Training Ship Ensigns, United Kingdom

Last modified: 2005-03-12 by rob raeside
Keywords: training ships |
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Between 1856 and 1986 the hulls of obsolete wooden warships at permanent moorings in harbours and rivers around Britain, were used as training ships. They were originally established to provide further education and nautical training to boys who had left school, but were not old enough to enlist in the Royal Navy, or obtain employment in the Merchant Navy. Some charged a fee, some were subsidised by ship-owners, some were run by charitable societies for the benefit of paupers and orphans, and some were organised by local authorities as reformatories for juvenile delinquents. Many of them, and some similar establishments on shore, had distinctive ensigns. They included:

• Training Ships :
  
  • Arethusa
  • Conway
  • Cornwall
  • Exmouth (2)
  • Foudroyant
  • Indefatigable
  • Mars
  • Mercury
  • Northampton
  • Warspite
  • TS Wellesley. Blyth, Newcastle-on-Tyne.
  • Worcester (2)
• Seaman's Hospital :
  • Hamadryad
• Shore Establishments :
  • Pangbourne Nautical College
  • Royal Merchant Navy School
• Unidentified ensigns :
  • Watts Naval Training School, Elham, Norfolk.
• Navy League. TS Stork and Liscard Training School
• Other ensigns of unknown origin
• Prince of Wales Sea Training School Society

David Prothero, 25 August 2003

See also:

• United Kingdom
• Sea Cadet Corps, United Kingdom