Another disciplinary measure was the abolition of cadets’ corporals, with their chief man—master-at-arms or serjeant-major—and the substitution of a cadets’ gunner, known as “chief of the staff,” with four chief gunner’s mates under him, one to each term.
THE “VICTORIA AND ALBERT” AT DARTMOUTH.
Photo: Smale & Son, Dartmouth.
Everyone who knows anything about naval matters will appreciate the advantage of having a gunner placed in this [!-- original location of full page illustration --] [!-- blank page --] position. The warrant officers are an admirable body of men; they have been “through the mill” in the lower grades, know their work practically and thoroughly, and usually display considerable capacity for command and a quite remarkable amount of tact in the discharge of their duties. The gunners are the pick of the “warrants,” and there would be no difficulty in finding a man for the newly created post in the Britannia with every possible qualification for it; moreover, he ranks in the Navy above a midshipman or cadet, so that there is no incongruity about his position of authority.
The chief gunner’s mates are the “makings” of gunners, and consequently the best subordinates possible in this department.
The chief of the staff has to keep the cadets’ defaulters books, see all punishments on board properly carried out, take charge of the sleeping decks, messroom, servants’ mess place, and to see that the cadets’ servants are clean and tidy and perform their duties properly; and is, altogether, a sort of sub-executive officer, and no doubt invaluable to the commander.
These changes from within were speedily followed by others, of equal importance, from without; for in January 1897, the Admiralty issued a new circular, initiating radical alterations in the regulations for entry and training.
The limits of age for entry were altered as follows:—
Cadets entering January 15th and May 15th, 1897, 13½ to 15; September 15th, 1897, 13¾ to 15¼; and January 15th, 1898, and afterwards, 14 to 15½.