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Staff Captain Superintendents As in any school or service environment pupils officers and staff quickly acquired nicknames, not all of them complementary! A sample follows.
Crocket was "barmy" not "balmy"! He was a very nice man who was Second
Officer and who suffered from a slight nervous affliction, possibly
a result of wartime experience, which was sometimes evident when he
took Divisions. The cadets, of course quickly latched on to this abnormality,
hence the words of the alternative Conway song. "Bill" Sewell
Digger was Digby-Jones (Blue Funnel) who was Chief Officer, a rather
dapper man who was well enough thought of.
Eric (von) Hewitt joined in 1948 being Captain Superintendent Designate
but serving as Chief Officer for a term between Digby Jones and Drake.
He eventually took over from the much liked and gentlemanly Captain
Goddard. The Von indicates how cadets first viewed him, he could be
very cutting in his remarks to cadets. Twenty years later he was generally
referred to as 'Eric' and was both loved and feared at the same time!
Ning was Mr "Fire In Your Belly" Kingsford.
'Old Thunderguts' Hilliard Rip" Kirby a North Countryman who was on the academic staff. Spooky of course was Brooke-Smith (who preferred to be known as Brooky, but he wasn't all that popular in those days (1947-49), being very strict and rather dour). By the 60s he was only known as Brookie and was seen as a strict but mild mannered officer who often seemed about to break into a secret smile. In the 50s he was also called Brogue. The Sheriff aka Spud Murphy taught navigation Tom' Browne the headmaster.'Tube' was another nickname for the headmaster Mr. T.E.W. Browne. ‘Uh Huh’ Jack Ibester Late 40s There were two Warrant Officers:
We had a couple of Padres:
1949/51 A man who I had great respect for was Commisioned Gunner J.C.Maine RN Retd Known out of his hearing as "Jacky". A splendid man and a true product of all that was best in the Royal Navy Another was Warrant Officer Ernie Moore nicknamed "Pony" who as I remember had walked out of Singapore to avoid capture and made it home! He lived in the Plas Newydd block and had his wife and a DAUGHTER! I even remember her name Thelma who he kept very much on a tight leash Another character I remember was Eddie the ferryman at Port Dinorwic if only for another daughter Myfanwi. So long ago but certain memories come flooding back. Would that I could remember what I had for breakfast yesterday as well! Another one I remember well was Lebesque, as we left the ship for the last time in July 1951 in No 1, we all sang, 'He's my brother, Lebesque, got a row of forty medals on his chest, etc'. I think he was a temporary officer on detachment, and believe he left soon afterwards. Around 1971-73:
1950s Our signals instructor was M.H.(Lawrie)Lawrence who retired in Dec 55. He used to enter the mess deck (at the House), say nothing but start flashing away reciting his mantra of "E-I-S-H-T-M-O" to get us into the swing of things. Commander Lawrence ("Laurie") was a great character, a very amusing man and always very decent to us young cadets. The other Warrant Officer I remember was "Charlie" Skinner. He was the PTI and would also cut your hair on a Saturday morning for a bob! He had a cheerful sadistic streak using the tannoy, "Wakey, wakey, rise and shine, middle of the day and the sun's burning your bleeding eyes out!" This at Zero Crack Sparrow Fart on a January morning with the horizontal sleet coming down the Straits and we had to do the morning run from the House up to the Figurehead before having a shower! Charlie Nicholson was the Chief Engineer who taught Ship Construction and engineering. There was a poem in the "Cadet" entitled "Conway through the Alphabet". I don't remember all the verses but "C" went: C is for Charlie with his Massive Slide Rule, Everybody agrees it's the Biggest in School! He had a slide rule about 3 feet long which he used to carry on his shoulder like a rifle! \ ‘Cupid’ was Williams - an officer in 1955. 1960s ‘Baby’ Johnstone Boo Boo was the nickname of Fo'c'sle's Divisional Officer in the 60s. ‘Boots’ Barker I remember with great affection the engineer "Charlie" Nichols was a great
exponent of the slide rule and very few of us ever mastered it.
Jeff Drake who in the mid 60s was perhaps best know for his dashing goatee beard and the endless variety of calls he used to jolt us out of sleep for reveille over the tannoy at the House: e.g. "wakey wakey, rise and shine, the sun is burning your eyes out...".
The Gonk referred to an officer joining in 65 of somewhat portly, bearded appearance!
‘Lads’ Goodey 'Lordy' was the Mr Lord the first Headmaster to take over from a Captain Superintendent.
There were nine Captain Superintendents from 1859 to 1968. In 1968
and until the Headmaster took charge of the ship.
Click image to enlarge An Honours Boards made from the Ship's timbers listing the 9 Captains
hangs in the Conway Chapel at Birkenhead Priory, paid for from donations
to the Captain Hewitt Memorial Fund.
Headmasters
There were Headmasters on the ship throughout her life.
An Honours Boards made from the Ship's timbers listing the 9 Headmasters
(Tom Browne served twice) hangs in the Conway Chapel at Birkenhead Priory,
paid for from donations to the Captain Hewitt Memorial Fund.
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