Hello and welcome to the web site dedicated to the British Merchant Navy Cadet Training Ships that operated during the period from the end of the Second World War up to the 1970s. This period, often referred to as the golden age of British shipping, saw an unprecedented number of young men undergoing training to meet what appeared to be an ever increasing demand for Deck and Engineer Officers.

Whilst many British shipping companies carried a small number of apprentices on some of their ships only a few operated cadet training ships in which apprentices replaced the normal deck crew and were the subject of a formal training regime as dictated by company policy.

The purpose of this site is to:

• Describe these cadet training ships and the companies that operated them;

• Provide an insight into the training that the cadets received; and

• Enable the cadets and those who trained, managed and worked with them to record and exchange anecdotes of this period in their lives.

Additionally, this web site provides a historical overview of:

• British Sea Schools; and

• National Training Policy.

 
 
 
 

1st January 2010

The Bosun Russell tribute on the Rakaia Anecdote’s page has been updated to include an amusing anecdote from Brian Baggott, and you can view the latest version here

11th August 2009

John Briggs, a BI Cadet, has written a book called ‘The World Is My Ocean’, and more details are available in the Links column of the Contacts Page

19th April 2009

Version 31 of the Rakaia ‘Voyage Photos’ file is now available, and you can view it here

3rd April 2009

John Crowder’s article about an appendectomy on Rakaia now contains some photographs of the sea conditions, and you can view it here

26th March 2009

Barrie Hudd has written an engineering article about Rakaia, after her days as a Cadet Training Ship, and you can view it here

7th July 2008

An article on the recent Otaio reunion can be viewed here

1st July 2008

An Australian newspaper article on Durham cadets, together with twenty-four photographs, all dating from 1946, can be viewed here

18th June 2008

An historic edition of the Durham Log magazine, the first to be published after the Second World War, can be viewed here

28th May 2008

Keith Everitt’s synopsis of Rakaia’s last two voyages as a Cadet Training Ship can be viewed here

17th May 2008

John Briggs’s collection of photographs and reminiscences about life as a cadet on Chindwara can be viewed here

21st April 2008

Mike Keat has provided some Otaio sporting memorabilia, which you can view here

12th April 2008

John Crowder had to assist with an appendectomy on Rakai and you can view his account of that event here