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>> >>MEMORIES OF WATTS >>Fred Drew. Tyrwhitt Division, No. 244 (1947 - 1950) >>I was in Tyrwhitt Division 1946-1948 Peter Smith >Memories of school discipline etc hard always hungry >I used to always volunteer to clean the heads because >after a stint at that you got special duties cleaning >officers rooms and I always did Mr Greene seamanship >officer.Remember when the stores was broken into and >food stolen, plus the boys (37) absconding etc. >Enjoyed it looking back I had a friend 241 Ronald >Feetom (re Batty) Mark I think 240 from London Remeber >George Petty. Jonsey " I was in a display and >rescued from mast head by breeches bouy etc. Wheel on >the gun carriage display team> Peck also from the band >played trombone and was drum major..The small lad who >played the bells" brilliant at the quarter deck >nights..Tank Wilson (giant) >of a lad (sadly now passed away) I was good at >signals and ended up working MI6 in Iraq listening in >to soviets etc. Loved it I am now 73 and lived in >Spain 21 years >Should have looked at the site before..but my grandson >sparked it off when I told him what it was like when I >was aboy...Sori I am vague with my memories of names >lads but I can see faces...God bless to you all >> >>It was fascinating to read James Tithers account of >>his time at Watts. I was sent to Watts in 1947 just as >>he was leaving so it is unlikely that we met. I was >>very interested in his description of the punishment >>regime because it had changed somewhat in my time. >>I was constantly on 'Defaulters Parade', spending many >>mornings waiting in the passage outside the First >>Lieutenants office waiting to be called in. The normal >>punishment for minor offences was one stroke of the >>cane on each hand. First Lieutenant Price was a dab >>hand at this (experience, I suppose) and would hit >>each hand on the finger-tips where it caused most >>pain. On bad mornings it would be two on each hand! >>For serious offences I was sent for punishment to >>Captain Felton for 'six of the best' on the bare >>buttocks. >>The procedure was to enter his office and stand behind >>a large wooden curved-back chair. I would then drop my >>trousers and bend over the chair grasping the front >>lip of the seat. I got to know the woodworm holes in >>that chair intimately. The worst part was waiting for >>the swish of the cane. I don't believe that Captain >>Felton's heart was in the business, certainly his arm >>wasn't. The punishment was carried out in private with >>no one else present in the room. Imagine the 'shock - >>horror' if that happened today! >>Most of my offences were concerned with being out of >>bounds. I would be setting rabbit snares on the water >>meadows or fishing for Pike in the Wensum. It was a >>good Pike river in those days. >>I suppose I experienced this punishment about 5 times >>in all. >>The final occasion was when I organised an escape from >>the school one Sunday morning. We planned the escape >>for weeks and the method decided on was to steal the >>school whaler and row to freedom! Never mind that the >>Wensum was closed off in one direction by Bintree Mill >>and in the other by North Elmham mill - the direction >>we took. We knew where the oars were stored and early >>on one Summer Sunday morning we rowed off in the >>direction of Elmham (Did I say that we were not very >>bright?) >>Rowing along we could hear the bugle calls for Church >>parade and then, not long after that, the calls for >>those of us on the boat to report to the OD. I think >>there were 6 of us in the boat and as the Wensum is a >>very winding river we had not got very far when we >>spotted white shirts appearing out of Bintree Forest. >>Of course we redoubled out efforts (Green S would have >>been proud of us that day). We were soon able to >>recognise the white shirts as senior boys led by Bert >>Busby. When they got too close we rowed to the other >>side of the river but some of the boys dived in and >>caught us. I think two of our number escaped - >>momentarily. Bert Busby then made us row the boat back >>to the school and, with a master touch which I shall >>never forget he cut a large nettle from the river >>bank, and sitting in the stern, he could just tickle >>our knuckles as he called out time. And he did. Our >>ordeal was not over yet. Arrived at the boathouse he >>ordered us out and made us double up the hill from the >>swimming pool with the oars held above our heads. >>So it was Captain's Defaulters - and on a Sunday >>afternoon too! I think Captain Felton was so >>overwhelmed by our audacity and stupidity that he just >>did not know what to do. In the end only my brother >>Jim and I were selected for the ultimate punishment. >>Jim went into the Captains office first and I waited >>in the ante-room. Inside I could hear the swish of the >>cane and the yelps of pain from Jim. Eventually the >>door opened and out came Jim rubbing his buttocks and >>giving me a broad wink on his way past. Then it was my >>turn. Inside I found the Captain sitting behind his >>desk chuckling to himself. >>He then gave me a lecture and admitted that he had not >>caned Jim but had asked him to pretend that he was >>being caned. He was so amused by the episode that he >>didn't cane me either but sentenced me to lay out my >>kit under the mast for the next two weekends. Not only >>that but he gave me a pair of binoculars and a bird >>book - he knew I was a fanatical bird watcher. >>A good kind man. >>Talking about escapes I too remember a mass breakout >>from Watts when, it seemed, the entire school took off >>down Bintree Lane. I can't remember the cause or the >>outcome. >>I also remember 'Tillerbonk' Bates mainly because of >>his suits! >>I remember him spending a good part of a lesson when >>we should have been declaiming Shakespeare explaining >>to us how to tell the suit of a gentleman from the >>rest. Apparently it was all to do with hand-sewn >>button holes. Some things you never forget. >>So many memories . . . .

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