Sailors were in high spirits at Devonport Naval Base in Auckland as personnel were ordered to drink shots of rum in celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s platinum jubilee.
Stuff understands Chief of Navy Rear Admiral David Proctor gave the order to “splice the mainbrace” this week, which is traditional navy jargon for drinking rum.
The term harks back to the age of sailing ships. The mainbrace was a vital component used to sail a ship and had to be repaired if it was damaged, even during the heat of battle.
National Navy Museum researcher Michael Wynd said the repair was known to be a difficult job and so often an extra ration of rum would be awarded once it was completed.
READ MORE:
* British nuclear sub sailors fired after 'disgraceful' sex and drug-fuelled parties
* Spurred On: Kiwi soldiers were 'wild fellows' in Belgium
* Anzac Day's gunfire breakfast tradition explained
To this day, when the order is given, naval personnel are entitled to one tot of rum – equivalent to an eighth of a pint or about three standard drinks, Wynd said.
Officers are permitted to drink the rum straight, but ship hands are given a watered-down version called “grog”.
Wynd was aware of this week’s order and had readied his tot cup.
Devonport base is home to 2500 stationed personnel.
Wynd has received the order to imbibe three times in the 15 years since he joined the navy as a researcher.
The last time was in December 2020, when Governor General Dame Patsy Reddy made the order to celebrate the commissioning of the HMNZS Aotearoa.
The Governor General also made the order in 2009 when the navy won a gold award from the Business Excellence Foundation. Celebrations were held in the gymnasium.
“I’m not usually a drinker, but I enjoy tradition. I must say that rum was strong, and, we had to drink it right then and there,” Wynd said.
By tradition, sailors must consume their rum immediately while supervised. This is because in the days of daily rum rations, the navy wanted to stop sailors from saving up their rations to get drunk.
Only warrant officers and petty officers were allowed to take their rum away to their quarters.
The New Zealand navy was the last in the world to stop giving its sailors a daily rum tot ration, only ending the practice in 1990.
Wynd said rum rationing was debated in the 1950s after Treasury complained about the cost, but the government of the day held that it was tradition that ought to be left alone.
Sailors who preferred not to drink could instead take a payment. In the 1960s it was recorded as being three cents a day, which would still only be about $10 a week in today’s value.
“However, eventually it was viewed that having a daily rum ration was not compatible with the navy’s expectation of personnel to operate machinery,” Wynd said.
Have you ever attended a “splice the mainbrace” celebration? Contact jonathan.killick@stuff.co.nz
Wynd said rum rations probably began as a way of enticing people into service with the navy and simply stuck in modern times.
When the tradition started in 1731, the rum was given in equal parts in the morning and evening and the daily ration was a hefty 300mls.
No comments:
Post a Comment