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About the P.W.S.T.S Society |
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Background
 My name is Andy Gale and I am married to
Jenny (nee Porte).
Jenny's father, William (Charlie) Porte had a long and distinguished
career in the Royal Navy. He left the Royal Navy in 1946 as a Chief Petty Officer (Mine
Sweepers). In 1948 he became an instructor at the Prince of Wales Sea
Training School at Ingham.
Whilst at Ingham Charlie met and married Mabel (nee Ward) who was a cook
at the school.
They later had three children (Danny,
Pat and Jenny) and subsequently
moved, with the sea school, to Dover in Kent. In February 1967, whilst
still an instructor, Charlie died of cancer aged 61 years. He was the
longest serving instructor at the Prince of Wales Sea Training School.
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Jenny Gale (nee Porte) |
In 1980 his daughter Jenny joined the
Royal Navy as a Wren Supply
Chain Logistician (Jack Dusty). She completed her
training at HMS Dauntless and HMS Pembroke and was soon promoted to the
rank of Leading Hand (LSA) serving at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, Royal Marines Deal and Royal Naval Air Station
Yeovilton. We met at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose. I was also serving in the Royal Navy as
an Able Seaman Supply
Chain Logistician.
However, I was
soon posted to HMS Plymouth and, on qualifying, became a
Royal Navy Ships Divers.
Jenny and I have since left the Royal Navy.
Sometime in 2001 I began searching for photographs and information on
the PWSTS. All searches on the internet were fruitless. I was
surprised when Dover Museum and Dover Library were
unable to provide any information. Neither were the libraries at Ingham
and Limehouse. |
Charlie Porte with Jenny
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British and International Sailor's Society Support
In 2001 I contacted the British and International Sailors' Society and
found them extremely helpful. However, it would appear that many of the PWSTS records were destroyed when the Limehouse
swimming pool developed a leak. The British and International Sailors'
Society subsequently moved to smaller premises in Southampton and
more space was required. Thus the remaining records were placed in boxes
and sent to the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich. The only other
source of information was the Societies 'Chart and Compass' magazine as
numerous articles concerned the school. Copies of these were kindly sent
by Mrs Ann Brogan of the British and International Sailor's Society.
It soon became apparent, after receiving correspondence from Prince of
Wales boys and staff located all over the world, that a museum or
organisation was required to remember those who worked or trained at the
school. A web site seemed the logical solution and the British and
International Sailors' Society announced
that they would support us.
The National Maritime Museum at Greenwich had not catalogued any of the PWSTS
material held in it's possession. As a consequence, on 2nd October 2006
the PWSTS Society attended the National Maritime Museum, accompanied by Reverend David Potterton
the Principle Chaplin of the British and International Sailors' Society,
and colleted all exhibits concerning the PWSTS. The British and
International Sailor's Society have subsequently provided the PWSTS
Society with permission to catalogue and
reproduce the material for the benefit of PWSTS old boys and staff.
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This web site is updated in my own
spare time. If it provides happy memories of your time at the school or re-establishes
contact with an old mate than I have achieved what I first set out to do.
I also hope that it will be of use to researchers of the Merchant
Navy and Royal Navy alike.
Along the way we've had many a helping hand from far too many people to
list. You know who you are and we thank you. Above all we would also
like to express our sincere gratitude for the support and
encouragement that we have
received from Mrs Ann Brogan and Reverend David Potterton of the British
and International Sailors' Society.
Andy Gale
If you feel that
you are in a position to help please click
here
Contact the PWSTS Society |
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Andy Gale (RN)
Director PWSTS Society UK
& Falklands Veteran
In March 2006
Andy Gale was
made an
honouree PWSTS boy |
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