Masts and Figurehead

Written by Godfrey Dykes

©RN Communications Branch Museum/Library

The mast at HMS Ganges was legendary because of its height, its timing (until 1973 for juniors and until 1976 for adult entry), its 'button-boy' and because naval boy's (later from 1956, junior's) and not men climbed it. Had men climbed it some of the legend would have lost its shine. The ship, HMS Impregnable (a boys' training establishment in Devonport) had a very tall mast which the boys had to climb.

This super picture shows the Impregnable group with the Circe next to Impregnable proper and a further support ship of the group in the foreground. In the background left, is the about-to-happen launch of the 15,000 ton HMS Hibernia and that is why the people in the lower part of the photograph (watching from the Cornish side in Torpoint) have gathered for a good view of the launch. The Hibernia was a King Edward VII-class pre-dreadnought battleship.

When the boys started to move to shore accommodation in 1936, to St Budeaux Barracks, a mast was built on terra firma for them to climb, similar to the mast at HMS Ganges. HMS Impregnable closed down many years ago (1948) and so is not in the public eye nor has it been for many a long year so the knowledge of that Mast is sparse to say the least. Whilst in ordinary times post 1940, the mast was not used for climbing or for training, it stood proud overlooking the Devonport North Yard Extension almost begging somebody to climb it for ceremonial reasons.

It got its wish (see this image taken from Signal Schools of the RN (which also contains further information on mast manning under RNSS Devonport).

Whilst not as splendid as the mast manning in HMS Ganges, was nevertheless an achievement given that the manners were on course communicators at the STC, who trained in their own time.

This is the figurehead of the Devonport STC.