My Dad did this! He joined the Royal Navy aged 16 in 1939. He was a short chap - only 5ft 4in when full grown - so when he went for his training at HMS Ganges in Suffolk he was chosen as the Button Boy. He took us there as kids on holiday but we weren't as impressed as we should have been. After training, he went on to serve as a radio operator on Motor Topedo Boats - mostly minesweeping. Around the African coast and the Mediterranean, including the invasion of Sicily. He made little of his service, as these men did. But he was impressed with himself I think, for being the Button Boy.
I would imagine you're impressed now by your Dad's actions in the past and that he was also a 'Button Boy' is something well worth a boast to friends and others, "My Dad did..." 🙂😊 _I'm impressed_ and I don't even know him... I'm scared of heights and that 'Climbing of the Mast' would see me fainting and freaking out!!
@@brigidsingleton1596 Oh, I would faint long before I got up high enough to really hurt myself as my unconscious body hit the ground. Heights anything above standing on a kitchen chair makes me physically ill. 😱
@@Harry-lifeleedsandmusic I'm pretty sure the OP said that, about their father probably being proud of having been a button boy. A lot of people just didn't talk about their military service back then. Not speaking of it wasn't necessarily a good thing or a bad thing, it was just the reality.
My palms were sweating watching her! Especially when she had to keep her arms by her sides and then salute. Fantastic achievement to overcome her fear.
I’m obviously a bit of a freak. I like heights. I can honestly stand on the top of the Clifton suspension bridge and feel exhilarated. It’s not heights that should make you feel uncomfortable. Honestly there’s no way standing on that button is any more dangerous than being in a submarine. Those are your killers right there. Submarines aren’t normal
@ You’re not a freak, I wish I had your lack of fear. Mine stems from my brother and his friend threatening to push me off Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh, plus having dreams of stepping off cliffs. I didn’t fall in the dreams, just floated down, unharmed, but it was the feeling of being at the edge and slipping that was frightening. Also hate submarines! I have many fears.
My father's wartime friend, a man called Joe Mansley, was a "boy sailor" at HMS Ganges, a shore base (or what is known in the Royal Navy as a "stone frigate") at Shotley, Suffolk, England. That meant that he joined the Royal Navy at 14 years of age in 1934 and at the conclusion of his training at HMS Ganges Joe was a "button boy", that was the name given to any of the young lads who stood on the 18 inch wide "button" at the top of the mast. Life at the training establishment was a VERY tough one, with a number of young lads killed over the years, and not just by falling off the mast, in the early days young lads who'd never seen the sea & couldn't swim were routinely ordered into the camp swimming pool, because when a ship sinks it takes no notice of whether you can swim or not, hence they would "sink or swim". The practice was stopped in the 1920s after complaints to the UK govt. (the poor lads concerned are buried in a nearby church graveyard). HMS Ganges was finally closed in 1976. One thing I would say about the HMS Daedalus mast is that the hand hold on the "button" looked a bit taller than the one that was attached to the mast at HMS Ganges, which was barely above the knee, and which must have only allowed the young lads to brace themselves steady by wedging their calf against it. To have been known as a "button boy" was a mark of honour, and even when he was in his 90s Joe was always referred to as "Boy" Mansley.... but it was ALWAYS said with the deepest respect. Joe served right the way through WW2 and like my father survived the sinking of HMS Dorsetshire in the Indian ocean in April 1942, when the ship was dive bombed and sunk by the same pilots who had carried out the attack on Pearl Harbour 5 months earlier. P.S That young girl has more balls than I ever had..... and I served 35 years in the RAF & Fire Brigade !!! A BIG "hats off" to her and all the other young men and women who made it "to the top", and sincerest respects for their service.
I grew-up in a boatyard which my Dad founded in Nelson's Dockyard, Antigua. Our boat had a varnished wooden mast. Being the youngest and lightest, guess who got sent up the mast first? You supposed to be gently winched up in a bosun's chair (a plank of wood with rope) but being an island rat, scampered up like on a coconut palm with Dad pulling the seat up to try and catch up with me. "If you fall off and die" he yelled "you mother will kill you". Gotta love parents.
Joel, very impressive display. Reminds me of a similar event I saw at the Melbourne Royal Show when I was about 16. It was an army display and the rope was attached to a light tower and tensioned to a truck. After one person came down they decided to tension the rope by reversing the truck. The next person to come down stopped about half way as the rope had slackened. He started swinging to get momentum and the rope broke. Unfortunately the person fell to their death. It is something I have never forgotten.
That marching in synch takes a good deal of training. Every stride has to be exactly the same length for everybody and with both feet (untrained we take longer strides with the right foot - or left if you're left-handed). Good job it wasn't windy. I'd hate to do that on a boat on a choppy sea.
The Royal Navy's first and only female "Button Boy" was Nicola Howard. She was the sailor at the top of the mast, a traditional role, during a mast manning event. This occurred on HMS Daedalus in 1992
Hello Joel. Your description of injuries reminded me of tales from my dad, a sick berth attendant (RN nurse) just after WW2. He was on an aircraft carrier that went half way round the world with little more than bandages, petroleum jelly and "cheer up lad". Such as lost finger ends went straight to the fish. Even in peace time it was dangerous, including such as your Australian spider friends in port.
You realise that manning the mast used to be carried out at sea and not on stable ground? Granted it was when entering port but there would still have been some movement in the masts.
My grandson went to a private boys secondary school here in Adelaide, Australia. They had to do this mast ceremony when they were on camp. My grandson who’s afraid of heights, argued with the teacher. But, all credit to Connor, he climbed to the topmost rail(?) with 5 others. I’m not sure how many boys took part, but they looked magnificent. They were about 14 or 15 - in the 20 teens. So not too long ago.
The last official Royal Navy Mast Manning Ceremony took place in August 1995 at the VJ Day Commemorations on Southsea Common, Portsmouth. This event was one of the final displays by the Royal Navy's Mast Manning Display Team before it was disbanded.
On sailing ships they were up and down the masts all day. On a rolling sea, you only fell once. Nice tot of rum at the end, wonder what brand? If you're doing Royal Navy, look up "Heart of Oaks" their anthem, the words ring true over the centuries.
Back in summer 2000 I was crewing the safety boat for a Sea Cadet regatta in Plymouth harbour. Returning back up to Jupiter Point in the evening, we were following TS Royalist, the Sea Cadet sail training ship, as she made her way to the naval base. All the cadets were out on the yards, though they are held by safety ropes now (there was one death some years ago from a fall from the mast but that cadet had unclipped themselves against orders). As Royalist made her way towards her berth, we were passing Royal Navy ships tied up. You could see matelots rushing out on deck to see the spectacle. The first march as they marched into the arena was the RN's official march Heart of Oak. They climbed the mast to the official slow march Westering Home. They have to climb in unison otherwise the rigging will twist and turn, becoming unstable. Many units of the British military have 'Royal' in their title; it doesn't necessarily mean that they are connected. As far as the actual services go, there's the Royal Navy (including Royal Marines), the British Army, and the Royal Air Force. The story goes that the reason for the Army not being Royal is that they trace their origins as a standing army to Cromwell's Parliamentary New Model Army, which defeated Charles I and Charles II in the English Civil War, therefore it doesn't have a royal origin, though i don't know how true that is. The Royal Guards aren't actually an army unit in themselves. There are five Guards regiments which take turns in providing ceremonial personnel but they are fully operational soldiers, as are the two cavalry regiments which make up the Household Cavalry who are motorised when deployed. The other cavalry unit that you might see mounting guard at St James's Palace is the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, which is a ceremonial unit, most often seen firing the horse drawn guns for salutes; they also provide the black horses and gun carriage for ceremonial and royal funerals (the monarch's gun carriage is always pulled by Royal Navy personnel). On the other hand, any regiment or service can mount foot guard at Buckingham Palace, such as the RAF, the Gurkhas, or the Gibraltar Regiment as examples.
The reason the British Army isn't Royal is because it's not one cohesive entity. Rather, by tradition, it is a collection of regiments which just happen to fight on the same side (most of the time). Historically (and we're talking medieval) regiments were provided for service by feudal land owners, this evolved over time to by the 16th century nobles raised and paid for regiments in the service of the Monarch as needed (say for the possible invasion of England by Spain in 1588 which was prevented by the Battle of the Armada). The English Civil Wars changed things up a bit because Parliament needed it's own troops - at first it raised some in the old style with nobles on Parliament's side raising regiments, but it soon became clear that more standardisation was needed, as before nobles could do what they liked with their own troops, which led to varying standards of quality and enthusiasm. Parliament therefore enacted into law the New Model Army, which standardised training, equipment, and command. However, nobles could still raise regiments, they just had to follow the rules of command. This evolved over the 16th and 17th centuries to the point where by the time of the Cardwell reforms in the 1860s nobles could only really control the uniforms their troops wore, and command them in battle, and even this was removed by the reforms. Most regiments by this point weren't even raised by nobles any more, and these reforms ended that, with one exception. The Duke of Atholl still maintains his own private regiment outside the British Army to this day, however it's ceremonial only and has been for about a century. Because of this independent nature, and loyalty to the noble which raised the regiment, regiments often got into spats with one another over some perceived slight between their noble leaders - this didn't mean firing on one another of course, but by the time of the Cardwell reforms this led to a complex patchwork of inter-regimental rivalries and competitions which persist to this day, even as regiments have been sadly amalgamated or retired. This means that individual regiments can be Royal (for example the Royal Lancers or Royal Welsh) but the British Army as a whole cannot be Royal.
I'm with you Joel, I suffer from vertigo really bad, had to look away because I was getting sick in the stomach just watching!! I can't even stand on a chair without getting dizzy!. All the best with your studies. Take care!
Our Navy has been sailing the seas for a long time and, although this is a 'Tradition' now, it is still a test of courage and fortitude. Manning the masts was a routine bravery in the time of sail when Sailors did so in high and heavy seas, often during violent storms. It is wonderful (and nail-biting) to see today's youngsters follow on in the Traditions of the Royal Navy - just as courageous, just as stoic and brave. Makes me very proud of our young people.
There is also the Royal Navy Field gun race, which the feminist activist Germaine Greer described as the most macho thing since Ben Hur's chariot race. It is based on sailors manouvering their guns through the mountains of South African to relieve the seige of Ladysmith in 1899
Joel, I am seventy two and I wouldn't hesitate. Heights don't bother me. When I was an apprentice I climbed a sixty foot pole on a dare. It didn't bother me one bit. That young lady has got guts. Good on her.
Like our sports [no pads/helmets in rugby, gloves for fielders in cricket], are military traditions are tough too! The Royal Navy [which I served in in the 70/80's] is not the same as the 'Royal Guards' as you called them. They are from the army. Health and safety has gone mad. We need to stop the 'do-gooders' from taking risk away. Leave the rest of us alone! Obviously there are some exceptions but not thing like sports and this!
Imagine being her Dad and watching from the crowd, my heart would burst with pride. John Noakes of Blue Peter fame was also a Button Boy. Another Naval tradition that is also steeped in tradition is The Navy Field Gun team at The Royal Tournament. The last one they did at that location is available on YT and is definitely worth watching.
It`s a homage to the Royal Navy of sailing ships of the past. Watches were divided into groups to go up in order to raise and lower sails, the topsailmen would be the youngest and most agile, they would have to go up to the highest level and work their way out along the yards ( the cross beams on the masts) ,in heavy seas, wind,rain,and snow . All naval officers started off as midshipmen and needed to learn to do what the seamen did, in order to work towards officer status . The upper masts were used as lookout posts, always someone up there observing what else was about and in times of warfare the armed Marines were up there ,shooting down as the seamen boarded an enemy vessel in warfare . This was how Nelson died ,shot from above by an enemy marksman ,the bullet entering his collarbone ( shoulder) and ending up in his lower spine .
This used to be done on real masts on ships in the sea. This was the 'safe' land version to show to the public. I don't think it's done anymore because of health & safety rules. The Royal Navy has nothing to do with the Royal Guards, which are Army soldiers. The Army, Navy & Air Forces of the UK are separate services, each with their own command structure. Of course these can work together when required, with the chiefs of each cooperating. The Royal Navy is the oldest, therefore the 'Senior Service', organised by King Henry 8 th in the 16 th century. The Army is not overall 'Royal', but many regiments are, re-organised for the Restoration of King Charles 2 Nd in 1660. The Royal Air Force is the youngest service, founded in the first world war, 1918.The Royal Marines are soldiers attached to the Royal Navy, to serve in ship based operations, but do fight etc on land with the rest of the Army as required. There is also the Fleet Air Arm, that is a force of aircraft personnel that are based on ships, like aircraft carriers etc. There is also an RAF Regiment of soldiers that belong to the Air Force, to act as guards etc. There are 2 Regiments of Household Cavalry, called the Life Guards, & the Blues & Royals. These are mounted soldiers whose prime duty is to protect the Monarch, & his/her Palaces etc. They are part of the Army, & serve in military armoured vehicles etc when not on ceremonial guard duty.
The reason she's puffing out her cheeks while she's up there - not because she's scared, or at least that's not the only reason!! I'm100% sure she's scared. She has to force her entire body to relax. She's puffing out the energy in order to do so - she's got to ditch that and/or even it out. That's how you don't fall off. The whole thing's moving, as you can see. It's a windy day, her brothers are shifting around, and I don't even want to think about what the air currents are doing 200 feet above the field. It's not as calm up there as it is on the ground. Noope. No thank you. You have to relax. If she tensed up she'd fall. She has to relax into it, and allow herself to go with that movement. If she actively tried to hold herself in one spot, she'd be fighting with all the other things. If a gust of wind made the mast wobble, her body would instinctively try to compensate for it, the mast would move in response to her compensating as well as moving with the wind, and then you've got a big problem. She's as relaxed as she can be, and you see the mast wobbling? She goes with it. She's not the one making that movement, she is allowing herself to be moved. The wind moves the mast and there's no tension in her. She's trying to have as little part to play as she possibly can, in terms of forces. Is she brave? Oh yeah. Just because she allows herself to be moved doesn't mean it's easy. Quite the reverse, because she has to get everything perfect. Putting her arms by her sides is a deliberate movement. How do you do that and still relax into whatever you need to relax into, in terms of the movement of the mast?
Navy rum used to be about 150 proof. The tot of rum ( grog, rum + water) used to be served 3 times a day.. Tying knots & bends plus climbing the rigging is what made you an Able Seaman. Good reaction Joel.
You also had to "know the ropes" to be an AB in the age of sail - you're not much use to your shipmates if you pull the staysail halyard when you're supposed to be pulling the foretops'l braces
The mast at Ganges was a lot bigger and climbed by 14 /15 year olds. Was just 17, I got as far as the first platform when I joined in Jan 74. John Noakes tried it for "Blue Peter" , a kids program. ruclips.net/video/sSuZXlUxwbk/video.html&ab_channel=sintekimvu
The Royal Navy is the Royal Navy. What Joel calls the "Royal Guards" are the Household Division, cavalry and infantry, of the army. They each have their own distinguished histories and traditions all jealously guarded and maintained.
Don't know if anyone else has said this, but imagine standing at the top with nothing much to hold on to, and every sway and vibration of the mast can be felt. 😳
Britannia rules the waves 👍 Do you notice the horizontal creases in their trousers? An old navy sailor once told me, they pack them folded at the legs 7 times to represent the 7 seas.
I watched this before, and never noticed her heavy breathing, and to take her hands off and stand like that she is brave. I'm like you Joe hate heights, even standing on the bottom rung of a ladder, I feel dizzy. Imagine doing that on the open choppy sea??
The East of England Show near Peterborough no longer occurs, but I have fond memories of those days, both as a visitor and as a temporary worker at this venue. As as teenager I earned the princely sum of ten pounds a day enabling the car parking! Love and peace.
I'm shiting my self watching her...my son was a sea cadet in Cardiff, he took part in these ceremonys doing the gun run, another amazing spectacle on the day. Check it out.
We have a Tri Service military system (US has 4) UK Royal Navy (Senior Service) Army (All Regiments irrelevant if Guards or Tank Drivers. Guards Are part of army including royal guards) and Royal Air Force. Royal Marines (including band Service) are part of the Royal Navy. Royal Navy "belongs" to the Monarch. The Army had to have parliamentary acknowledgement annually.(historical). The Royal Navy did NOT have to swear an oath of allegience (but to keep the other services happy now do. Within the Navy there are 4 parts General Service (surface warships) Fleet Air Arm (in video) Submarine Service and Marines (which includes band service) There are special forces within each Service but they still basically belong to the Tri services system. Mast manning used to be a right of passage at HMS Ganges (a basic training centre) Bigger Mast and more difficult to negotiate near the top
They did not stop it in the early 20th century. My Dad joined the RN in 1956 as a boy sailor at HMS Ganges and had to climb the mast. Manning the mast was an event done for occasions like a royal visitor or other dignitary, but every boy had to climb at least to the Half moon (the semi-circular platform half-way up) to pass out of Ganges. HMS Ganges did not close until 1976 and manning the mast went on throughout that period. The button boy got one shilling for his trouble, and held on to the button by gripping the lightning conductor between his legs as he stood up to salute. Imagine that at 15 years old! Here's manning the mast at Ganges on a children's programme from the BBC: ruclips.net/video/sSuZXlUxwbk/video.html
The last time I remember this being shown the button boy somehow got stuck, or ran out of strength,fell and ended up in a wheelchair. During the age of sail countless men must have been killed or injured falling from rigging.
Looks for the HMS Ganges mast manning ceremony the mast is a lot bigger and the amount of people on the mast is a lot more and the age of the participants if 15 years old
The true and original mast manning display was performed at HMS GANGES by 15/16 year old boy sailors. The mast was at the top of the Short covered way at the top end of the parade ground adjacent to the Quarter deck. An excellent film was made of manning the mast display for the Blue Peter programme 1967. The late John Noakes the excellent Blue Peter presenter attempted to climb to the button but couldn’t quite make it. Rob Swek was the actual Button boy. We boys prayed for Valerie Singleton to present, Alas…….. It wasn’t to be. The Ganges mast was much bigger than the mast of Daedalus.
I was getting sweaty palms just watching this. Wow. I am extremely scared of heights, so I would not want to participate in this, as much as I generally enjoy the pomp and ceremony of military ceremonial events. I wonder if they knew what they were getting in for - all of them, or if they would just ask for volunteers without letting them know what's involved (as I've experienced from time to time as an air cadet).
Next time you are in the uk make a trip to shotley gate outside Ipswich. there is a museum of HMS Ganges and they have a replica of the button on the floor. you will be gobsmaked as to how small it is and trust me the lightning conductor you see is VERY flimsy. Those lads were brave with a capital B. The gods were shining on me when it was my class's turn to climb the mast whilst training at HMS St Vincent in 1967 as it was cancelled due to rain and the training schedule was so tight it could not be rescheduled.
There is a Pathe News film of this ceremony on HMS Ganges, from about 1960 on the original mast which was taken from an original Naval sailing ship. Much higher and more men, who were cadets not seamen. Try to see the original field gun race from Earls Court also in sixties. Health and Safety has ruined all this stuff. Only one fatality through out the life of this ceremony. In the mid thirties a button boy was practising unsupervised, without gloves. in the field gun race most injuries were lost fingers and broken limbs, but not many.
Joel, a more recent documentary series about Naval cadets was “Royal Navy Sailor School”, ruclips.net/p/PLGkph1NtiNFVz_oAt8TcvLKuZHqA8TdS0&si=7Xf8t4McMlAi_g9W - you might well enjoy this if looking for more Royal Navy content. Just preview the first 5 mins of Ep1 to get a flavour.
Apart from the button boy, the sailors were only doing a very formalised version of what would be needed on sailing ships. HMS Ganges was probably the most famous place where the exercise was practised - HMS Ganges was a shore base used for naval training, on the Shotley peninsular, near Ipswich. Dates will be available online, but that closed as a RN base in the 1980's????? I was regularly in the area in the late 1970's/early 80's and it was closed then, although the mast was still there for at least some of that time. The height will be available somewhere, but just count the number of people on the rigging in a roughly vertical line and assume something like six feet or so for each.
Joel, take a look at the BBC documentary series from 1976, Sailor, about life on the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, one of the most famous ships in the Royal Navy. It was acclaimed as a documentary and still stands the test of time. ruclips.net/p/PLAiKyctehucnNtLw5pJ6gR2hJ7ociILs-&si=wCLNxuUbRvmve5RK
If you can check out blue Peter, John noakes manning the mast, also the Royal navy’s window ladder display team, unfortunately the vids on line aren’t very good though
I don't know about traditions. But what I would point to is that there are so many names coming from the British Royal family over the centuries around the English speaking world. So for example Queensland in Australia, Kingston in Jamaica. Kingston is an abbreviation of "King's Town". This includes your country prior to 1776. For example Charlotte in North Carolina. Queen Charlotte was the wife of George III. Unfortunately, you Americans use the term "We have no King or Dictator". By using this statement you as Americans are saying you are very anti-monarchy. By being anti-monarchy the term of King (or Queen) is deeply embedded in your culture. Nevertheless, under constitutional monarchy, it is possible for a dictator to emerge through either the office of Prime Minister or the monarchy becoming replaced. A good example of this is Mussolini as Dictator and Prime Minister of Italy during World War 2 with King Victor Emanuel III as the monarch. So I think that if Donald Trump is a Brit, he would be British Prime Minister as Leader of the Conservative Party with trying to consolidate as much power as possible to himself. So I am not a great one for formality or military parades, but I do support us being a constitutional monarchy as a form of democracy. England became a unified country under King Athelstan in 924, which the British monarchy is a continuation from this time. Us becoming a public is like a divorce from so much history and culture. Dominic
My Dad did this! He joined the Royal Navy aged 16 in 1939. He was a short chap - only 5ft 4in when full grown - so when he went for his training at HMS Ganges in Suffolk he was chosen as the Button Boy. He took us there as kids on holiday but we weren't as impressed as we should have been. After training, he went on to serve as a radio operator on Motor Topedo Boats - mostly minesweeping. Around the African coast and the Mediterranean, including the invasion of Sicily. He made little of his service, as these men did. But he was impressed with himself I think, for being the Button Boy.
I would imagine you're impressed now by your Dad's actions in the past and that he was also a 'Button Boy' is something well worth a boast to friends and others, "My Dad did..." 🙂😊
_I'm impressed_ and I don't even know him...
I'm scared of heights and that 'Climbing of the Mast' would see me fainting and freaking out!!
@@brigidsingleton1596 Oh, I would faint long before I got up high enough to really hurt myself as my unconscious body hit the ground. Heights anything above standing on a kitchen chair makes me physically ill. 😱
This is dreadfully written. Perhaps your dad was proud to be the button boy?
@@margaretgaskin4928 i know you are, and so you should be real proud of your Dad mate. He was a REAL MAN.
@@Harry-lifeleedsandmusic I'm pretty sure the OP said that, about their father probably being proud of having been a button boy.
A lot of people just didn't talk about their military service back then. Not speaking of it wasn't necessarily a good thing or a bad thing, it was just the reality.
My palms were sweating watching her! Especially when she had to keep her arms by her sides and then salute. Fantastic achievement to overcome her fear.
I’m obviously a bit of a freak. I like heights. I can honestly stand on the top of the Clifton suspension bridge and feel exhilarated. It’s not heights that should make you feel uncomfortable. Honestly there’s no way standing on that button is any more dangerous than being in a submarine. Those are your killers right there. Submarines aren’t normal
@ You’re not a freak, I wish I had your lack of fear. Mine stems from my brother and his friend threatening to push me off Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh, plus having dreams of stepping off cliffs. I didn’t fall in the dreams, just floated down, unharmed, but it was the feeling of being at the edge and slipping that was frightening. Also hate submarines! I have many fears.
Try looking at the Royal Navy Field Gun Competition.
Im an ex industrial roofer, i got pretty much used to working at heights BUT NO DUCKING WAY WOULD I BE THAT BUTTON BOY
My father's wartime friend, a man called Joe Mansley, was a "boy sailor" at HMS Ganges, a shore base (or what is known in the Royal Navy as a "stone frigate") at Shotley, Suffolk, England.
That meant that he joined the Royal Navy at 14 years of age in 1934 and at the conclusion of his training at HMS Ganges Joe was a "button boy", that was the name given to any of the young lads who stood on the 18 inch wide "button" at the top of the mast.
Life at the training establishment was a VERY tough one, with a number of young lads killed over the years, and not just by falling off the mast, in the early days young lads who'd never seen the sea & couldn't swim were routinely ordered into the camp swimming pool, because when a ship sinks it takes no notice of whether you can swim or not, hence they would "sink or swim". The practice was stopped in the 1920s after complaints to the UK govt. (the poor lads concerned are buried in a nearby church graveyard).
HMS Ganges was finally closed in 1976. One thing I would say about the HMS Daedalus mast is that the hand hold on the "button" looked a bit taller than the one that was attached to the mast at HMS Ganges, which was barely above the knee, and which must have only allowed the young lads to brace themselves steady by wedging their calf against it.
To have been known as a "button boy" was a mark of honour, and even when he was in his 90s Joe was always referred to as "Boy" Mansley.... but it was ALWAYS said with the deepest respect.
Joe served right the way through WW2 and like my father survived the sinking of HMS Dorsetshire in the Indian ocean in April 1942, when the ship was dive bombed and sunk by the same pilots who had carried out the attack on Pearl Harbour 5 months earlier.
P.S That young girl has more balls than I ever had..... and I served 35 years in the RAF & Fire Brigade !!! A BIG "hats off" to her and all the other young men and women who made it "to the top", and sincerest respects for their service.
I grew-up in a boatyard which my Dad founded in Nelson's Dockyard, Antigua. Our boat had a varnished wooden mast. Being the youngest and lightest, guess who got sent up the mast first? You supposed to be gently winched up in a bosun's chair (a plank of wood with rope) but being an island rat, scampered up like on a coconut palm with Dad pulling the seat up to try and catch up with me. "If you fall off and die" he yelled "you mother will kill you". Gotta love parents.
Imagine back in the day out in rough seas doing this 😮
Joel, very impressive display. Reminds me of a similar event I saw at the Melbourne Royal Show when I was about 16.
It was an army display and the rope was attached to a light tower and tensioned to a truck. After one person came down they decided to tension the rope by reversing the truck. The next person to come down stopped about half way as the rope had slackened. He started swinging to get momentum and the rope broke. Unfortunately the person fell to their death. It is something I have never forgotten.
That marching in synch takes a good deal of training. Every stride has to be exactly the same length for everybody and with both feet (untrained we take longer strides with the right foot - or left if you're left-handed).
Good job it wasn't windy.
I'd hate to do that on a boat on a choppy sea.
The Royal Navy's first and only female "Button Boy" was Nicola Howard. She was the sailor at the top of the mast, a traditional role, during a mast manning event. This occurred on HMS Daedalus in 1992
Hello Joel. Your description of injuries reminded me of tales from my dad, a sick berth attendant (RN nurse) just after WW2. He was on an aircraft carrier that went half way round the world with little more than bandages, petroleum jelly and "cheer up lad". Such as lost finger ends went straight to the fish. Even in peace time it was dangerous, including such as your Australian spider friends in port.
Steady boys, steady..
Nicola Howard was just a young teen cadet when she did this.
FRED DIBNAH WOULD BE SO PROUD OF HER😊
You realise that manning the mast used to be carried out at sea and not on stable ground? Granted it was when entering port but there would still have been some movement in the masts.
Yeah we are old fashioned in the UK. I would like this event to come back. I think we do all military and Royal events with style that cannot be beat.
Have seen this done for real. It's incredibly impressive.😊
My grandson went to a private boys secondary school here in Adelaide, Australia. They had to do this mast ceremony when they were on camp. My grandson who’s afraid of heights, argued with the teacher. But, all credit to Connor, he climbed to the topmost rail(?) with 5 others. I’m not sure how many boys took part, but they looked magnificent. They were about 14 or 15 - in the 20 teens. So not too long ago.
The last official Royal Navy Mast Manning Ceremony took place in August 1995 at the VJ Day Commemorations on Southsea Common, Portsmouth. This event was one of the final displays by the Royal Navy's Mast Manning Display Team before it was disbanded.
On sailing ships they were up and down the masts all day. On a rolling sea, you only fell once. Nice tot of rum at the end, wonder what brand? If you're doing Royal Navy, look up "Heart of Oaks" their anthem, the words ring true over the centuries.
should be Pussers but Lambs or Woods might suffice 😁
Back in summer 2000 I was crewing the safety boat for a Sea Cadet regatta in Plymouth harbour. Returning back up to Jupiter Point in the evening, we were following TS Royalist, the Sea Cadet sail training ship, as she made her way to the naval base. All the cadets were out on the yards, though they are held by safety ropes now (there was one death some years ago from a fall from the mast but that cadet had unclipped themselves against orders). As Royalist made her way towards her berth, we were passing Royal Navy ships tied up. You could see matelots rushing out on deck to see the spectacle.
The first march as they marched into the arena was the RN's official march Heart of Oak. They climbed the mast to the official slow march Westering Home. They have to climb in unison otherwise the rigging will twist and turn, becoming unstable.
Many units of the British military have 'Royal' in their title; it doesn't necessarily mean that they are connected. As far as the actual services go, there's the Royal Navy (including Royal Marines), the British Army, and the Royal Air Force. The story goes that the reason for the Army not being Royal is that they trace their origins as a standing army to Cromwell's Parliamentary New Model Army, which defeated Charles I and Charles II in the English Civil War, therefore it doesn't have a royal origin, though i don't know how true that is. The Royal Guards aren't actually an army unit in themselves. There are five Guards regiments which take turns in providing ceremonial personnel but they are fully operational soldiers, as are the two cavalry regiments which make up the Household Cavalry who are motorised when deployed. The other cavalry unit that you might see mounting guard at St James's Palace is the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, which is a ceremonial unit, most often seen firing the horse drawn guns for salutes; they also provide the black horses and gun carriage for ceremonial and royal funerals (the monarch's gun carriage is always pulled by Royal Navy personnel). On the other hand, any regiment or service can mount foot guard at Buckingham Palace, such as the RAF, the Gurkhas, or the Gibraltar Regiment as examples.
The reason the British Army isn't Royal is because it's not one cohesive entity. Rather, by tradition, it is a collection of regiments which just happen to fight on the same side (most of the time). Historically (and we're talking medieval) regiments were provided for service by feudal land owners, this evolved over time to by the 16th century nobles raised and paid for regiments in the service of the Monarch as needed (say for the possible invasion of England by Spain in 1588 which was prevented by the Battle of the Armada).
The English Civil Wars changed things up a bit because Parliament needed it's own troops - at first it raised some in the old style with nobles on Parliament's side raising regiments, but it soon became clear that more standardisation was needed, as before nobles could do what they liked with their own troops, which led to varying standards of quality and enthusiasm. Parliament therefore enacted into law the New Model Army, which standardised training, equipment, and command. However, nobles could still raise regiments, they just had to follow the rules of command.
This evolved over the 16th and 17th centuries to the point where by the time of the Cardwell reforms in the 1860s nobles could only really control the uniforms their troops wore, and command them in battle, and even this was removed by the reforms. Most regiments by this point weren't even raised by nobles any more, and these reforms ended that, with one exception. The Duke of Atholl still maintains his own private regiment outside the British Army to this day, however it's ceremonial only and has been for about a century.
Because of this independent nature, and loyalty to the noble which raised the regiment, regiments often got into spats with one another over some perceived slight between their noble leaders - this didn't mean firing on one another of course, but by the time of the Cardwell reforms this led to a complex patchwork of inter-regimental rivalries and competitions which persist to this day, even as regiments have been sadly amalgamated or retired.
This means that individual regiments can be Royal (for example the Royal Lancers or Royal Welsh) but the British Army as a whole cannot be Royal.
I'm with you Joel, I suffer from vertigo really bad, had to look away because I was getting sick in the stomach just watching!! I can't even stand on a chair without getting dizzy!. All the best with your studies. Take care!
In a heaving sea, to boot eh mate, imagine. 😮😮😮😮
Our Navy has been sailing the seas for a long time and, although this is a 'Tradition' now, it is still a test of courage and fortitude. Manning the masts was a routine bravery in the time of sail when Sailors did so in high and heavy seas, often during violent storms. It is wonderful (and nail-biting) to see today's youngsters follow on in the Traditions of the Royal Navy - just as courageous, just as stoic and brave. Makes me very proud of our young people.
There is also the Royal Navy Field gun race, which the feminist activist Germaine Greer described as the most macho thing since Ben Hur's chariot race. It is based on sailors manouvering their guns through the mountains of South African to relieve the seige of Ladysmith in 1899
Try the field gun team at Earls court
Ex naval wife here. Makes me feel very proud. Rule Britannia.
Joel, I am seventy two and I wouldn't hesitate. Heights don't bother me. When I was an apprentice I climbed a sixty foot pole on a dare. It didn't bother me one bit. That young lady has got guts. Good on her.
Like our sports [no pads/helmets in rugby, gloves for fielders in cricket], are military traditions are tough too!
The Royal Navy [which I served in in the 70/80's] is not the same as the 'Royal Guards' as you called them. They are from the army.
Health and safety has gone mad. We need to stop the 'do-gooders' from taking risk away. Leave the rest of us alone! Obviously there are some exceptions but not thing like sports and this!
Imagine being her Dad and watching from the crowd, my heart would burst with pride. John Noakes of Blue Peter fame was also a Button Boy. Another Naval tradition that is also steeped in tradition is The Navy Field Gun team at The Royal Tournament. The last one they did at that location is available on YT and is definitely worth watching.
Wow never knew x
And if you notice, Joel, she had NO brown stain on her trousers
probably had waterproof pants on😉😉😉
It`s a homage to the Royal Navy of sailing ships of the past.
Watches were divided into groups to go up in order to raise and lower sails, the topsailmen would be the youngest and most agile, they would have to go up to the highest level and work their way out along the yards ( the cross beams on the masts) ,in heavy seas, wind,rain,and snow .
All naval officers started off as midshipmen and needed to learn to do what the seamen did, in order to work towards officer status .
The upper masts were used as lookout posts, always someone up there observing what else was about and in times of warfare the armed Marines were up there ,shooting down as the seamen boarded an enemy vessel in warfare .
This was how Nelson died ,shot from above by an enemy marksman ,the bullet entering his collarbone ( shoulder) and ending up in his lower spine .
This used to be done on real masts on ships in the sea. This was the 'safe' land version to show to the public. I don't think it's done anymore because of health & safety rules. The Royal Navy has nothing to do with the Royal Guards, which are Army soldiers. The Army, Navy & Air Forces of the UK are separate services, each with their own command structure. Of course these can work together when required, with the chiefs of each cooperating. The Royal Navy is the oldest, therefore the 'Senior Service', organised by King Henry 8 th in the 16 th century. The Army is not overall 'Royal', but many regiments are, re-organised for the Restoration of King Charles 2 Nd in 1660.
The Royal Air Force is the youngest service, founded in the first world war, 1918.The Royal Marines are soldiers attached to the Royal Navy, to serve in ship based operations, but do fight etc on land with the rest of the Army as required. There is also the Fleet Air Arm, that is a force of aircraft personnel that are based on ships, like aircraft carriers etc. There is also an RAF Regiment of soldiers that belong to the Air Force, to act as guards etc. There are 2 Regiments of Household Cavalry, called the Life Guards, & the Blues & Royals. These are mounted soldiers whose prime duty is to protect the Monarch, & his/her Palaces etc. They are part of the Army, & serve in military armoured vehicles etc when not on ceremonial guard duty.
The reason she's puffing out her cheeks while she's up there - not because she's scared, or at least that's not the only reason!! I'm100% sure she's scared. She has to force her entire body to relax. She's puffing out the energy in order to do so - she's got to ditch that and/or even it out. That's how you don't fall off.
The whole thing's moving, as you can see. It's a windy day, her brothers are shifting around, and I don't even want to think about what the air currents are doing 200 feet above the field. It's not as calm up there as it is on the ground. Noope. No thank you.
You have to relax. If she tensed up she'd fall. She has to relax into it, and allow herself to go with that movement. If she actively tried to hold herself in one spot, she'd be fighting with all the other things. If a gust of wind made the mast wobble, her body would instinctively try to compensate for it, the mast would move in response to her compensating as well as moving with the wind, and then you've got a big problem.
She's as relaxed as she can be, and you see the mast wobbling? She goes with it. She's not the one making that movement, she is allowing herself to be moved. The wind moves the mast and there's no tension in her. She's trying to have as little part to play as she possibly can, in terms of forces.
Is she brave? Oh yeah. Just because she allows herself to be moved doesn't mean it's easy. Quite the reverse, because she has to get everything perfect. Putting her arms by her sides is a deliberate movement. How do you do that and still relax into whatever you need to relax into, in terms of the movement of the mast?
Navy rum used to be about 150 proof. The tot of rum ( grog, rum + water) used to be served 3 times a day..
Tying knots & bends plus climbing the rigging is what made you an Able Seaman.
Good reaction Joel.
You also had to "know the ropes" to be an AB in the age of sail - you're not much use to your shipmates if you pull the staysail halyard when you're supposed to be pulling the foretops'l braces
Rum was part of a sailors pay right up to the 70's (you could have cans of beer in lieu) Dad stuck with rum! 😁
The mast at Ganges was a lot bigger and climbed by 14 /15 year olds. Was just 17, I got as far as the first platform when I joined in Jan 74. John Noakes tried it for "Blue Peter" , a kids program. ruclips.net/video/sSuZXlUxwbk/video.html&ab_channel=sintekimvu
This may seem high, which it is, but at least its on solid ground and not swaying about on a ship on the sea. Thankyou for showing this.
Joel, next time you come to the UK, you must visit E Anglia, where the East of England show takes place. ❤
The Royal Navy is the Royal Navy. What Joel calls the "Royal Guards" are the Household Division, cavalry and infantry, of the army. They each have their own distinguished histories and traditions all jealously guarded and maintained.
Don't know if anyone else has said this, but imagine standing at the top with nothing much to hold on to, and every sway and vibration of the mast can be felt. 😳
Britannia rules the waves 👍 Do you notice the horizontal creases in their trousers? An old navy sailor once told me, they pack them folded at the legs 7 times to represent the 7 seas.
I watched this before, and never noticed her heavy breathing, and to take her hands off and stand like that she is brave.
I'm like you Joe hate heights, even standing on the bottom rung of a ladder, I feel dizzy.
Imagine doing that on the open choppy sea??
The mast is 142 feet high and this was the last ever event.
The East of England Show near Peterborough no longer occurs, but I have fond memories of those days, both as a visitor and as a temporary worker at this venue.
As as teenager I earned the princely sum of ten pounds a day enabling the car parking!
Love and peace.
I'm shiting my self watching her...my son was a sea cadet in Cardiff, he took part in these ceremonys doing the gun run, another amazing spectacle on the day.
Check it out.
They were doing this in the 1960s. One of the presenters of the children programme "Blue Peter" took part in it one year.
What a feat!
The song as the sailors came on was to Heart of Oak. Look up the lyrics 😊
The Royal Navy tradition,all Sailors had a tot of rum in the morning for 100's of years.only stopped in the 80's or 90's
Those guys in those wingsuits don't often see their next birthday too.
EVERY! nation needs great females. No future without them!🥰
We have a Tri Service military system (US has 4) UK Royal Navy (Senior Service) Army (All Regiments irrelevant if Guards or Tank Drivers. Guards Are part of army including royal guards) and Royal Air Force. Royal Marines (including band Service) are part of the Royal Navy. Royal Navy "belongs" to the Monarch. The Army had to have parliamentary acknowledgement annually.(historical). The Royal Navy did NOT have to swear an oath of allegience (but to keep the other services happy now do. Within the Navy there are 4 parts General Service (surface warships) Fleet Air Arm (in video) Submarine Service and Marines (which includes band service) There are special forces within each Service but they still basically belong to the Tri services system. Mast manning used to be a right of passage at HMS Ganges (a basic training centre) Bigger Mast and more difficult to negotiate near the top
Always The Royal Marines.
"It's a bit windy". Sailors can't not climb the rigging just because of a bit of wind. How would you ever build a maritime trade empire?
Its gets really scary when you imagine that they use to do this with a without fancy steel pole on *shore*......
Interesting well done to here, just imagine now she is a mother or maybe even a grandmother. Telling her kids
Last I heard she was a detective with one of the southern county police forces.
Highly impressive, and ludicrously dangerous! I think they stopped doing this entirely just a year or two later.
Brilliant!
Thanks for that jp i feel sick watching that 😊
They did not stop it in the early 20th century. My Dad joined the RN in 1956 as a boy sailor at HMS Ganges and had to climb the mast. Manning the mast was an event done for occasions like a royal visitor or other dignitary, but every boy had to climb at least to the Half moon (the semi-circular platform half-way up) to pass out of Ganges. HMS Ganges did not close until 1976 and manning the mast went on throughout that period.
The button boy got one shilling for his trouble, and held on to the button by gripping the lightning conductor between his legs as he stood up to salute. Imagine that at 15 years old!
Here's manning the mast at Ganges on a children's programme from the BBC: ruclips.net/video/sSuZXlUxwbk/video.html
The last time I remember this being shown the button boy somehow got stuck, or ran out of strength,fell and ended up in a wheelchair. During the age of sail countless men must have been killed or injured falling from rigging.
My dad did this aged 15 at HMS Ganges. Worst I've had to do is the assault course in HMS Collingwood 😂
Should check out “The Gun Run”. The JPS racing car of the 70’s was stunning!
salute to the rum and to anyone who earns the tot
I live un the uk and this is insane
You went a very grey colour watching that 😂
Amazing 👏
The band of the Royal Marines, if not already mentioned.
My dad joined the Royal Navy as a teenager in the 1950-60’s. He was a button boy and very proud of having been at the top of the mast. 🫡🫡🫡
You can't beat a good military band. Expecially a poipe band. ❤❤❤❤
WTF she had her hands by her sides!!
I knew a guy who was the button boy (the one at the top).
Looks for the HMS Ganges mast manning ceremony the mast is a lot bigger and the amount of people on the mast is a lot more and the age of the participants if 15 years old
If you go back to Portsmouth, go to the Mary Rose
Wonder if Joel recognised the tune early on, about 3.30, from Brassed Off.
The “Orange Juice” concerto!
The true and original mast manning display was performed at HMS GANGES by 15/16 year old boy sailors. The mast was at the top of the Short covered way at the top end of the parade ground adjacent to the Quarter deck. An excellent film was made of manning the mast display for the Blue Peter programme 1967. The late John Noakes the excellent Blue Peter presenter attempted to climb to the button but couldn’t quite make it. Rob Swek was the actual Button boy. We boys prayed for Valerie Singleton to present, Alas……..
It wasn’t to be. The Ganges mast was much bigger than the mast of Daedalus.
I was getting sweaty palms just watching this. Wow. I am extremely scared of heights, so I would not want to participate in this, as much as I generally enjoy the pomp and ceremony of military ceremonial events. I wonder if they knew what they were getting in for - all of them, or if they would just ask for volunteers without letting them know what's involved (as I've experienced from time to time as an air cadet).
It's only 143/4 feet high.... nuthin' 😆
Next time you are in the uk make a trip to shotley gate outside Ipswich. there is a museum of HMS Ganges and they have a replica of the button on the floor. you will be gobsmaked as to how small it is and trust me the lightning conductor you see is VERY flimsy. Those lads were brave with a capital B. The gods were shining on me when it was my class's turn to climb the mast whilst training at HMS St Vincent in 1967 as it was cancelled due to rain and the training schedule was so tight it could not be rescheduled.
omg did this place get on fire yesterday 3 teens arrested😡
Europe ❤
White bell-bottoms are perhaps not the best choice for hiding your fear🙂
Before the British Government abolished slavery the British Royal Navy blocked the slave trading ships.
There is a Pathe News film of this ceremony on HMS Ganges, from about 1960 on the original mast which was taken from an original Naval sailing ship. Much higher and more men, who were cadets not seamen. Try to see the original field gun race from Earls Court also in sixties. Health and Safety has ruined all this stuff. Only one fatality through out the life of this ceremony. In the mid thirties a button boy was practising unsupervised, without gloves. in the field gun race most injuries were lost fingers and broken limbs, but not many.
There's absolutely no fucking chance they would be allowed to do that now.
Check out The Royal Tournament - The Last Run. That too is impressive.
Joel, a more recent documentary series about Naval cadets was “Royal Navy Sailor School”, ruclips.net/p/PLGkph1NtiNFVz_oAt8TcvLKuZHqA8TdS0&si=7Xf8t4McMlAi_g9W - you might well enjoy this if looking for more Royal Navy content. Just preview the first 5 mins of Ep1 to get a flavour.
Apart from the button boy, the sailors were only doing a very formalised version of what would be needed on sailing ships.
HMS Ganges was probably the most famous place where the exercise was practised - HMS Ganges was a shore base used for naval training, on the Shotley peninsular, near Ipswich. Dates will be available online, but that closed as a RN base in the 1980's????? I was regularly in the area in the late 1970's/early 80's and it was closed then, although the mast was still there for at least some of that time.
The height will be available somewhere, but just count the number of people on the rigging in a roughly vertical line and assume something like six feet or so for each.
Two to check out, both with John Noakes, climbing HMS Ganges mast and climbing Nelson’s Column
Joel, take a look at the BBC documentary series from 1976, Sailor, about life on the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, one of the most famous ships in the Royal Navy. It was acclaimed as a documentary and still stands the test of time. ruclips.net/p/PLAiKyctehucnNtLw5pJ6gR2hJ7ociILs-&si=wCLNxuUbRvmve5RK
My dad was a button boy at HMS ST VINCENT in the 1950s.
Joel check out the Royal Navy gun runs. There are some here on RUclips.
Had to switch off after you asked what the difference was between the Royal Navy and the Royal Guards. The clue is in the name.
If you can check out blue Peter, John noakes manning the mast, also the Royal navy’s window ladder display team, unfortunately the vids on line aren’t very good though
She's braver than me
Have you ever checked out the army's cannon race? It's incredible. If you enjoyed this, you will really be impressed with it.
Army? It was teams from the Royal Navy.
@@paulqueripel3493 the rivalry between Marines and Fleet Air Arm 😄
Royal Navy is - Navy Royal Guards are Army
Do you have British ancestry?
Is Portsmouf wurf visitin mate?
It’s spelt Portsmouth.
I'm from Smiff. Hammersmiff? Nar Portsmiff.
Fanks mate. I'll ficks me spellin up.l
See theirs a bloke from Ammersmiff watchin as swell. Good onya mate.
G'day Smiffy, ow ya goin mate?
I don't know about traditions. But what I would point to is that there are so many names coming from the British Royal family over the centuries around the English speaking world. So for example Queensland in Australia, Kingston in Jamaica. Kingston is an abbreviation of "King's Town". This includes your country prior to 1776. For example Charlotte in North Carolina. Queen Charlotte was the wife of George III. Unfortunately, you Americans use the term "We have no King or Dictator". By using this statement you as Americans are saying you are very anti-monarchy. By being anti-monarchy the term of King (or Queen) is deeply embedded in your culture. Nevertheless, under constitutional monarchy, it is possible for a dictator to emerge through either the office of Prime Minister or the monarchy becoming replaced. A good example of this is Mussolini as Dictator and Prime Minister of Italy during World War 2 with King Victor Emanuel III as the monarch. So I think that if Donald Trump is a Brit, he would be British Prime Minister as Leader of the Conservative Party with trying to consolidate as much power as possible to himself.
So I am not a great one for formality or military parades, but I do support us being a constitutional monarchy as a form of democracy. England became a unified country under King Athelstan in 924, which the British monarchy is a continuation from this time. Us becoming a public is like a divorce from so much history and culture. Dominic
Queen Charlotte Sounds , New Zealand.
Yeah yeh , but she never went to space for 10 minutes and 20 seconds