The Deep-Sea Secret of the Silent Service
Good morning to you all. It is a pleasure to share that we now have 47 members serving the Spalding branch of the Royal Naval Association. We are also very fortunate to have several submariner shipmates amongst our ranks.
Submariners have always been viewed a little differently from our surface shipmates, especially in the modern Navy. Because of this, I thought I would share some history regarding our brave shipmates who serve under the oceans instead of upon them.
Submariners have long been a quirky bunch. One of their most famous traditions is flying the Jolly Roger when returning from a successful mission. This practice actually began in 1914. At the time, the First Sea Lord expressed a personal distaste for submariners, even suggesting that the crews of enemy vessels captured during the Great War should be hanged as pirates.
In a cheeky response to the First Sea Lord’s rant, the crew of HMS E9 flew the Jolly Roger after sinking the German cruiser SMS Hela. This act of defiance spread like wildfire throughout the service and remains a proud tradition today. The Submarine Service is also frequently referred to as The Trade, a nickname derived from the writings of Rudyard Kipling regarding the fleet.
Locally, we have a very special connection to this history. Spalding’s adopted submarine was HMS Taku. You can see more information regarding the Jolly Roger flown by this vessel at Ayscoughfee Hall Museum. The Spalding Royal Naval Association has a tribute to HMS Taku there, where various pieces of memorabilia are on display for the general public.
When I served in the Royal Navy many years ago, we still had many conventional submarines. The crews who served on those boats always carried a strong, unmistakable scent of diesel on their persons. In those days, conditions on board were incredibly cramped. While I always took my hat off to those who could work in such environments, I knew it wasn’t the life for me!
Nowadays, life has improved significantly for those in submariner circles. The diesel days are long gone, and the conditions on modern vessels are as good as any surface ship.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all serving and retired submariners for their bravery and loyalty to our Royal Navy. We thank you for being on patrol so that the people of our nation can sleep safely in their beds.
God Bless You All.
Rodney Grocock
Vice-Chairman
Spalding Royal Naval Association
rodney@rodneygrocock.co.uk