
I’m researching his life story.

By: Howard Williams

Howard Williams — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 15:48:27 +0000

My late father served at HMS Royal Arthur, I am not sure what year but I have a photograph of a group of recruits with a lifebuoy in front of them and it
states on the lifebuoy HMS Royal Arthur, Class 224, I know Williams is such a common name but my fathers name was William Ivor Parry Williams and he is in the photo top row 4th from the left, he died in 1964.

By: J A Sutherland

J A Sutherland — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 20:29:21 +0000

Yes, as we marched in,as green as grass, 20 March 1949, yes–I remember the date–and number eventually CMX 873328– they shouted ” Wait till Phoebe gets you”.

By: IAN HOWARD

IAN HOWARD — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:37:59 +0000

I have a clock which was presented by the P.T. staff at Royal Arthur to Mr&Mrs W.Williams in 1940 so I assume this was when the base was at Skegness. Do you know anything about this couple.?

By: Nick Nichols

Nick Nichols — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 18:08:47 +0000

Hi All, I spent my last 12 months as ships company at Royal Arthur 1984-1985. I had a great time, Buffers Party, driving the tractor and trailor on the daily bin run. I was also captains chauffer and general driver for the camp. Taking the pi** out of those on the courses, was part of the daily routine. I do recall, all of the trees at the top end of the camp burning to stumps when something blew out of the incinerator and torched the lot. Would love to hear from any of the ships company at that time. Nick