The History of the "BEST" Impregnable Association

The training of Boy seamen came about just after the Napoleonic war [1803 - 1815]. The Admiralty saw that thee was a need to recruit young boys between the ages of 15 and 17. Three thousand, five hundred were required each year, they were to be trained in Seamanship. Gunnery and the use of sail, masts knots and splices,the cutlass. School was not forgotten. This was to be the foundation for all Boy seamen who joined the service of the Royal Navy. To achive and make sure that there were palces, five old wooden men of war were converted into special training ships and were known as "Impregnable I - Impregnable II - Impregnable III etc. Most of the ships could house and accomodate on average 400 boys at a time. Because reports were made about harsh treatment the recruitment was not a sucess as first thought. It was reported that the Birches used to cane the boys were pickled in Brine. Food was not found to be very good and general well being was not 100%. They were called to duty at 0600, followed by scrub decks. Instructions took place until around about 1600, then evening quarters and dismissed around about 1800. The boys bathed when it was their turn - usually there were ten big tin baths for all to use. The first in had clean water and if you were last the water was rather dirty, as everyboy had also carried out washing his clothes in the same water as he bathed. It was not until after the first war that the boys were moved to a shore establishment located at St Budeaux. During the second world war [1939 -1945] the camp was used to train communication staff and in 1947 was re opened and boys started training again. Most of the members of today's thriving association were at St Budeaux in 1947, spending a year there before they departed to their own Port Division to pick up a sea going warship and sail the seven seas.