Each day we had to double (run) everywhere. We were very fit
1. Academic Block. 2. Walton Division with Collins the next block on the right, followed by Marks, Morrow, Rhodes, Stevenson and Ship's company. 3. Dining Hall. 4. Canteen. 5. Parade Ground. 6. Drill Hall. 7. Commodores Office.
To see Leeuwin today go to this link Leeuwin Today
Home sweet Home
The drill hall and parade ground
Every morning we marched around the parade ground after breakfast. On joining the Lieutenant at recruiting in Brisbane said we'd have "muscles in our shit" by the time we left. I thought - what a strange man. Leeuwin was a training establishment for boys aged 15 and 16 and there were about 1000 boys at the time. The Ship's Company (Staff) would be posted to the place without any special training. Some of these sailors would be in-charge of the accommodation blocks at night. Many a time a sailor would make a decision and he could punish a JR by making him double (run). Other times you might see 100 or so boys "doubling" (running) for one hour - until the culprit owned up. A favourite was to make sailors double up and down the hill. Fitness was very important but some PTI's or Physical Training Instructors had a sadistic streak. On PT days - if one person in the class (usually 20 people) had dirty white sandshoes - the whole class would get a "shake-up". This meant "duck-walking" with weights or other physical torture. Today this would be called abuse. Our class, 3C, were lucky and we only suffered one such "shake-up". Other classes were not so luckly and copped them all the time. Most of us survived though - even though there are some who were damaged. Many people saw these "shake-ups" but thought it was acceptable.
Terry Cuff models his uniform for a family picture - as we all did
We were all kitted out within a few days. Terry Cuff sums it up - we all felt so proud to be in our uniform. We had many different types of uniforms but our ceremonial one was the smartest. The uniform was great because "flares" were in fashion at the time. But the standard issue navy uniform looked horrid - the trousers (bell bottom trousers - nicknamed bells) were as baggy around the crutch as they were at the bottom. So we would all sneak the tailor $2 (or was it $1?) and he would "crutch and peg" our bells. We must have made him rich. The greatest fear was being caught with "crutched and pegged" bells before going on leave. Imagine it - standing on parade waiting to go ashore and you are sent back because your bells were tailored. The bells that were tailored looked smarter - the Navy issue ceremonial uniform looked like potato sacks.
Our cabins
The recruiting brochures of the day stated "every man gets his own bunk" - it used to make me wonder what it was like before we joined. (Although in 1976 when I served on the minesweeper, HMAS IBIS I slept on a mattress on the deck for two months). We shared four to a cabin - two double bunks. The bed had to be stripped and the bedding folded each day. The cabin had to be scrubbed each night. We had inspection night and morning. The morning inspection was carried out when we were at classes. For some reason the tiled floor showed up the scuff marks from our boots - and 15 and 16 year olds tend to scuffle and wrestle a bit. We used a lot of steel wool cleaning the deck.
The fabulous Lightburn washing machine
Most of us had never washed clothes before. The Lightburn Company manufactured this washing machine based on the cement mixed design. It worked well - it was nearly fool proof - go/stop and spin. The only problem was the plug - it always disappeared. We were forever trying to find plugs - and most of the time the hole was plugged up with paper - causing distress when it broke up all over your wash. .We had a drying room and a clothes few lines outside. We also had a washing service that washed and starched our work clothes - the cost was automatically deducted from our pay each fortnight. It wasn't that good and many a button was crushed under the press. We all complained but Junior Recruits in those days were seen and not heard.
Kit Musters - the ultimate inspection - and the worst punishment
The kit muster caused much stress. We had to have all our kit washed, ironed and folded. Then it was laid out for inspection. Some of us still had to do kit musters at sea when we were Ordinary Seaman. They were also given as a punishment - sometimes very unfairly.
Pay day - and how to stretch $10
We were paid $10 a fortnight. LJR's (Leading Junior Recruits) were paid $12. Whether we went ashore or not - most of us managed to spend all our money. The canteen stocked soft drinks, lollies and cigarettes. The balance of our salary was paid into a bank account. My salary for the year was $713.56 less $32.10 tax