Britain at Work
A Pictorial Description of Our National Industries

EVERYDAY LIFE IN THE ROYAL NAVY 379 water. Many of the guns are fitted with tubes, which enable them to fire miniature projectiles at targets representing ships, which are equipped with an ingenious mechanism causing them to roll about as ships roll on the waves. This instruction is also carried out at night, when the gun- sights are electrically illuminated. Out of doors, the seaman is practised in field-gun and machine-gun drill, rifle practice, and cutlass drill, and here, too, he learns all about ammunition and fuses. Further, he under- goes instruction in elementary fortification and rocket drill for saving life at sea. About 1,500 men are present at a gunnery school course, and at those held on Whale Island the men are most comfortably housed and fed, and allowed plenty of recreation. A man leaves the gunnery school with a certificate as first- or second-class seaman gunner. A man with a first-class certificate may be further trained to qualify as a gunnery instructor, or he may volunteer for a torpedo course on board one of the torpedo school ships. When a man has gained sufficient ex- perience of a seaman’s duties, and is a good helmsman, leadsman, etc., with a fair know- ledge of gunnery, he is rated an able seaman, from which rating* he may pass up to be leading seaman, petty officer, and chief petty officer. A man having been seven years at sea (one year of which as petty officer) is eligible for promotion to warrant officer, and to the commissioned ranks of chief gunner and chief boatswain, with pay varying from 5s. 6d. to 12s. a day. The rank of warrant officer is the highest which seamen can aspire to in the ordinary course of events; but those of exemplary conduct, who may distinguish themselves by acts of gallantry, are eligible to hold commissions, after under- goingf an examination, in such rank or position as the Admiralty may deem them worthy to receive and competent to fill. Warrant officers, however, may retire with the honorary rank of lieutenant and a pension of ^150 per annum. Now let us briefly describe the bluejacket’s life afloat. On the day a ship commissions, the ratings told off to her go on board from the depot, and as each man is told oft he receives a card, which tells him his exact place in his new domicile. From it he learns Photo : IP. Gregory & Co.t Strand. IN THE ENGINE ROOM OF H.M.S. MAJESTIC.