Personal letter from Arthur Pringle to his mother on HMS BRITANNIA letterhead
Maker
Arthur Pringle
(1877 - 1902)
Date15 May 1892
Object number00028323
NameLetter
MediumInk on paper
DimensionsOverall: 177 x 113 mm, 0.008 kg
Overall (Envelope): 92 × 118 mm
Overall (Envelope): 92 × 118 mm
ClassificationsEphemera
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionA handwritten letter from Royal Navy cadet Arthur Pringle aboard HMS BRITANNIA to his mother, Charlotte, dated 22 May, 1892.
In the letter Arthur hints atthe esteemed officer he would become, "I have got full marks in study. The whole of yesterday morning we went out in the 'Wave' for pilotage with Mr Rolfe. I had a go up on the bridge and take command of the ship, give all the orders to the man at the wheel, and telegraph the speed to the engine room and work the ship out of the harbour clear of the shoals and rocks. Mr Rolfe said that I did it very well."
Arthur Pringle went onto to have a promising naval career, reaching the rank of Lieutenant in 1897. He was regrettably killed in an accident on board HMS FORMIDABLE in 1902.
HistoryIn 1869 the PRINCE OF WALES, a first rate, 120-gun naval sailing vessel was renamed BRITANNIA and began service as a cadet training ship at Dartmouth, moored on the River Dart. This vessel replaced the previous BRITANNIA in that role. As BRITANNIA, the ship was a hulk, and only had foremast and was linked to another hulk, the HINDOSTAN, bow to stern, by a covered gangway that increased the cadets learning and accommodation space.
Cadets joining the Royal Navy were entered into a "term" in BRITANNIA, which they remained in for two years after which, depending on their results, they were passed out as midshipmen.
SignificanceThis letter is part of a series in the Australian National Maritime Museums collection relating to the life and experiences of Arthur Pringle in his early days as cadet and midshipman in the Royal Navy. They provide an insight into the life of these legions of young men who passed their training on HMS BRITANNIA and Pringle's log (00028329) illustrates how they initially put this training to use.
