Last Update: 16 March 2010
MOBA © 2009
Training Ship Mercury in Pictures
On Parade
Being a training ship based on the traditions of the Royal Navy, there was a heavy
emphasis on ceremonial aspects. Boys were taught to march as soon as they arrived
and every week, the whole school assembled for Sunday Divisions on the parade ground
following church. This consisted of an inspection by the Captain followed by a marchpast
accompanied by the band.
The highlight of the year was Admiralty Inspection when a
visiting senior naval officer would inspect and report on the state of the school.
This event was preceded by extensive cleaning and sprucing up of the school with
the main event of the day being an inspection and marchpast held on the cricket field.
Annual prize giving also took place on this day.
Mercury had ‘Watches’ or, later, ‘Divisions’ instead of ‘Houses’ (as is customary
in standard British schools). In the 1960s the divisions were named after famous
British Admirals: Rodney, Hood, Benbow and Drake. Each division had a Cadet Captain
(analogous to a House Captain) with three Sections of about 10-
Crucial to all ceremonial events was the school band. A small number of ‘well built’ lads were selected to be in the guard. This obviously had a certain appeal to boys as this meant they were able to sport a real (albeit spiked) rifle.