Post by Blinky the SharkPost by VincePost by Blinky the SharkPost by r***@aol.comThe Royal Navy has a number of specific toasts which are used on each
day of the week. It is the job of the newest officer or midshipman to
propose them. Traditionally they are given no help and should they
forget then they should buy drinks for all those present.
<snip>
Post by r***@aol.comSaturday Sweethearts and wives (may they never meet).
Wasn't someone thus ordered to make a toast in a scene involving the
Captain and his officers in the film "Master And Commander"? I seem to
remember it from something I've seen fairly recently. In my
imagination, at least, that was the resulting toast and it got a
rolicking positive response.
don't recall but In the Hornblower book it was
Glorious War
Oceans of Gore
Prizes galore and
beauty Ashore
I'm calling "Duh!" on myself, here. It wasn't until an hour after
posting my question that I remembered that I *have* the film on DVD.
And yes, that toast in in the "Captain's Table" scene, but Jack Aubrey
himself makes it himself. Just for fun, can anybody remember the other
two toasts from that scene? :)
SNIP
Been a long time since I saw the film, but I would hazard that the
first
was the Loyal Toast, offered by Mr Vice (The junior member of the
Mess and, by tradition, its Vice-President. The senior member is the
Mess President and some poor devil is the Treasurer, trying to balance
accounts, buy acceptable food and drink, not put the entire
membership into the poor house by doing so and making sure that
everyone pays their mess bill on time. Great duty)
BTW, the wardroom mess is, at least in theory, a gentlemen's club and
membership is supposed to be both voluntary and by invitation. The
ship's commanding officer dines alone (although it is common to invite
guests from the wardroom and gunroom messes) as he is NOT a
member of the wardroom. Indeed, to enter the wardroom, he must have
the permisssion of the Mess President (a request that has never in the
history of man been known to have been denied, but...), who in effect
sponsors him like a guest would be sponsored at a club ashore. While
this may seem odd, it allows the officers to have a place to unwind and
"let their hair down" without worrying about the unexpected scrutiny of
the captain.
Army officers of the rank of captain were given a courtesy promotion
and referred to as "major" in the wardroom as there is only one
Captain aboard ship. Soldiers might take passage aboard a warship
enroute to a station such as India and several infantry and one
cavalry regiment served as marines during the French Revolutiionary
Wars while the Marines were recruited up to strangth (The "marines"
aboard Captain Nelson's HMS Captain at the Glorious First of June
were soldiers of the 69th Foot. Pte Mathew Nelson, who smashed in the
stern windows of the San Nicolas for the boarding party and cleared the
way for Nelson to her quarter deck with his bayonet, was eventually
commissioned and was the Paymaster for his regiment's Second
Battalion at Waterloo )
In the days of sail the Wardroom Officers were the lieutenants, marine
officers (captains and lieutenants as field grade officers rarely
served
at sea but in administrative posts on land), the Surgeon, Chaplain,
Purser and Master (the last four were warrant officers but enjoyed
wardroom status in recognition of their education and importance to
the ship)
The junior warrant officers' Gunroom was presided over by the Gunner
with the ship's Master's Mates, Midshipmen and Volunteers First Class
as his subjects. The Carpenter (always referred to as "Chips") and
Boatswain were warrant officers of equivalent rank to the Gunner, but
had their own quarters, although they could join the gunroom mess if
they so chose. The Gunroom was run on indentical lines to the
Wardroom, with the Gunner as President, etc.