Ronald Alexander Tuppen
I was born 1929 into a Portsmouth naval family and I always knew that I was destined to join the navy as an Engine Room Artificer which was my father’s ambition for his sons. My father’s advice was that an ERA was a qualified tradesman who had job security and remuneration that was higher than in other branches. Many other members of my family had also completed naval service, including my brother, my father, four uncles, great grandfather and two great uncles. During my childhood the navy was a constant subject as my hometown of Portsmouth was the main naval depot in Great Britain and the home of the main naval dockyard. I remember us having my uncles’ medals in our toy box, I don’t recall how they got there but fortunately they survived.
I joined the MTE (Mechanical Training Establishment) at Rosyth as an ERA apprentice and commenced my training in 1945 at age 15 knowing my commitment would be for 12 years from age 18, a practise that was declared illegal in 1950 and discontinued. After the initial six-month period we were streamed into 4 trades, 75% Fitter/Turner, 4% Enginesmith, 6% Coppersmith and 15% Boilermaker. I chose to be a Coppersmith and was also trained in moulding, pattern making and welding. I completed my apprenticeship in December 1948 and went to sea as an ERA5. I can’t recall my first experience but I know I spent a lot of time in those damned hot boiler rooms which wasn’t quite what I had expected.
During my career I served on the following ships “HMS Implacable” (home fleet), “HMS Glasgow” (Mediterranean fleet), “HMS Reggio” (Mediterranean fleet) , “HMS Hornet” (MTB’s & MGB’s), “HMS Barrosa” (Mediterranean fleet), “HMS Rampart” (Home sea amphibious service), “HMS Rooke” (Gibraltar) and “HMS Albion” (Far East).
I also served with the Ship Maintenance Authority in Portsmouth where I met with Captain Douglas-Morris. This was at the time when he was changing his collection focus from gold coins to naval medals and he sparked my interest in medal collecting. The first medal I acquired was a Somaliland 1920 Campaign Medal awarded to CERA HJ Osborne on “HMS Clio”, and co-incidentally the last medal I purchased was Somaliland 1902-1904 Campaign Medal awarded to CERA WT Martin “HMS Highflyer”.
The ERA branch was instituted in 1868 at a time when the navy was in need of more engineers. Attempts were made to promote suitable personnel from the Stoker, Armourer and Blacksmith branches but numbers were relatively small. To encourage qualified tradesmen to accept the then naval conditions of service status and remunerations had to be made attractive. In 1877 the Cooper Key Enquiry into the Engineering Branch of the navy established these conditions and recruitment of ERA’s from engineering companies continued until 1903 when one of the Fisher Reforms introduced Boy Artificers with the view to the navy training its own ERA’s, an arrangement which proved to be successful but suitably qualified outside entry personnel still continued to be recruited. Boy Artificers became Artificer apprentices in the early 1920’s with some 150 odd being accepted annually. Things remained much the same until post WWII when numerous changes brought about the lowering of the differential between ERA’s and other branches and culminated in the title ERA being discarded, and replaced by MEA (Mechanical Engineering Artificer) in 1968. So the title of ERA existed for just 100 years. I retired as a CERA in 1969 having successfully completed 25 years naval service. My experience gained during my career enabled me to continue working in engineering positions throughout the world.
Ron Tuppen
www.dnw.co.uk
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