This is the whole group of Stockton Sea Cadets TS Fortitude, including teachers both marine cadets and sea cadets. They operated in Bowsefield Lane next to the former Robson Maternity Home.
Photograph and details courtesy of Dave Moody.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Picture Stockton Archive 
In the sea cadets round about 1970, I remember going to Lake Hollingworth and spending a weekend at Chatham on HMS Bacchante, I too joined the Navy in 1976 and ended up on fleet submarines. I left the Navy in 1986.
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in the late 40s early 50s, TS Fortitude was an MTB moored on the Tees where Endeavour replica is berthed now. The CO then was Hugill, of Hugill Eengineering, Portrack. There was sub-lieutenant SMITH, sub-lieutenant STUBBS and P.O. WILSON who was in charge of the swimming team. The main members of the swimming team were Leading Seaman Eric Fordy, Albert Simson and myself. We travelled to Hull, Gateshead, Leicester, Aberdeen, Chatham, HMS Victory, Portsmouth, HMS Ganges and Morecame – we were quite a formable team.
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‘Pop’ Wilson used to take us for swimming and boxing training, at the time we had practicaly unbeaten teams in both events. It was ‘Pop’s son who came on board and started the Marine Cadets and another chapter of Stockton S.C.C. started a friendly rivalry between both factions. We had a C.O. at one point who had served with Mountbatten on H.M.S. Kelly, his daughter Pat used to serve cocoa in the canteen during the breaks in classes. Besides Jack Peacock and David Bell, who incidentaly organised us to make our own canoes in the garage at the rear of the building, we also had another very quiet man who was liked by all and that was Ronnie Hart. Ronnie had served on H.M.S. Hood but was part of the crew taken off to make up the numbers on another ship at the time. Our C.O. Ron Percival used to take us for rifle practice on Saturday mornings to the T.A. Centre Middlesbrough, he started a ‘tug of war’ team that during that season swept everything aside. I made some great friends while with the sea cadets and have often wondered how everyone had fared throughout the years. A very worthy youth movement and great team builder.
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Yes great memories, I joined Stockton Sea Cadets in 1959 till1962 I boxed against a guy called Nicknamed Killer as his sparing partner. He (Killer) was getting prepared for the National Finals in 1961
I swam at the Sea Cadets National finals down in HMS Ganges where we won medals maybe 1960 or 1961. We used to go out on a boat with I think pop Wilson I remember very early starts on the boat and we loved it polishing the copper and brass fittings. I went to school at Bowefield Lane High school.
My family moved to Australia in 1962 and i joined the Australian Navy as a boy then joining Submarines and my training was in the UK first HMS Dolphin and then at Faslane Scotland on a Submarine called HMS Oracle.
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Tony – I remember you from Sea Cadets and I too swam in the National Finals at Ganges – my dad’s home base during his stint in the Royal Navy WW2. I won a gold medal in the 100 yds individual freestyle event. My dad was so proud of that medal and bragged me up at the navy club.
I switched over to Royal Marine cadets when they started up at TS Fortitude. Were you a Roseworth lad, as I was?
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I remember Jack Peacock. I joined the Stockton R.N.A 1959, and I am still a member of the Brantford Navy Club Ontario Canada. Would that be Ron Percival, if so I remember him as well as the Brown Boys. The Navy club members also had a swimming gala against the Sea Cadets at Stockton Baths. Remember also going to Hartlepool regata with the Club.
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Yes Robert, that’s me. John lives in Thornaby. If people are in the picture and are making comments, please identify which one you are. I know the faces, but forget a lot of the names. My email can be obtained from Picture Stockton, should anyone wish to make contact.
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I have many fond memories of Stockton Sea Cadets and friends of T.S.Fortitude in Bowesfield Lane. Jack Peacock and David Bell were always on hand to help and Jack used to take us for seamanship skills both in the class and on the water. I was part of a team that did a canoeing trip from York to London, but spoilt everybody’s time because I suffered from, for whatever reason, ‘travel sickness’. The C.O. Percival, Jack and David Bell were along as part of the support team. Later Alexander ‘Sandy’ Cearney and Myself took part in a 60 mile canoe race on the Thames. It was a full weekend event and even though some of the other teams had fancy racing canoes we didnt do so bad. Again with full support that weekend from Jack Peacock and David Bell, they picked us up from Brentford Sea Cadets and brought us home. Great times indeed and many many great memories.
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Hi Dave,
Ron McNaughton here.
Just found this website and browsed through and I was amazed what I was seeing.
The building of the canoe’s, the trip to London,through the Bosworth Tunnel and other memories ,Sandy Cearney, and his brothers,David Bell,Jack Peacock etc etc.
Its years since I even thought about the unit and what we did during those good old days.
Its suddenly brought many memories back in a flash. I’ve just been relating some of the adventures we got up to with my wife, she’s amazed that I have found this site.(as I am).
Since the start of this pandemic I have compiled a family tree( from 35 family members to 495 as of today).
Ronnie Hart was my uncle. ! Although I knew him I had no idea about the rest of his side of the family, until now. Also I researched Keith and Norma but sadly the only reference I can find is that he died in 2001( if its him) but cannot find anything about Norma his sister.
I could talk for hours but I’ll keep this short and hope you get this message .
Any info would be great, any thing you may know would be helpful.
I have lived in Portchester (Fareham) for the best part of 50 years now, well established as a southerner but still a true northerner ( kept the accent).
We visited Teeside in 2017, its the first time I have been back in 34 years. I got lost in my home town!!!!!!!!!!!
Happy days.
Ron
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David Moody – do you have a brother called John and used to live in Russell Street across the Road from Arthur’s shop?
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Kenneth Gibbs, remember you well. I’m Dave Moody who sent the photo in, sixth from the left, second back row. I went on a cruise with Randall and three others on the HMS Tiger, a cruiser battleship. I knocked about with Marine Corrigan for a while. They were great days. I remember training on the Tees for many months in a 27 foot whaler, as we were entered in a regatta at Hartlepool. The event was in 1966 on the day England won the World Cup. Missed the World Cup Final and one of our oars snapped right at the start of the race. Left at the start with no chance of catching up.
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I was at Hartlepool at the same time, I wasn’t in any race that I can recall? Roy Stockton and Whitey Kemp, Fordy, John Harty, are names of lads I knew.
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Jack Peacock, now in his eighties, is the president of the RNA club situated in William Street, Stockton. During the recent Remembrance Day parade in Stockton, Jack placed the RNA wreath at the Parish Church War Memorial. A photograph of him doing so was featured in the local Evening Gazette. I know over the years Jack has given great support to the Stockton Sea Cadets, sadly age and ill health limit his activities these days.
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I am on the LHS of the photo (under the letter P) to my left is Colin Conway. This photo was taken on an national inspection night (where we were inspected by a Royal Navy Commander, we were already the best unit in the Area). The CO was Lt Com Maurice Wilson, No.1 was Lt Sayer. Jack Peacock was a brilliant officer (pictured here as a civilian instructor). The only Marine Cadet NCO I can remember was CS Temple (ar right).
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I am the one in the top right hand corner, this was taken somewhere about 1965/66. There are several other people on the picture who are also known. The years of 1965-1966 were the year that Stockton on Tees Sea Cadets were both the Boat Handling and Boat Pulling National Champions. Probable that is what the two trophies at the from are. The boat crew was Kenneth Gibbs, Gordon Milburn, Marine Cadet Corrigan and Alan Ford the coxwain was Gordon Randall.
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I was in briefly 1976/7, I remember sailing and rowing in the two small boats but can’t remember if they were ASC Dinghy or Admiralty Whaler, if anyone can post what they were. There was also a motorised cutter but again my memory fails me. I imagine these craft are now long since gone. Great times though…
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I was in the SCC, from ’72, aged 12 to 77, when I joined the RN and worked my way up from new entry to leading hand… we had 2 ASC and 1 cutter. I passd my RYA at Hollingworth Lake so you must remember me… Paul Baker is my name.
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Paul Baker………….. Your brother was also in the cadets???. Hollingworth Lake was where Jack Peacock used to take us. It was great fun. The other stalwarts of the cadets were Chief (Bill?) Davies and also Alan Caig (who did various tasks/ranks during his time).
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Me and Kev Cuttler were great mate often going round his house where his mam always had some meal on the go for us . Kev went in to the navy but I was given a job by Jack Peacock at Radio Rentals where I worked for 16 years. I last saw Jack one remembrance day but he was suffering from dementia and he did not remember me , I was sad to hear he died about a year later. He was the best instructor In the unit, I later became an instructor when the unit moved to the mine Hunter HMS Kellington. Jack came on board to try to stop the many leaks coming down from the weather deck but even his skills failed.
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Some other names that may ring a bell or two from mid/late 70’s:
Dave Beatty (Stockton)
• Dave Beattys Mam (for always welcoming us in the house and feeding us)
Michael ‘Mickey’ Taylor (St Anne’s Rd, Portrack)
• Mickey Taylors big brothers for bullying us ‘cos of the uniform.
Derek Cairney (Hartburn)
Mel Fleetham (Stockton/Hartburn border area)
Alan Caig (PO then S-Lt Middlesbrough). Teaching abseiling, teaching about maps and compasses, ensuring we always had good resources for going on expeditions (at the time a Legal-clerk then became solicitor)
Jack Peacock (Lt-Cdr Norton). C.O, sailing, Hollingworth Lake, RYA, trips to HMS Osprey for sailing competitions, Regatta’s at Hartlepool docks (now ‘marina’) ,sea-visits on HMS Bacchante, transport co-ordinator (he had a Transit van). TV repair engineer by profession.
John Harrison (S-Lt Billingham). Discipline and drill co-ordinator. Ex-Merchant Navy. Smartest man in a uniform I ever met!.
Bill Davies (CPO- Middlesbrough). Fierce and kind-hearted. Passionate about supporting the lads with everything they didn’t think they needed to know. I think he was a plasterer by trade.
Paul Baker (Stockton) (I think we later met in the Navy)
Colin Baker (Stockton)
Dave Miller (Thornaby- KIA Falklands)
Kev Cutler (Norton)
• Kev Cutlers Mam (used to make the tea at ‘stand-easy’)
Wasn’t just about what we did in the cadets….. We also used to go hiking in Yorkshire and meet-up on Weekends. We used to chase girls together and we really did become a bit of a teenage gang!.
Whether you joined the Navy or not didn’t matter. Would love to know how many 14/15 year olds nowadays can throw a Lee-Enfield .303 around in unison, then go abseiling and next morning chase girls round Stockton centre.
Hiya Mick. Hope all’s well, mate.
Kev
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Hi to ‘admins’ at Stockton Picture Archive’. Regarding above post by Michael Taylor. I wonder if you are allowed to forward my e-mail address to him?. We were great friends before I left Norton to join the navy and I’d like a way he can contact me, if it’s within your rules. Thanks, Kev Cutler
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I was in it for a while. I think I joined with Paul Adams but I went AWOL as I was sick of waiting for a uniform.
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I was in from 1957 to 1965. Don’t recognize any faces in the photo. Many happy memories from the cocoa served by a couple of girls to firing a 4″ at Portsmouth. Would love to see other photos. Still call recall the smell of wet serge whilst pressing my own uniform.
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I was part of the marine cadets for a couple of years around 1980-81. I remember staying over at weekends, doing drill and cleaning. I remember ‘Dawson’ ‘Hart’ and numerous others. I can’t remember first names – sorry. I left Stockton in 1984, always returning, though less as I’ve gotten older. Really sad to see that it has now gone. Major recruiting base for the forces….
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Any one got photos of me Duffie around 1981 remember Martin Cook and George Baldwin staying over weekends
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That”s me front row…on the right without a uniform…never seen the photo before. I was a new lad, living in Webster Street at the time… We would go to the docks at Hartlepool on weekends to row the Whalers…I can still tie a sheepshank….Pressing the square rig with seven creases across the bell bottoms and special creases ironed into the top was a nightmare….for my mum!!
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