So you want to be a Royal Navy Diver? 1973 Instructional film Filmed at HMS Vernon Portsmouth

Navy Instructional film in which a Petty Officer diver at HMS Vernon, the Navy's diving school, explains various aspects of life in the diving branch to a group of junior sailors.
He explains the differences between clearance and ship's divers, the equipment used and duties carried out, and mentions potential hazards. Divers are shown conducting searches of a ship's hull for explosive devices, working to dispose of mines and clearing ship's screws of entangled rope. Sailors are shown undergoing diver training, the film finishes with newsreel footage of the rescue of survivors from the Amphion Class submarine HMS Artemis (P449) which sank in Portsmouth harbour in 1971.
#Royalnavy #RN #Navy #Naval #Sailor #Sailors #British #Warships #Ships #Armedforces #Submarines #Submariners #Military #jack #HMS #Whiteensign #training #diver #divers
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[@MrLachlan09]

Joined the airborne in 1974 at 20. I thought the six month training was tough. But I take my hat off to you divers. Takes a special mind set to undertake this sort of thing.

[@raysinclair4034]

Qualified winter course 1978 SD19. One of the most demanding undertakings, very proud to have been member of the clearance diving branch.

[@brianredmond4919]

@@raysinclair4034 was the old SABA set still used then or was aquarius the standard by then ?. (Im collecting old navy kit btw)

[@raysinclair4034]

@@brianredmond4919 , on course I recall using both Aquarius regulators literally froze in the cold weather and not to get out of jackstays we donned SABA a much better piece of kit.👍

[@Tuffpaddy03]

@@brianredmond4919 That’s interesting. where do source that sort of kit?

[@brianredmond4919]

@@raysinclair4034 so it was still around at the same time as Aquarius ?.

[@brianredmond4919]

@@Tuffpaddy03 various places- ebay scrap yards private collectors.

[@anthonyandersen2958]

Did my SDccourse 1965 scotlsnd. Loads theory loads class work stripped and repair sets. Used SDDE and SABA. Out of 18 on course only 7 passed. Loads mud runs climbed hms girdleness anchor jumped off bridge and chipped links. Did deep dives and chipped links with blunt chisels for days. Course in Feb we were cold and always hungry. Snowed for days out on firth forth on diving MFV. Now no ships divers or MFVs but would not change the experience. We hot four shillings a day diving pay fir hunting mines😂

[@lawrenceabbott5292]

Love the Cold War soundtrack. Makes you imagine Soviet spies infiltrating Portsmouth, Portland and Plymouth during the days of Buster Crabbe.

[@NJonners]

Did RN ship diver course at Vernon in 1981 - January!

[@davidharris4062]

I can remember the Portsmouth/IOW Hovercraft incident

[@Hants_Prints]

unfortunately I am far too young and good looking to remember ;)

[@davidharris4062]

@@Hants_Prints 😂😂😂 was 14 at the time

[@deborahdoyle9723]

Wow I can really appreciate the immensely hard training. Thank you for sharing this great info

[@Oldladysgin]

No, thank you very much 😀

[@nbw-graphics]

I qualified as Ships Diver in 1968. Qualified as CD II in 1972 course DCD-83. I noticed in the film it showed the 30 ft top board that no longer exists as it was apparently removed as HSE deemed it to dangerous. Also I do not believe they do circuits that comprised of jumping off the top board, swimming across the lake, running around the end of the lake / O2 section & back to the board, we would get between 3 & 5 circuits at any given time. The last RNCDA memorial service I attended I noticed that the paved area that we would have run back to the O2 section & 30 ft board was overgrown with grass which would not have happened if course members where constantly doing circuits! Does anyone know who the PO CD 1 was?

[@angloaust1575]

Lionel crabb recruited to examine underneath of Russian warship and met his Death!

[@DavidMcdonald-yt4gb]

Mud runs

[@BaronFlyingClub]

Looks Ghastly.