A Middy's Recollections, 1853-1860

by Victor Alexander Montagu

I was allowed a room at the Naval College, and went daily to the Excellent to work, besides having a crammer at lodgings in Portsea, to whom I repaired at 5 P.M., working with him until seven or eight. Sometimes I began again after dining at the College mess. Things looked bad when I went to the Excellent. The instructors told me I had no chance of getting through in a bare fortnight, and that I was evidently below the ordinary standard of knowledge. (No wonder, after so long a period of war and active service.)

However, the eventful day arrived. I began at 10, and by 4 P.M. had got my fifteen crosses (mistakes), sixteen turning you back. Therefore, there was half a cross left; and the subject to be got through was Drilling Quarters—that is, a battery of guns.

My poor crammer was very anxious: I had promised him an extra fiver if I got through. “Sir,” said he, “you have but one chance left, which is that you must give your orders as loud as possible and show all the confidence you can. You must chance your mistakes. Only, sing out, for God’s sake, sir, for all you are worth!” Whether my examiner (I can see him now pacing up and down the deck) was becoming tired of his day’s work, or whether he had a pity on me, considering the brink he knew I was standing on, I don’t know; but he seemed to keep some distance off. Once or twice the men at the guns helped me (when his back was turned) by giving me a hint or otherwise, as they knew whither they ought to go, if I had forgotten some detail in my order. At any rate, I yelled myself hoarse, pretending I knew all about it; and when this exercise was over and the retreat sounded, my crammer said to me, “I think it’s all right, sir.” Within an hour I was told I had just squeezed through: with fifteen crosses and a half out of a possible sixteen. Good enough for me: all I had wanted was to pass.

I had now a month to get through the remaining ordeal—Navigation, Algebra, Trigonometry and Other Sciences. During that time I rather enjoyed my stay at the College: there were some good fellows there, as well as one or two very eccentric ones. One in particular touched my fancy. He was a poor chap trying to pass, and had been so for months. He had no hope on the eve of the dreaded day. His only chance was that he might be allowed to stay on at college by getting on the sick list somehow or other. The first time he actually let himself drop some feet down the stairs, and contrived to hurt himself; and the doctors put him on the sick list immediately. Having recovered shortly before the next dreaded day, and finding himself still in the unfortunate fix of not being able to go up for examination with the slightest chance of passing, he took a razor and chopped his shin bone in two or three places so badly that he was enforced to lie up. This always struck me as showing the good stuff he was made of: it was a pity that so courageous a man should be lost to the Service. Unfortunately, his little ruses were detected, and he had to quit.

At the end of my month, I went up not feeling over confident; yet if the sheet happened to be a moderate one it would, I thought, be 6 to 4 on. So it came about: I won in a canter.

On 18th of July 1860, the following letter, written by the Duke of Somerset to my father, followed, shortly after I had passed for Lieutenant.—

The Duke of Somerset presents his compliments to Lord Sandwich, and begs to inform him that he deferred replying to his letter of the 13th until the report of Mr. Montagu’s having passed his examination at the Royal Naval College had been received and his case had been laid before the Board of the Admiralty.

The Duke of Somerset has now much pleasure in enclosing a Lieutenant’s Commission for Mr. Montagu, dated this day, which has been given him on account of the special services rendered by him in India with the Pearl’s Naval Brigade.

I should like, before closing this narrative, to offer a few words of advice to youngsters on joining the Navy. The first need is strict compliance with discipline, which at first perhaps is not easy. Discipline has always been, and must continue to be, the mainstay of any public service. With this fact always before him, an officer not only carries out the orders of his superiors, but also acquires the power of enforcing his own orders when he is placed in a position of responsibility. There have been great changes since I joined the Service. Officers and men are much more highly educated. The discipline is no longer the same, and the methods of enforcing it are changed. This only means that influence and character play a more important part than force does. This, again, means that a more delicate and arduous task falls on a youngster who joins the Navy. His tact and his example are more important than ever; and, with a higher education and another class of men to deal with, his character tells for more every day. He must never forget that he has to set before himself the highest standard of efficiency and conduct at home and abroad, at sea, and on shore. Let him never forget that he is an officer serving under the flag of the Realm which is Mistress of the Seas.

I have written about my midshipman life as being by far the most interesting part of my naval career. The rest ran over a good many years; but, though I had some interesting times, I have no more war service to account for. During my midshipman years fortune favoured me more than is usual in the lot of a naval officer. My only regret (if I may so call it) is that I was not of riper years during the stirring period. Thereby I should have gained more experience for the good of the Service. I remained on in the Navy until 1886; but my deafness (contracted by jungle fever during the Mutiny) increased considerably; and, what with that and other personal affairs, I thought it best, after mature consideration, to retire from the noble profession I could no longer follow with satisfaction to my country or to myself.