HMS Ganges Figurehead
The following information regarding the HMS Ganges figurehead
and the other
figureheads which were at the RNTE Shotley
has been kindly supplied by Dickie Doyle
<mail@sloproom.co.uk>
Originally this stood at the North End of the Quarter-deck, on
what original was the cricket pitch later to become the parade ground.
Standing there until the Mast was stepped in 1907.
Standing at the South end of the Quarter-deck was the figure head from
HMS Boscawen (originally HMS Trafalgar)and therefore made in the likeness of Lord
Nelson. Taken from HMS Boscawen when she was sold out of service in 1907.
It stood under the Mast when I was first in residence in 1948, and I have a vague
recollection that it was moved after the crown was damaged by a Boy who fell
from the lower yard in June or July 1950. (I was still in residence, and by then
senior Boy in Ganges, everyone fell in behind me for pay). This lad was
quite badly injured, and finished up in the post office roof. Needless to
say the rumours at the time was that it was a PTI who had fallen from the
Button, this as usual was just rumour. Our second Chairman, who was a
L/PTI at HMS Ganges at the time confirms this.
The HMS Ganges figurehead was repaired and moved into Nelson Hall in 1950.
The HMS Ganges figurehead was given the to RHS Holbrook on the closure of HMS Ganges in 1976.
The last Commander, Cdr. Riley moved to the RHS after leaving the service.
The figureheads of both HMS Ganges and HMS Boscawen were originals from the info I
have. The HMS St Vincent figurehead was a replica, made of paper mache and plaster of
paris. Geoff Hill and myself found this one dumped in the old electrical
generating station and sold it to Secon and Speed at the time owners
of Pussers Rum, who had it repaired on the Isle of Wight. Last we heard, it was in the West Indies.
Best Wishes
Dickie
Shotley Magazine - April 1912
Figureheads - By The Editor
Kindly submitted by the late Tony Grimmer
On the front page of this magazine are pictures of the four figure-heads we have at Shotley; and taking into consideration how few of these find records of bygone days there are in existence at the present time, the Establishment is lucky in having them.
When one remembers that the "Royal" dockyards of Portsmouth, Devonport, and Chatham have been doing Navy work for such a long time, it is a matter of surprise that the number of figure-heads within their walls are so few, notwithstanding the exceptional opportunities that must have occurred to collect these objects of national interest.
In the first half of the nineteenth century, lines of war-worn hulks, British ships that had fought in scores of battles and engagements against the fleets of the world, and their prizes, French, Spanish, Danish, etc., occupied that part of Portsmouth Harbour then known as Rotten Row.
Time came when these hulks were no longer required, and they went; some were broken up in the dockyards, others sold to outside ship-breakers. Of the former the figure-heads were ruthlessly torn off; and in some cases a fine speciment would be set up in some exposed position, or else appropriated by some workshop or store, there to lose its identity under a nickname vulgarly bestowed by its "Captors."
In the case of those bought by ship-breakers the figure-heads were sometimes acquired by the officers or their descendants who had earned glory and renown in these particular ships; other figure-heads were sold to Publicans to use as unique signs, many being in evidence in and around the three chief naval ports;l some passed in the possession of collectors of naval relics, while the great majority are preserved in private ship-builders' yards in a manner that serves as a silent reproach to the naval yards.
Devonport dockyard seems to have set an example to other Government yards in the matter of preserving its figure-heads, a find gallery of notable ones occupying a prominent position. Chatham comes a good second; but it was not until recent years that Portsmouth made any real attempt at keeping green the glorious memories of the past.
With regard to those we have at Shotley, we have all the four figure-heads of those ships of which these barracks took the place - Ganges, St. Vincent, Caledonia, and Boscawen.
The figure-head of the Ganges is represented by an Indian Prince, the ship being named after the large Indian river, having been built at Bombay in 1821.
The figure-head of the St. Vincent shows the famous Admiral, Lord St. Vincent, in full dress. The ship herself was a three-decker of the largest type, the last forty-three years of her life being spent at Portsmouth doing the work of boys' training ship.
The Caledonia's figure-head represents a warrior with a crown of laurel leaves on his head to signify the fact of his being a victor. The ship's original name was Impregnable, but she changed it to Caledonia when she went as boys' training ship at Queensferry. As the Impregnable she saw war service at the bombardment of Algiers, in which action she was very severely treated, having 50 men killed and 160 wounded.
The original name of the Boscawen was H.M.S. Trafalgar, and appropriately enough she had a find figure-head of Lord Nelson at her bows, as she was the first ship to bear the name of England's greatest naval victory. Launched in 1841, she went through the Crimean War and was present at the bombardment of Sebastopol.
So when you are living in these barracks at Shotley, and see during your day's work these carved memorials of bygone days, regard them not as curious survivals of a remote past, but as actual priceless relics of those by whom the naval greatness of Britain was built up. They being dead yet speak, and the figure-head of the great Lord Nelson's nameship is itself a possession which should be the special pride of an Establishment like ours.
HMS Ganges Indian Prince Figurehead is now located
at the Royal Hospital School Holbrook.
Left Click on the image to visit their website.
